ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Gunnar Henderson returns to the Orioles lineup and the leadoff spot tonight against the Rays after being scratched Sunday with the stomach flu.

Henderson is the designated hitter.

Ryan O’Hearn is batting cleanup again and playing first base.  

O’Hearn is batting .349 with a 1.003 OPS in 29 games with the Orioles. Only five players have hit .350 or higher in their first 30 games with the Orioles, and seven have registered a 1.000 OPS or higher, per STATS.

Austin Hays is 9-for-17 in his last four games and 12-for-25 in his last six. He’s collected at least two hits in his last four games, the longest streak of multiple-hit games in his career.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles made a series of roster moves before playing their first game tonight against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

The pitching staff and catchers are impacted again.

Spenser Watkins was designated for assignment this morning to create room for catcher Anthony Bemboom on the 40-man roster. The Orioles selected Bemboom’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned backup José Godoy. 

Right-hander Logan Gillaspie was recalled from Norfolk to work in a middle relief role.

Watkins joined the Orioles twice this season but didn’t pitch for them. He missed a month with a laceration on his right ring finger, an injury sustained with Norfolk.

The Orioles return to their division tonight having lost four of their last seven series. However, they’ve won seven of their last 10 games.

They began yesterday tied with the Rangers for the second-best record in the American League and are 5 ½ games ahead of the third-place Yankees, who have lost four in a row. However, they are constantly pressed to prove their resiliency in the face of more adversity, including inflammation of their injured list.

There’s always a back and forth with this team, like the number of wins but also the huge amount of tight margins.  

A two-game series against the Rays begins tonight at Tropicana Field with the Orioles having seven players on the injured list. Backup catcher James McCann is the latest after spraining his left ankle Saturday afternoon.

(Sliding and diving into first base are never recommended. Avoid at all costs.)

Scout David Jennings was on edge long before the Orioles were on the clock again.

The 2019 draft began with the selection of catcher Adley Rutschman. There was no risk of losing the top player on the board. Having the worst record and picking first has its privileges.

Jennings tracked Alabama prep shortstop Gunnar Henderson since the kid was a skinny junior at John T. Morgan Academy in Selma. He saw the room for growth, both in body and skill set. He saw Henderson playing shortstop or third base for a long time, and at a high level.

But would it be with the Orioles?

They had the 42^nd overall pick and lots of time to think about it after Rutschman’s name was announced. Jennings knew the amount of interest in Henderson based on the number of scouts and executives attending his games. This wasn’t a hidden gem. This was a problem.

CHICAGO – The Orioles minor league rosters are in for some big changes very soon. According to a club source, eight players are about to be promoted and they include five players currently ranked among the O’s top 30 prospects list via Baseball America.

Moving from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk are infielder César Prieto, right-handed pitcher Justin Armbruester and righty reliever Wandisson Charles.

Moving from High-A Aberdeen to Bowie are pitchers Alex Pham, Keagan Gillies and Jean Pinto and outfielder Jud Fabian.

Moving from Low Single-A Delmarva to Aberdeen is right-handed pitcher Juan Nunez.

Fabian is currently ranked as the Orioles’ No. 13 prospect by Baseball America and No. 15 via MLBPipeline.com. In 55 games with the IronBirds, he is batting .281/.392/.490/.882 with 13 doubles, nine homers, 35 runs, 19 steals and 43 RBIs. He was the No. 67 overall draft pick in 2022 out of the University of Florida.

CHICAGO – The Orioles showed up for the series finale at Wrigley Field today looking for some runs after scoring just five in the series' first two games, losing both. They knew they would again play without injured regulars Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle.

Shortly before gametime, they added Gunnar Henderson to the list of those they would be without. But at least this was not an injury. Manager Brandon Hyde told the Peacock broadcasters during the game that Henderson was not feeling well. He had recently missed a couple of games with a lower back issue, so that actually came as good news.

The news would get better mid-game on the way to a 6-3 Orioles win.

