Austin Hays is in the Orioles lineup tonight for the first time since Tuesday. His knee soreness has dissipated and the Rangers are starting left-hander Andrew Heaney. It’s time for him to play.

Left field is back in Hays’ possession.

Ryan Mountcastle is on the bench, where he also began last night’s game before pinch-hitting. An explanation will come later.

Heston Kjerstad, who hit a grand slam last night, is the designated hitter while Ryan O’Hearn plays first base. Jordan Westburg is the cleanup hitter. Colton Cowser is in center field and batting ninth.

Gunnar Henderson’s on-base streak has reached 36 games. He’s leading off against a left-hander, with Adley Rutschman batting second.

The choices were laid out again yesterday for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.

A right-handed opposing starting pitcher and a roster with left-handed hitting outfielders Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad, along with switch-hitter Anthony Santander. Ryan O’Hearn, also from the left side, capable of playing the corner outfield or first base or resuming his usual role as the designated hitter in this situation.

Kjerstad sat Friday night despite hitting a home run and finishing with three RBIs the previous game. Cowser broke a scoreless tie with his homer in the fourth off future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer. Hyde appeared to make the right call – unless Kjerstad would have hit two.

We’ll never know.

Last night’s lineup put Cowser in left field, Mullins in center, Santander in right and Kjerstad as the designated hitter. O’Hearn played first base and Ryan Mountcastle sat until called upon as a pinch-hitter.

Heston Kjerstad heard the crowd roar, looked up at the video board and locked eyes with himself. Unsure what to do, he smiled and pumped his fist. The fans had found him. They wanted to salute the rookie, but it’s much easier when he jogs back onto the field.

Kjerstad was confined to the dugout as the designated hitter. At least it kept him close to the hydration station.

The hoses were in demand after his grand slam.

The noise for Kjerstad lingered and he finally moved to the top step of the dugout and raised his cap in appreciation, his bases-filled blast off Michael Lorenzen in the bottom of the fifth inning lifting the Orioles to a 6-5 victory over the Rangers before an announced sellout crowd of 44,286 at Camden Yards.

They were down 2-1 in the fifth when Gunnar Henderson doubled, Ryan O’Hearn and Anthony Santander drew back-to-back walks with two outs and Kjerstad jumped on a cutter for the Orioles’ fifth slam of the season.

Jordan Westburg and Austin Hays were unavailable for last night’s game due to knee soreness. However, Westburg is playing second base tonight and Hays could start Sunday against Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney.

Westburg was on the field with head athletic trainer Brian Ebel early today performing agility drills and stretching. He’s recovered from the bruised left hip he sustained at Yankee Stadium after a collision with Juan Soto, but a tag at third base early in Thursday night’s game led to the knee discomfort.

“Kind of a weird play and woke up sore. He tested it out today and feels good and he’s in the lineup today,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“He didn’t feel it at the time and obviously finished the game, then woke up and was swollen and sore, so we kind of backtracked to see what happened during the game and it was on this play. But he feels good today.”

Hays jammed his knee Tuesday while chasing a fly ball to the left field warning track, resulting in a deep laceration and swelling. His absence isn’t as noticeable because he’s mostly sat against right-handers.

Infielder Connor Norby, the No. 6 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline, is on the Orioles’ taxi squad. However, it’s a precaution and might not include his return to the active roster.

Norby went 3-for-14 with a home run before the Orioles optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. He’s batting .286/.380/.498 with 20 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs in 65 games with the Tides.

Norby’s double last night tied him with Blake Davis for the sixth-most hits in Norfolk history as an Orioles affiliate with 252. He also moved into sole possession of third for doubles with 62.

Jordan Westburg didn’t play last night and he's on the field this afternoon with an athletic trainer. Austin Hays was working out in the outfield yesterday with athletic trainers present and also stayed on the bench. Tonight’s lineup hasn’t been posted.

The Orioles have won three games in a row and we’re waiting to find out whether Adley Rutschman returns to the lineup.

Anthony Santander didn’t purposely begin tracking the All-Star Game balloting to see where he stood among outfielders in the American League. It’s just so hard to avoid.

“Social media right now, it’s all over the place,” he said yesterday with a smile. “And actually, the last update I said, ‘I don’t know if my mom is doing a really good job because, wow.’ I got a jump from 800,000 to a million-something. I got really surprised, like, ‘What’s going on?’”

What happened is Santander moved onto Phase 2 by finishing with the fourth-highest vote total at 1,478,034.

The top six recipients would have advanced except Aaron Judge received the most votes in the AL with 3,425,309 and the rules changed the cutoff to five. Colton Cowser, as bad luck would have it, placed sixth with 1,146,514. Cedric Mullins was seventh with 943,071.

Santander, the former Rule 5 pick who went from Class A to the majors, could become the first fan-elected Orioles outfielder since Adam Jones in 2014. But he isn’t devoting each game and each at-bat to the honor.

Albert Suárez figured it out.

A two-start slump circled the drain tonight, with Suárez regaining the effectiveness that made him so valuable to a club with a bundle of pitching injuries.

