I’m dumping more mailbag questions into your laps. I'll handle the next batch.

We’ve pondered whether Zach Eflin or Grayson Rodriguez would be the No. 1 starter as the roster’s currently set, who’s the No. 5 starter, the chances that Jackson Holliday platoons, how much Heston Kjerstad plays, whether the Orioles trade for Luis Castillo, and if the Orioles are done making moves for position players.

Here are a few more. Share your answers with the class.

Does Nick Gordon have any shot at making the team in spring training?

On paper, it seems highly unlikely.

Sure the Orioles, like most teams that don’t have one, could use an ace pitcher. They still hope to add one before the start of the 2025 season. 

But their current rotation has the makings of being a good one.

Here is how it looks today:

Zach Eflin: He is the probable Opening Day starter. After the trade to the Orioles, over nine starts, he went 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA. Only nine pitchers, including the Orioles' Corbin Burnes, that qualified, posted season-long ERAs under 3.00. To do it even for nine starts was impressive.

Eflin finished sixth for the 2023 American League Cy Young Award and has been among the best pitchers in the American League. Over the last two years, while Burnes posted a 3.15 ERA and 1.083 WHIP, Eflin was at 3.54 and 1.085.

Here we are again, blowing up roster projections in November. Stand back and cover your ears.

I want to cover my eyes every time one of my locks doesn’t pan out.

We learned more about the roster with yesterday's non-tender of right-handed reliever Jacob Webb. We know that Emmanuel Rivera has a $1 million contract that doesn’t guarantee him an Opening Day introduction. He’s out of options and the infield is crowded.

It appears to be the only set position. The Orioles could use a right-handed hitting outfielder and at least one starting pitcher. They need a backup catcher. And they’ve decided to make changes in the bullpen.

They seemed to have their eight relievers before removing Webb and left-hander Danny Coulombe, who combined for a 2.71 ERA and two elbow injuries. Coulombe underwent surgery to remove a bone chip and missed three months.

Reliever Burch Smith doesn’t rate as one of the bigger decisions awaiting the Orioles. However, he’s on their agenda.

Smith is eligible for arbitration despite his name being missing from some lists. He made $1 million this year, with the Orioles paying the prorated minimum salary after selecting his contract on July 11.

The Rays signed Smith as a free agent on Jan. 2. The Marlins acquired him on March 27 in a cash transaction and released him on June 20. The Orioles signed him a week later.

The Orioles optioned Dillon Tate on the day that they brought Smith to the majors. As if you’d forget.

Smith appeared in 25 games and posted a 5.74 ERA and 1.050 WHIP in 26 2/3 innings. He started out with four scoreless appearances, allowing one hit, walking none and striking out six, but he endured some rough patches, including five home runs over seven outings.  

When the Orioles swapped out pitchers late in the regular season to cover innings and allow manager Brandon Hyde to set up his bullpen for the postseason, they selected left-hander Tucker Davidson’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk, designated him for assignment a day later and recalled Colin Selby. When they set their Wild Card roster, they kept Selby and Cade Povich over Matt Bowman and Albert Suárez.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers didn’t get another chance with the Orioles.

He gets a fresh start next spring training. He needs it.

Rogers was optioned on Aug. 22, less than a month after the Orioles acquired him from the Marlins at the deadline for infielder Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers. He went 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA and 1.842 WHIP in four games and didn’t last more than five innings in any start.

Five appearances with Triple-A Norfolk produced a 5.65 ERA and 1.221 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings, but he strung together three quality starts in a row after allowing 10 runs in 4 1/3 innings in his Tides debut. It’s hard to bring down your numbers after that disaster.

The start of the 2023 postseason for the Orioles included the shocking news that John Means wouldn’t make the Division Series roster due to elbow soreness that followed his appearance in an intrasquad game at Camden Yards. The club didn’t share anything of that magnitude this morning, but the inclusion of Colin Selby in the bullpen came as a surprise.