Trailing 3-2 to the top of the sixth, the Orioles put together their best rally of the weekend, scoring three runs on five hits to take a 5-3 lead. They won by that margin to salvage the final game of this series before Monday’s off-day and a series with first-place Tampa Bay that begins Tuesday.

Ryan O’Hearn started the go-ahead rally with a single off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon. Aaron Hicks doubled to deep right to put men on second and third, and a sac fly by Ramón Urías tied it 3-3. Lefty Anthony Kay came in from the Cubs’ bullpen and was greeted with Adam Frazier’s RBI single to center and an O’s 4-3 lead. That was just their second lead this series. Two batters later, Jorge Mateo’s RBI single made it 5-3 and sent another runner to third. But Mateo was thrown out trying to get to second.

CHICAGO – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is hopeful that backup catcher James McCann, who went on the injured list today, will be back when his 10 days on the IL are up.

“We are hoping it is just going to be the 10 days,” Hyde said today about an hour before game time. “It’s an ankle sprain. He stayed in the game yesterday with that (left) ankle sprain, because he knew that I would have to put (Kyle) Gibson in the pitcher’s spot. Or in his spot to hit. So when his spot came around, that is when I hit for him (in the sixth inning). Went back there and caught a couple of innings with the sprain, so hats off to him. Shows the kind of competitor and teammate he is.”

The Orioles' second catcher today is a player who has only been in the organization a few weeks as they selected the contract of José Godoy, who was already here on the taxi squad. Reliever Reed Garrett was designated for assignment to make 40-man roster room for Godoy. The Orioles purchased Godoy’s contract from the New York Yankees on June 2.

Godoy, 28, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, is a lefty hitter and has played in 26 major league games in 2021 and 2022 with Seattle, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, batting .123/.194/.140/.334 with one double and four RBIs, going 7-for-57. He went a combined 1-for-20 last year for Pittsburgh and Minnesota.

Godoy, who was 6-for-21 this season for Triple-A Norfolk, is wearing No. 77.

The Orioles have lost four of their last seven series and will try today to avoid their first three-game sweep since May 13-15, 2022 in Detroit.

Catcher James McCann went on the 10-day injured list this morning with a sprained left ankle, and the Orioles selected catcher José Godoy’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk. Godoy was on the taxi squad in Chicago.

Reliever Reed Garrett was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

McCann is batting .194/.232/.344 with five doubles and three home runs in 31 games.

Godoy, who’s wearing No. 77, was acquired from the Yankees on June 2 in a cash transaction. He’s appeared in 26 major league games over the past two seasons with the Mariners, Twins and Pirates and gone 7-for-57.

My mailbag wouldn’t travel to Chicago this weekend for one simple reason: It refuses to put a pickle and sliced tomato on a hot dog.

Hey, I don’t make the rules.

The Orioles finish their series against the Cubs this afternoon and are off again Monday, one of the six open dates in June’s schedule. They begin a two-game series in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Tuesday, with only one night of hotel living for the media due to the 12:10 p.m. start on Wednesday.

I’m not lugging the mailbag to Florida. I dumped its contents on my living room floor, mostly to cover the stain but also to answer some questions.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. It hasn’t been modified and formatted to fit your screen.

CHICAGO – The Orioles came to Chicago riding a bit of a high. A series win over Toronto at home concluding a 5-1 homestand and they scored 42 runs in winning six of their previous seven games.

But their offense has been slowed by the Chicago Cubs in the first two games of this series at Wrigley Field, and the Orioles lost 3-2 today in front of 40,605 at the Friendly Confines to fall to 43-27.

O’s starter Kyle Gibson, an eight-game winner who was 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA his previous five starts, got his outing today started well. He fanned the first two hitters he faced in a 1-2-3 first inning on 15 pitches. He got two more strikeouts and retired the side in order in the home second.

But then the Cubs scored twice off him in the third to lead 2-0.