Súarez shut out the Rangers over a season-high six innings, Colton Cowser homered for the second time in two nights and the Orioles claimed a 2-1 victory before an announced crowd of 27,666 at Camden Yards.

Craig Kimbrel recorded his 18^th save and 435^th of his career, and the Orioles won their third game in a row after five consecutive defeats. Their record improved to 52-30.

Owner David Rubenstein danced with the Oriole Bird on top of the dugout during the seventh inning stretch and tossed caps to fans. The good times rolled.

The Orioles announced two more minor league signings today, agreeing to terms with infielder Niko Goodrum and right-hander Burch Smith.

Goodrum, 32, appeared in nine games with the Rays and four with the Angels this season and went 3-for-29 with 10 strikeouts. The Pirates selected him on waivers June 10 and he was granted his release a week later.

In parts of seven major league seasons, Goodrum has batted .224/.297/.383 with 76 doubles, 11 triples, 42 home runs and 152 RBIs in 415 games and also played every infield and outfield position. He broke into the majors with the Twins in 2017, played for the Tigers from 2018-21 and appeared in 15 games with the Astros in 2022.

Goodrum spent 2023 between Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox’s system and with Lotte in the Korea Baseball Organization.

Smith, 34, made 25 relief appearances with the Marlins this year and posted a 4.25 ERA and 1.618 WHIP in 29 2/3 innings. He pitched in Japan in 2022 and Korea in 2023.

X-rays on catcher Adley Rutschman’s right hand came back negative but he isn’t in tonight’s lineup.

Rutshman was hit by a foul tip last night and later homered. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Rutschman feels better today and he planned on swinging a bat.

Heston Kjerstad also is out of the lineup after homering last night and driving in three runs.

Colton Cowser is in left field and Anthony Santander is in right.

For the Orioles

The Orioles placed Corbin Burnes on the paternity list today and recalled left-hander Matt Krook from Triple-A Norfolk. The bullpen has an extra reliever tonight.

Burnes can be away from the team for three days. Reliever Jacob Webb went on the paternity list on Opening Day.

The news comes after Burnes registered his 13th quality start last night by allowing one run over seven innings in an 11-2 win over the Rangers.

Krook was acquired in spring training from the Yankees for cash considerations. He debuted last summer and made four appearances, allowing 11 runs in four innings.

He’s appeared in 26 games with Norfolk and posted a 3.71 ERA and 1.350 WHIP in 26 2/3 innings, walking 17 batters and striking out 31. He’s surrendered only two home runs.

Heston Kjerstad could recite Kyle Stowers’ at-bats yesterday despite the many miles that separated them. The home run leading off the bottom of the second and the RBI double later in the inning. The triple in the fourth after Coby Mayo’s daily homer.

The cycle was three-fourths complete with only a single keeping Stowers from an historic achievement. The easiest of the hits.

“I really hope he gets that single. That would be sick,” Kjerstad said while sitting at his locker.

“I’ve actually been watching the game, kind of keeping an eye on it to see if he can do it. That would be really cool. That’s a really hard thing to do. Anytime someone gets close, normally they’re not a single away.”

It wasn’t meant to be. Stowers popped up in the fifth inning and grounded out in the seventh.

To reach the halfway point of their season tonight, the Orioles also drifted back to last October.

Hosting the Rangers brought inescapable reminders of the Division Series sweep. The abrupt finish after winning 101 games. The deathly silence inside the visiting clubhouse at Globe Life Field. Manager Brandon Hyde circling the room to offer hugs and to express his gratitude.

The Orioles don’t return to Arlington until the series that follows the break, though some players will arrive early for the All-Star Game. But seeing the Rangers again was like picking at a scab.

Though Hyde hadn’t talked to his players about it and noted how this was a regular season matchup in June, he added, “I think we’re going to remember. That feeling sat with us for a long time.”

Corbin Burnes wasn’t in the rotation for the playoffs. Texas wasn’t a third-place team. Heston Kjerstad was on the roster but didn’t receive an at-bat.

Six Orioles have advanced past Phase 1 of All-Star Game balloting.

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, catcher Adley Rutschman and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle lead their respective positions. Third baseman Jordan Westburg moves on as the current runner-up to Cleveland’s José Ramírez, and Ryan OHearn jumped from fourth to second among designated hitters behind Houston’s Yordan Alvarez. Anthony Santander is fourth among outfielders.

Rutschman (2,791,952 votes) and Kansas City’s Salvador Perez (1,429,732) are the catching finalists. Henderson (2,664,120) is ahead of the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. (1,417,629), and Mountcastle (2,296,697) is ahead of Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1,976,645).

With a fan election, Rutschman would join Matt Wieters (2014) and Terry Kennedy (1987) among Orioles catchers.

Mountcastle can become the first Orioles first baseman to draw a fan election since Chris Davis in 2013. Others to earn the honor include Boog Powell (1970-71) and Hall of Famer Eddie Murray (1985).