Selby was chosen over Matt Bowman. Albert Suárez wasn’t going to make it after working six innings Sunday in Minnesota.

Explaining the Selby move, manager Brandon Hyde said, “We just felt Selby in a couple games he’s thrown for us showed really, really good stuff. And just from a matchup standpoint, wanted an extra right-hander in the bullpen. He’s got a 97 mph fastball and a really good slider, so we’re excited to add him.”

The Game 2 starter remains a mystery, and it appears that what happens later today might dictate the choice.

Where is Hyde on the Game 2 starter?

The Orioles are carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players for the Wild Card series against the Royals that begins this afternoon at soggy Camden Yards.

Albert Suárez threw six innings on Sunday and was dropped from the roster until perhaps getting a start in the Division Series if the Orioles can advance. Rookie Cade Povich made it, giving the Orioles five left-handers in a nine-man bullpen.

The big surprise is Colin Selby making it over Matt Bowman after the Orioles recalled him Sunday. Selby has made three appearances. Bowman made 15, including a start as the opener, and posted a 3.45 ERA in 15 2/3 innings.

The 14 position players who ended the regular season have remained with the club for the first round of the playoffs. The Orioles kept infielder Emmanuel Rivera and outfielder Heston Kjerstad. A 13-13 split likely would have removed one of them.

The Game 2 starter apparently is dependent on the Game 1 outcome. Corbin Burnes is on the mound this afternoon.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Orioles finally know their opponent for the Wild Card series. The preparation will get a lot easier.

The Royals clinched the No. 5 seed and will come to Camden Yards for Tuesday’s Game 1, setting up a rematch of the 2014 Championship Series that began the Orioles' eight-game playoff losing streak. Left-hander Cole Ragans will start. The Tigers did the unthinkable and lost to the White Sox again.

The Orioles must finalize their roster and Albert Suarez’s presumed spot might have closed. He wasn’t shortened today in his start, throwing 71 pitches in six innings in a 6-2 victory over the Twins at Target Field.

Rookie left-hander Cade Povich is making it, according to a source, and Suárez could be held back until the Division Series. The Orioles can wait until Tuesday morning to submit their roster.

Suárez could start Game 1 of the ALDS on an extra day of rest if the Orioles advance. Their plans for him aren’t confirmed but seemed to gain clarity.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Orioles recalled reliever Colin Selby this morning and designated left-hander Tucker Davidson for assignment after he tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings last night.

Selby is another fresh arm for the bullpen, with manager Brandon Hyde prepping his other relievers for availability in Game 1 of Tuesday’s Wild Card game.

Selby appeared in two games with the Orioles in August and didn’t allow a run or hit in three innings. He struck out four batters.

The Orioles haven’t committed to their Game 2 starter.

Albert Suárez gets today’s start, with uncertainty over how long he’ll pitch. Hyde was non-committal yesterday about possibly shortening Suárez.

NEW YORK – The Orioles know who’s starting the first game of the Twins series. The rest is dependent on “what happens,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

Rookie left-hander Cade Povich gets the ball at Target Field. Albert Suárez and Dean Kremer are lined up for the last two games, but they might not matter.

A win tonight secures the first Wild Card. A Yankees win eliminates the Orioles in the division race, but they could clinch the No. 4 playoff spot after Friday.

A “bullpen game” on Sunday isn’t ideal with a possible Game 1 two days later. A possible solution is calling up a pitcher to handle bulk innings and optioning him afterward. Trevor Rogers and Chayce McDermott fit the description and there are a few others.

Another pitcher would need to be optioned to make room, and he wouldn’t be eligible to return unless as an injury replacement until the Championship Series.

Players arrived at Camden Yards this morning unsure whether they’d celebrate a playoff berth later in the afternoon. Some wondered where they’d do it. Whether they’d hang around the clubhouse and wait for the result of the Mariners game or board a train to New York. Is there time to cover lockers, furniture and the floor in plastic or just toast the achievement?

They had to beat the Tigers, of course, or it didn’t matter.

