Ryan Mountcastle took batting practice on the field again today and is expected to be activated from the injured list prior to Saturday night’s game against the Rays.

Mountcastle hasn’t played since the Orioles scratched him from the May 11 lineup in St. Louis with discomfort in his left wrist and forearm. He went on the injured list a few days later.

“If everything goes well (today) and he doesn’t feel anything,” said manager Brandon Hyde, “he should be back in there tomorrow.”

A corresponding roster move must be made to accommodate Mountcastle.

The Orioles didn’t select catcher Adley Rutschman’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk. He apparently remains with the team in Charlotte as the Orioles begin another home series.

Left-hander Logan Allen has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles made the announcement this afternoon.

Allen was claimed on waivers from the Guardians and made three relief appearances before the Orioles designated him for assignment. He allowed two runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings, with two walks and one strikeout.

Tyler Nevin is starting at first base tonight for the series opener against the Rays. Nevin is 5-for-10 with two RBIs in his last three games.

Ramón Urías is the third baseman and Chris Owings is starting at second in another right-handed lineup.

Tyler Wells is making his eighth major league start. He’s registered a 4.18 ERA and 1.250 WHIP in 28 innings, with only four walks and four home runs allowed.

Another series is in the books and the Orioles have moved on to the Rays, who arrive at Camden Yards for three games.

Sportswriters are prisoners to lists of five, but three sounds right. So here are three more observations while I wait for the lineup to be posted – and for more questions about possible call-ups.

I swear, I don’t have any inside information on Jacob Nottingham.

* Trey Mancini keeps squaring up baseballs, but now they’re finding grass or the seats.

Mancini entered yesterday slashing .375/.444/.500 in May, the second-highest average in the American League and third-highest on-base percentage. He’s reached base in 13 consecutive games after lining a single into center field in the first inning, and is batting .360 (18-for-50) with two home runs and five RBIs during that span, including his 10-pitch single in the ninth inning that led to Anthony Santander’s walk-off home run.

This wasn’t just the clichéd two teams heading in opposite directions moment in today’s game. The red-hot Yankees, with the best record in baseball, versus an Orioles team with six losses in a row to fall 10 below .500.

The Orioles were 4-20 when their opponent scored first. The Yankees were 19-2, and they jumped Baltimore native Bruce Zimmermann for two runs in the opening inning.

If the Orioles were getting on any sort of roll through the weekend, they’d first have to go off script.

The teams were tied four times as they closed out the series at Camden Yards. Three soft singles from the Yankees in the sixth inning appeared to doom the Orioles, but they reclaimed the lead in the bottom half and held it until two outs in the ninth.

DL LeMahieu’s fly ball in front of right fielder Anthony Santander scored Isiah Kiner-Falefa to destroy Jorge López’s bid for a four-out save. Félix Bautista left the bases loaded, and then Santander hit a walk-off, three-run homer in the Orioles’ 9-6 win before an announced crowd of 23,819 that prevented back-to-back series sweeps.

Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins is available to play today, but he’s beginning the game on the bench.

His health is fine.

“Just giving him a little breather,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Long stretch.”

The next day off is a week from today.

Ryan Mountcastle hit in the cage today and did some throwing, and he’s going to take batting practice on the field prior on Friday’s game against the Rays.

The Orioles will try to avoid back-to-back sweeps and snap a six-game losing streak this afternoon with Baltimore native Bruce Zimmermann on the mound.

Zimmermann has posted a 2.72 ERA and 1.211 WHIP in seven starts, with only three home runs surrendered in 36 1/3 innings. He’s already faced the Yankees twice this season, shutting them out over five innings in Baltimore and allowing three earned runs (four total) and seven hits in 4 1/3 in the Bronx.

Austin Hays was 0-for-18 before doubling twice and singling last night. He’s the leadoff hitter today with Cedric Mullins out of the lineup.

Assuming it’s a rest day, but we’ll check.

Ryan McKenna is playing center field in manager Brandon Hyde’s right-handed lineup. Ramón Urías is the designated hitter and Chris Owings is the second baseman.

John Means walked into the Orioles’ clubhouse Tuesday afternoon, about five minutes before it closed to the media, with a long brace on his left arm, a broad smile on his face and his eyes scanning the room.

Searching for teammates who hadn't gone on the field.

Means began to walk toward the doors leading into the dining area, paused and took a sharp left to his locker. The nameplate was back above it. He joked that he was happy to find out he still had one.