The Orioles snapped a five-game losing streak last night and are rewarded with four against the Rangers, who swept them in the Division Series last year and won the World Series.

Heston Kjerstad is in right field tonight and Anthony Santander is on the bench.

Colton Cowser is in left field. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter. Jorge Mateo starts at second base and Jordan Westburg is at third.

Gunnar Henderson’s on-base streak has reached 33 games. He hit his 26th home run last night. The only shortstop to have more homers before July is Alex Rodriguez with 27 in 1998, per STATS.

Here’s the list of Orioles with 25-plus home runs before July:

The Orioles score 11 runs in the series opener in Houston, allow 14 and lose because of the pitching. They’re held to four runs over the next three games and lose because of the hitting.

Well, mostly. The Astros scored eight runs Sunday to complete the sweep.

The team erupts for eight runs Tuesday night, collecting 16 hits and belting four home runs, and loses 10-8 because of the pitching. That’s how these things work. The arms, bats and gloves can conspire to create skids.

The brakes finally were applied last night, with only two runs allowed and three home runs hit in a 4-2 win.

Some of the rants on social media are aimed at executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias for failing to react after surgeries removed Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells for the rest of the season and reliever Danny Coulombe until perhaps September. Meanwhile, he’s actively searching for pitching. He’s engaged in talks with numerous executives. It just isn’t live-streamed on the internet.

The relentless schedule and intense heat led the Orioles to implement a “breather day,” as manager Brandon Hyde called it. They treated it as a getaway game, with players allowed to report later and no batting practice held on the field. Dial back the intensity a smidge.

“Hopefully have lunch somewhere and be able to relax a little bit,” Hyde said this afternoon. “You do that periodically to try to keep guys as fresh as possible and not have them at the ballpark for 11 hours a day like normal.”

Freshness in these sweltering conditions didn’t seem possible, but tweaking the routine made sense for a team unable to find another gear and riding its longest losing streak in two years.

Credit the plan, Grayson Rodriguez, Gunnar Henderson or Cedric Mullins. All that matters is the result.

Henderson tied the game in the fifth inning with his 26^th home run and Mullins provided a late lead with his shot onto Eutaw Street in the seventh in the Orioles’ 4-2 victory over the Guardians before an announced crowd of 17,965 at Camden Yards.

The losing streak has reached five games and the Orioles are one more defeat away from back-to-back sweeps and the third in 2024.

The Orioles haven’t been swept in consecutive series since May 13-18, 2022 against the Tigers and Yankees, also the last time they lost six games in a row.

Heston Kjerstad is in left field and batting seventh. Cedric Mullins is in center and Anthony Santander is in right. Colton Cowser, who homered last night, isn’t in the lineup.

Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter. Jorge Mateo is starting at second base, so his left hand and wrist are fine.

Gunnar Henderson has reached base in 32 consecutive games.

Austin Hays has lived through some of the darkest days in recent Orioles history. He played in 131 games in 2021 when the team lost 110. The beatings through the rebuild left marks on anyone who got close to it.

With that in mind, and it’s fresh, the attention given to a four-game losing streak prior to last night seemed almost comical.

This is what happens when a team wins 101 last summer and posts the best record in the American League and goes on another impressive run this season. Getting swept twice is as jarring as a head-on collision. Or a week without an elbow surgery.

In the 91-degree heat last night, the Orioles vowed to keep the losses from snowballing. They’ll bring the same attitude into tonight now that the streak is five.

“We just keep doing what we’ve been doing for the last two years,” Hays said yesterday afternoon. “Turn the page, move on to the next day, just don’t look too far into anything. We know that we can play good baseball, and when you’re playing good baseball, you win games. That’s where we’re at.”

Jordan Westburg’s line drive at 110.5 mph reached the left field corner in the third inning. Gunnar Henderson, who walked with one out, raced around the bases and dived across the plate to break the tie.

The Orioles had their fourth run to match their total over the previous three games. The bats were back. They just needed the pitching to hold up.

It didn’t.

Cole Irvin lasted only four innings, Yennier Cano allowed two runs in the eighth, and the losing streak reached five games with Cleveland’s 10-8 victory before an announced crowd of 18,574 at Camden Yards.

Irvin was charged with four earned runs and eight total, along with a season-high 10 hits, and he came out after 71 pitches. The rotation has gone eight games in a row without a quality start.

The Orioles announced today that they signed first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper to a minor league contract. He’ll report to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday.

Cooper, 33, appeared in a combined 36 games with the Cubs and Red Sox and batted .206/.267/.299 with five doubles, one triple, one home run and 11 RBIs. He’s played for five teams in the majors beginning in 2017 with the Yankees and hit .265/.333/.427 in 517 games.

Cooper was an All-Star with the Marlins in 2022. Three years earlier, he batted .281 with 16 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .791 OPS in 107 games.

Last season, Cooper hit a combined 17 home runs with 61 RBIs in 123 games between the Marlins and Padres.

The Red Sox acquired Cooper from the Cubs in April for cash considerations and released him 11 days ago.