The magic number also can make plans disappear.

Albert Suárez matched his season and career highs with three home runs allowed. The Orioles battled back to tie the score in the fifth before Kerry Carpenter burned Súarez again leading off the sixth, and the Tigers held on for a 4-3 victory before an announced sellout crowd of 44,040 that kept pumping electricity through every section of Camden Yards.

Hopes of winning the last regular season home game were short-circuited.

The Orioles played their first home game of the 2024 season on March 28 and they beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-3 on Opening Day. This afternoon they play their final home game of the regular season, still hoping home playoff games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Along those lines, the O's report for duty with the same magic number as they had on Saturday, which is three, with the same scenario for clinching. They will wrap up a playoff berth today if they beat Detroit and Seattle loses at Texas. That game begins at 2:35 p.m. ET. 

The Orioles (86-69) have seven games remaining and hit the road after today for three games at Yankee Stadium and three at Minnesota to wrap up the regular season.

If the Orioles do clinch a playoff berth, they will be in the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 1996 and 1997.

They certainly must feel they let one get away yesterday, losing 6-4 to Detroit in 10 innings. Down 4-2 in the last of the ninth they tied the game 4-4 on Gunnar Henderson's two-run double. They had runners at second and third with no outs but could not push across another run to walk off the Tigers.

The Orioles will try again today to clinch a playoff berth, needing a win over the Tigers and Mariners loss in Texas. That’s all it takes.

Seattle’s game starts an hour later, so the Orioles might have to linger at the ballpark.

Infielders Ramón Urías and Jordan Westburg were reinstated from the injured list today after completing their rehab assignments at Triple-A Norfolk. They were removed from the Tides' game last night in the fifth inning.

Outfielder Daniel Johnson and infielder Livan Soto were optioned to Norfolk.

Urías and Westburg were injured exactly a month apart. Westburg fractured his right hand on July 31 and Urías sprained his right ankle on Aug. 31.

The Orioles didn’t find their mojo tonight.

Talk earlier of getting on a roll proved to be well-intended but hollow. The Orioles were down after two pitches from Albert Suárez, fell further behind in the second inning and lost to the Giants 10-0 before an announced crowd of 23,967 that sat through periods of light rain at Camden Yards.

The club can’t find cover from a steady shower of poor performances.

Their record fell to 84-67 with eight losses in the last 11 games, and the deficit behind the Yankees grew to four.

Craig Kimbrel allowed a season-high four runs in the ninth before leaving the game on a groundball single, uncontested stolen base, wild pitch, walk, fielder’s choice RBI bunt by Brett Wisely with a late throw to the plate, 12-pitch walk, two-run single by LaMonte Wade Jr. and Heliot Ramos’ RBI double. It got worse. Matt Bowman let both inherited runners score on Michael Conforto’s single, leaving Kimbrel with a career-high six runs. He hadn't surrendered more than four in his 15-year career.

The final homestand of the 2024 regular season has arrived. The Orioles host the Giants for three games and then the Tigers for three to wrap up the home schedule.

The Orioles (84-66), with 12 games and four series remaining, begin play tonight three games behind the Yankees (87-63) for the American League East lead. This week the Yankees are on the West Coast with three games at Seattle beginning tonight and then three at Oakland.

This is before the O’s and Yankees play a three-game series in the Bronx beginning a week from tonight. With the Royals loss to the Tigers last night, the Orioles are 2 1/2 games ahead of Kansas City for the top AL Wild Card spot.

While the Orioles scored just six runs in the Tigers series and have scored only 21 runs the past 10 games (going 3-7), their starting pitchers have quietly been on a good roll:

* 1.42 ERA with five quality starts the last five games
* 2.33 ERA with six quality starts the past nine games
* 2.55 ERA with eight quality starts in 13 games this month

BOSTON – Cedric Mullins won’t be moving down the lineup anytime soon against right-handed pitching.

Albert Suárez might not leave the rotation against anyone.