With one out, catcher Yan Gomes struck out on a sweeper, but he reached first on what was scored a wild pitch. When Mike Tauchman walked with two outs, second baseman Nico Hoerner came up and drilled an 0-1 two-seamer in the gap in left-center field. It went for a two-run double to break the 0-0 tie on a ball he hit 96.4 mph off the bat. Seiya Suzuki followed with a deep drive to center, but Aaron Hicks ran it down to retire the side.

CHICAGO – The Orioles have played without first baseman Ryan Mountcastle in the lineup since June 8. That was when the Orioles were in Milwaukee. He went on the injured list on June 13, retroactive to June 10, dealing with vertigo.

Mountcastle is here with the team in Chicago, took part in some pregame work yesterday and is doing the same today. On the 10-day IL, he could return as soon as Tuesday, when the Orioles play the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Orioles don’t yet know if Mountcastle will make it back for that series. But manager Brandon Hyde was encouraged by his pregame fielding and hitting work on Friday at Wrigley Field.

“Yep, he’s going to do that again today,” Hyde said earlier. “We’re kind of just re-evaluating every day and see what we’re going to do. But he’s going to hit again today and move around the field a little bit.

“Really just taking it day-to-day with him right now. He swung the bat extremely well yesterday in batting practice, with a bunch of balls onto Waveland. Hopefully he does that again today and feels good, and we’ll reassess every day.”

The Orioles optioned reliever Reed Garrett after yesterday’s loss in Chicago and recalled pitcher Spenser Watkins.

Watkins hasn't pitched in the majors in 2023, though he was recalled earlier in the season.

The Cubs are starting left-hander Justin Steele today, and the Orioles’ lineup against him includes Austin Hays in the leadoff spot, Ramón Urías at first base for the third time this season, and James McCann behind the plate.

Joey Ortiz is the second baseman. Adley Rutschman is serving as designated hitter.

Kyle Gibson is 8-3 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.301 WHIP in 14 starts. He’s registered seven quality starts.

Mike Baumann’s baseball life has taken him to many places and into many roles.

The Orioles made the decision in spring training to remove the starter duties and just let him focus on relief. To be more specific, shorter spurts that allow for an uptick in velocity.

There’s no easing into a new responsibility. Not around here. If you put on the uniform and walk to the bullpen, you’re a high-leverage guy who must get big outs.

Clean innings aren’t promised, as Baumann has learned.

Going into Thursday afternoon’s series finale, Baumann was tied with Toronto’s Tim Mayza and the Royals’ José Cuas for the second-most inherited runners in the majors, with 27. The Yankees’ Ron Marinaccio was first with 28, but Mayza moved atop the leader board with his 29th.

CHICAGO – The Orioles had been good this year both on the road and in series-opening games, but that combination did not lead to a win today at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Playing better baseball after a three-game sweep this week of National League Central-leading Pittsburgh, the Cubs hit three homers this afternoon in one inning off Baltimore lefty Cole Irvin and then had one big inning later versus the O’s bullpen in a 10-3 win over the Orioles.

The Cubs (32-37) won for sixth time in seven games as a big crowd of 37,515 cheered them on in the opener of the weekend series. Chicago is 10-7 the last 17 games.

The Birds had scored 42 runs in winning six of their past seven games, but did not score big today in the opening game of their five-game road trip.

The Orioles fall to 43-26 overall, to 21-13 in road games, to 16-7 in series openers, to 9-3 in road series openers and to 6-11 all-time against the Cubs.

CHICAGO - As the Orioles play the Chicago Cubs today to start a three-game series at Wrigley Field, manager Brandon Hyde expects to see a good number of Orioles fans in the stands.

That was the case last July 12-13 when the O's swept a two-game series at Wrigley.

"We are traveling well," Hyde said pregame in the visitors' dugout. "I'm loving the way our fans are traveling. It's been a lot of fun on the road to see and to hear during the anthem. That's when you notice it the most, honestly, during the anthem. I've been pleasantly surprised. The way they are showing up for us on the road has been awesome."