The Orioles know that Means won’t pitch for them in 2022, but they want him to stay. To resume his leadership role, set the example, lift them during the down periods that strike a rebuilding club.

Even with one bad arm.

Less than a week after the Orioles designated Paul Fry for assignment, they found a trade partner for him and severed ties with their longest tenured pitcher.

Fry was sent to the Diamondbacks tonight for 19-year-old pitcher Luis Osorio, who spent his only professional season in 2021 in the Dominican Summer League.

Osorio, a native of Venezuela, posted a 5.83 ERA and 1.272 WHIP in 15 games, including six starts. He walked 20 batters and struck out 54 in 41 2/3 innings.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has a fondness for acquiring young talent to stock the DSL rosters, moves he’s orchestrated multiple times at the trade deadline.

Osorio faced the Orioles’ DSL1 team on Sept. 16 and earned the win with four scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and struck out eight.

Orioles pitcher John Means has his arbitration hearing set for May 26, during an off-day between visits to New York and Boston.

Means will be with the Orioles for the first half of the trip, wearing a brace on his left elbow and a mustache that he decided to grow again.

“Got to keep it interesting, you know?” he said this afternoon in his first media scrum since undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“I’m losing my mind. I’ve got to keep it fresh. I don’t know. Felt like doing it one day and here it is.”

The facial hair gets mixed reviews, but Means said his recovery from surgery is “going better than it’s supposed to be.”

Jorge Mateo has returned to the Orioles lineup for tonight’s game against the Yankees.

Mateo wasn’t available since Sunday’s collision with Detroit’s Spenser Torkelson that left him with a bruised shoulder and chest.

Austin Hays is playing left field on back-to-back nights since returning to the lineup. Tyler Nevin is the first baseman and Anthony Bemboom is catching.

No roster moves have been announced.

Trey Mancini is batting .392 (20-for-51) with two home runs since May 3.

The Orioles didn’t wait long this season to create some roster and injury intrigue, to build speculation and curiosity within the media until further details became available.

Remember the third game at Tropicana Field?

Come on, it wasn’t that long ago.

The club hadn’t confirmed its fifth starter, who became Spenser Watkins. Dean Kremer began to warm in the visiting bullpen, eliminating him from the race.

And then, he walked to the dugout. An unusual move, since relievers usually go from the ‘pen to the mound.

The timing of Spenser Watkins’ start for the Orioles was bound to shift the attention away from him at various points in the night.

Grayson Rodriguez was pitching for Triple-A Norfolk in Charlotte. The internet is still a thing. You get the idea.

The No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball struck out a season-high 11 batters in 5 1/3 scoreless innings, his fastball registering at 98-99 mph per Statcast. Screens on laptops in the press box were flipped like hotcakes.

Rodriguez exited the game in the sixth after an error and walk disturbed his evening. The out came when he covered third base on a fly ball force play – you had to be there - and Mike Baumann stranded the runners.  

Watkins, meanwhile, was facing the team with the best record in baseball, and with Aaron Judge returning to its lineup. Judge had an RBI double and home run through the third, Watkins was removed after the fourth with the Orioles leading, and Judge greeted Joey Krehbiel with a game-tying 422-foot home run.

The Orioles doubled down on their earlier roster move that promoted left-hander Nick Vespi to the majors.

Pitcher Logan Gillaspie was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk this afternoon to increase bullpen depth during a rough stretch of games. Infielder Rylan Bannon was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Gillaspie, added to the 40-man roster after the 2021 season, has made nine combined appearances between Double-A Bowie and Norfolk and registered a 3.14 ERA and 1.186 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings. He surrendered two runs in 6 1/3 innings with the Tides.

“Another guy on our 40-man roster that we want to take a look at,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Didn’t see him much in spring training. Kind of an unusual story. Remember talking to him in camp. I just saw him for two seconds before I came in here, so haven’t had a chance to speak with him much, but he started the year in Double-A, pitched well, been doing a fairly good job in Triple-A, and we needed the innings.”

Vespi, 26, and Gillaspie, 25, are awaiting their major league debuts.

The Orioles selected the contract of left-hander Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk this afternoon and designated lefty Logan Allen for assignment.

Vespi, who’s wearing No. 79, brings a 0.00 ERA to Camden Yards while waiting to make his major league debut. The 18^th round draft pick in 2015 was charged with three unearned runs and six hits in 14 1/3 innings, with three walks and 21 strikeouts.