Mullins homered in his first two at-bats tonight to power the Orioles to a 5-3 victory over the Red Sox before an announced crowd of 30,898 at Fenway Park. One came cheaply, the other earned. They both counted.

Suárez allowed one run in six innings, and the Orioles improved to 83-63 with a chance to win the series Wednesday night before flying to Detroit. The Yankees lost and are only a half-game ahead in the division race.

Mullins’ multi-homer game was the fifth of his career and first since June 19, 2021 against the Blue Jays. The previous four happened in his 30/30 season.

Now 1 1/2 games out in the American League East, the Orioles (82-63) play the second game of their three-game series in Boston tonight. It's also the second game of a six-game road trip that later moves on to Detroit.

The Orioles have lost four of five games and are 8-10 their past 18 games. They are 24-25 since the All-Star break and 29-32 since July 1.

The Orioles did not lose any of their first eight AL East series this year, going 6-0-2 in those series and 19-7 in those games. Now they are 2-3-1 their past six series, heading into this one and are 10-11 in their past 21 division games.

The Baltimore offense has scored one, two, one, zero and three runs during the past five games, and their seven runs in this span is last in the major leagues. They have 28 hits in those games for a .178 batting average and .539 OPS. They are 3-for-31 with runners in scoring position in this stretch.

The Orioles are 7-4 against the Red Sox and Baltimore has clinched the season series for a second straight year after going 7-6 in 2023. This marks the first time the O's have won the season series with the Sox in back-to-back years since doing so in four straight from 2012-15. One more win would guarantee a winning percentage of at least .600 against the Red Sox for the 15th time in team history and the first since 2012 (.722, 13-5). The Birds swept a three-game series in Boston from April 9-11, the 14th road series sweep of at least three games against the Red Sox by the Orioles club history and the first since April 2-4, 2021 (three games).

BOSTON – Coby Mayo is starting at third base tonight at Fenway Park and Jackson Holliday returns to the lineup at second base.

Cedric Mullins is batting second again.

James McCann is catching, with Adley Rutschman serving as designated hitter.

Albert Suárez needs to bounce back from his last start, when he allowed six runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings against the White Sox. He surrendered three home runs to tie his career high, and Chicago snapped a 12-game losing streak.

Suárez shut out the Red Sox over six innings on Aug. 18.

Albert Suárez watched his second pitch tonight, a fastball to White Sox leadoff hitter Nicky Lopez, sail into the right field seats.

Gunnar Henderson took it as a challenge, hitting his 10^th leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning and his 35^th overall to set the club record for a shortstop.

The back-and-forth would stop, with Suárez producing a rare clunker. He wouldn’t get the last word or last through fifth. And the Orioles wouldn't score again.

Andrew Vaughn led off the fourth with a homer and Dominic Fletcher hit a two-run shot later in the inning, his first of the season, to guide the White Sox toward an 8-1 victory before an announced crowd of 17,843 at Camden Yards.

Chicago had lost 12 in a row and an astounding 42 of 46. They were outscored 22-3 in the first two games of the series.

With 22 runs scored in back-to-back wins over the White Sox, the Orioles look for a three-game series sweep tonight. That would also give them a seven-game sweep of the season series.

In late May, the Orioles won four straight at Chicago, but they were all close wins by 8-6, 6-4, 5-3 and 4-1. In this series, the O’s have won 13-3 and last night by 9-0.

They’ve scored 22 runs on 27 hits the last two games, with three doubles, a triple and two homers and they are 11-for-36 batting with runners in scoring position.

In going 6-0 on the year versus the Sox, the O’s have outscored them 45-17. On offense, they have hit .287 with an .887 OPS and 10 home runs. The Baltimore pitchers have a 2.67 ERA and have allowed a .528 OPS to White Sox hitters this year.

Right-hander Albert Suárez (7-4, 3.14) has been on a five-start pitching role and will make his 20^th start tonight. He is 2-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in those five games, allowing four earned runs over 30 1/3 innings with five walks to 24 strikeouts.