Hyde provided a brief update on first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who went on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to vertigo.

"He is starting to feel a little bit better," Hyde said. "But he's still a little bit under the weather."

Gunnar Henderson is leading off again today at Wrigley Field and Ramón Urías is the designated hitter for the series opener against the Cubs.

The Orioles’ lineup also includes first baseman Ryan O’Hearn in the cleanup spot and Aaron Hicks in center field.

Adley Rutschman is behind the plate. He’s tied with Austin Hays for the team lead in hits with 70 and is first in walks with 46. Sean Murphy and Joe Mauer are the only American League catchers ever to lead their teams in both categories. Mauer did it twice.

Cole Irvin is making his second start since the Orioles put him back in the rotation. He faced the Royals Saturday and allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings.

Irvin’s only career start against the Cubs came on May 22, 2019 with the Phillies at Wrigley Field, when he allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. It was Irvin’s third career game and his first loss.

Anthony Santander didn’t feed the appetites of the launch angle lovers this afternoon while breaking the final tie of the day. The four combined home runs from the Orioles and Blue Jays would have to satisfy those cravings.

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. raised his mitt in an attempt to knock down Santander’s 103.9 mph one-hopper with two outs in the sixth inning and could only deflect it, allowing Austin Hays score on the third consecutive single against reliever Yimi García.

Four degrees of separation between a tie and lead.

García was saddled with two losses last month in Toronto, and he earned another today. Tyler Wells turned in his third quality start in his last four outings, surviving two home runs from Danny Jansen, and Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista handled the last seven outs in a 4-2 victory before an announced crowd of 22,555 at Camden Yards.

Hays hit a 439-foot home run off Erik Swanson in the eighth, and the 24th comeback win of the season improved the Orioles to 43-25. They secured their 15^th series and pushed the Blue Jays six games behind them in the standings.

Tyler Wells took the mound yesterday in the top of the first inning with baseball in hand and also possessing the lowest WHIP in the majors at 0.853.

There’s a lot of season left, but Wells held the Blue Jays to a pair of Danny Jansen solo home runs in 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 win at Camden Yards. He allowed five hits, walked one batter and left with his WHIP at 0.86.

The club record for lowest WHIP in a season, with a minimum of one inning per team game, is held by left-hander Dave McNally at 0.842 in 1968, according to STATS.

McNally was special, and his ’68 season was magnificent with a 22-10 record and 1.95 ERA in 35 starts. McNally recorded 18 complete games and five shutouts and finished fifth in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League.

A different time, indeed.

Austin Voth is hoping to begin throwing again next week to test the right elbow that forced him on the injured list yesterday.

Voth is taking a stronger dose of an anti-inflammatory to reduce the swelling.

The Orioles placed Voth on the IL after he allowed two runs and three hits Tuesday in one-third of an inning. He also walked a batter, and Cavan Biggio’s homer was the first that Voth surrendered in his last 18 appearances.

Voth’s previous outing also was a struggle, with two walks in one-third of an inning against the Royals.

“It’s getting better,” he said this morning. “It’s just a matter of calming it down to the point where I can move it without moving something. And from there, I’m not throwing right now, so the next step would be probably throwing in maybe a week to see how it’s doing.”

Ramón Urías is making his second career start at first base this afternoon, as the Orioles concluded their homestand.

Manager Brandon Hyde is stacking his lineup with right-handed bats, including James McCann catching, Ryan McKenna in left field and Joey Ortiz at second base.

Austin Hays is leading off, with Gunnar Henderson in the cleanup spot.

Tyler Wells has posted a 3.24 ERA in 13 games (12 starts), and his 0.853 WHIP leads the majors. He’s allowed five runs in his last three starts over 18 innings.

Wells has made eight career appearances against the Blue Jays, including two starts, and allowed 10 runs and 18 hits in 14 2/3 innings.