Allen was claimed off waivers from the Guardians on May 5 and made three appearances, allowing two runs and three hits with two walks in 1 2/3 innings.

Today’s moves are the latest to impact the bullpen. Paul Fry was designated for assignment on Saturday. Denyi Reyes has his contract selected on Thursday, made his major league debut with two scoreless innings in Detroit and was optioned.

Meanwhile, the Orioles resume their four-game series with the Yankees tonight. Neither team has posted its lineup.

The Orioles began their homestand last night without a single roster move.

Didn’t need to replace an injured player whose day-to-day status grew too long. Didn’t select the contract of baseball’s No. 1 prospect.

Austin Hays took coach’s batting practice, but only the shadow of Adley Rutschman could keep fans from seeing the importance of that update.

The Triple-A Norfolk Tides were off yesterday. Rutschman didn’t hop on a flight to Baltimore.

The Orioles never circled that date or any other on the calendar. Some media did. Some fans did. The opening game of a homestand seemed to make sense.

Kyle Bradish imagined this night for at least two months.

Probably a lot longer.

Bradish stood outside the visiting clubhouse at the Yankees spring training complex in Tampa after tossing two scoreless innings, said he had fun pitching in front of a large crowd in prime time and facing a lineup stacked with regulars, and spoke without a trace of cockiness about future rematches.

“They’re in the division,” he said, “so getting an early look at them is always nice.”

The Orioles didn’t break camp with Bradish and kept him back at extended spring training to build up innings. He wasn’t promoted until April 29, the news breaking a day earlier while the Orioles coincidentally were at Yankee Stadium.

Austin Hays took coach’s batting practice this afternoon and did some outfield work, including shagging fly balls, and is nearing a return to the Orioles lineup.

Hays has been missing from it since the final game in St. Louis, when reliever Génesis Cabrera stepped on his left hand on a play at first base.

“My hand’s feeling a lot better today,” Hays said while standing at his locker. “The swelling was pretty bad the last couple of days, but the stitches have settled, so now I can regain some baseball activities today.”

The Orioles were able to avoid putting Hays on the injured list. The initial fear was that he suffered a break, but he escaped “only” with lacerations.

“Originally, it was kind of unsure, but then the doctor said that I would be able to play with the stitches in, I wouldn’t have to wait for them to come out before I could resume,” he said.

With a lineup tonight that is still without Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle and will also be without shortstop Jorge Mateo, at least at the start, the O’s could use another solid game on the mound. They will send out rookie right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-1, 4.24) for his fourth career start.

And he is facing the first-place New York Yankees (25-9), who have the best record in the majors and have won six of seven and 18 of their last 21 games.

This is sure a challenge for a young pitcher facing a team that is tied for the American League lead in homers and OPS and is second in runs scored. A team on a 119-win pace.

For the fourth time in four starts, Robinson Chirinos is catching the youngster. Chirinos has been impressed by Bradish's start, particularly last week in St. Louis, when he allowed two runs over seven innings with no walks and 11 strikeouts.

I asked Chirinos what impressed him the most about Bradish in that outing.

The Orioles have returned home after being swept in Detroit, and Robinson Chirinos is catching tonight.

No roster moves have been announced. No new lockers in the home clubhouse.

Austin Hays is attempting to hit this afternoon. The swelling is down in his left hand, but he remains out of the lineup.

Ramón Urías is batting cleanup and starting at shortstop. Rylan Bannon is playing third base in his first game at Camden Yards.

Tyler Nevin is the first baseman. Ryan McKenna is in left field.

Jorge Mateo ran full-speed into Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson yesterday on a bunt up the line, and the result was predictable. Mateo hit the ground hard and stayed down as manager Brandon Hyde and head athletic trainer Brian Ebel bolted from the dugout.

Mateo eventually got up and finished his at-bat, falling to one knee on a swing and striking out on the next pitch. But not until Hyde had patted him on the back and gave him a quick shoulder rub, relieved that his starting shortstop didn’t join the list of injured Orioles.

Two innings later, Chris Owings was pinch-hitting for Mateo, who left the game with rib cage soreness.

Of course he did. This team is a bundle of bad breaks.

Hyde told the media afterward that Mateo has a left shoulder and chest contusion. X-rays were negative and he’s day-to-day.