The media tends to play its own games during its baseball coverage, and Wednesday afternoon at Camden Yards provided the latest opportunity. A darn good one, too.

Money doesn’t exchange hands. It’s more about wondering, debating and disagreeing. Tossing around ideas like a backyard catch.

How many innings would Albert Suárez work in his first major league appearance in seven years and first start in eight? And, really important here, who’s the long reliever if he’s knocked out early?

The last one didn’t come into play. Suárez tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings – yeah, I wanted to see him complete the sixth – and manager Brandon Hyde didn’t have to worry about extensive coverage.

(Except from the media, of course.)

Ryan O’Hearn had to think about it. Frozen for a brief moment while working through the riddle in his head.

The only at-bat this season against a left-hander?

“Did I get an at-bat against a lefty,” he asked.

We weren’t off to a promising start, but it suddenly came to him. One detail at a time until he had the full answer.

“Pittsburgh, sinker guy, in extra innings,” he said, reciting details as if playing Clue and choosing Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick.

Albert Suárez walked into a mostly empty Orioles clubhouse this morning with a smile on his face and a determination to work the room.

Suárez approached Dean Kremer, who stood up and hugged him. Yennier Cano and Ryan O’Hearn came over to embrace him. He moved on to Grayson Rodriguez and Craig Kimbrel, cut across to the other side and made a direct path toward Colton Cowser, who paused his conversation with a broadcaster.

That was everyone. Nothing left to do except go back to his own locker and prep for his first major league game in seven years.

These guys knew him from spring training but were unsure after he was reassigned in late March if they’d interact again except maybe a rehab assignment. They’d be coming to him. That was the likeliest scenario on April 17.

The Orioles selected Suárez’s contract, putting him on the 40-man roster, and watched him earn the right to stick around. He unpacked his bags and locked up the Twins, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings and celebrating Cedric Mullins' first career walk-off home run in a 4-2 victory before an announced crowd of 15,860 at Camden Yards.

The season is 18 games old and Albert Suárez has already made it back to the majors.

A fast promotion after an absence dating back to 2017.

The Orioles chose Suárez over left-hander Bruce Zimmermann, selecting his contract this morning from Triple-A Norfolk. He’s starting against the Twins, with the Orioles trying for the sweep.

“We needed a starter today and he is in line and we feel like this gives us our best chance to win against pretty much a right-handed club with some lefties sprinkled in there,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“Loved the way Albert threw the ball in spring training for us. Pitched all the way right 'til the end until we set the roster. He had an outstanding camp. Strike-throwing ability, sits in the mid-90s, showed really good secondary stuff pitching against a lot of A lineups in spring training.”

The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Albert Suárez this afternoon and he’s starting the series finale against the Twins at Camden Yards. He’s working on normal rest after making Friday’s start with Triple-A Norfolk.

Catcher David Bañuelos was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Bañuelos flied out last night as a pinch-hitter in his major league debut.

Suárez, who’s wearing No. 49, hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2017 with the Giants. His last start was Sept. 23, 2016 in San Diego.

The Orioles reassigned Suárez on March 22, the same day that they also cut Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo and Connor Norby. He’s made three appearances with Norfolk, including one start, and allowed 10 earned runs (11 total) and 19 hits in 15 1/3 innings. Suárez has walked one batter and struck out 17.

Suárez, 34, signed a minor league deal with the Orioles on Sept. 15 after he spent the past five years pitching in Japan and Korea. He walked two batters and struck out 19 in 15 2/3 innings in spring training.

The thought struck Danny Coulombe like a screaming line drive. At least it didn’t leave any bruises.

“Man, I got to play catch with a Hall of Famer.”

That’s the impact closer Craig Kimbrel makes on his new teammates.

Coulombe and Kimbrel worked out together before Monday night’s game at Camden Yards. Tossing a baseball back and forth no longer felt routine. There was something special about it for Coulombe.

“He’s obviously a Hall of Famer,” Coulombe said yesterday, anticipating the voting that awaits Kimbrel five years after his retirement, “but he is like the most down to earth guy you’ll ever meet.”

Kyle Bradish made his first injury rehab start this evening at Double-A Bowie and tossed three scoreless innings. John Means is scheduled to make his fourth start Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk.

Meanwhile, the Orioles are trying to hold together a rotation that became more vulnerable tonight with Tyler Wells going on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

Grayson Rodriguez was a soothing presence on the mound, a reminder that the club packs a powerful 1-2 punch at the top with ace Corbin Burnes.

With impeccable timing, Rodriguez held the Twins to two runs over six innings in an 11-3 victory before an announced crowd of 18,108 at Camden Yards. His ERA actually rose from 2.50 to 2.63 after his third quality start.

Gunnar Henderson took over the team lead with his fifth home run, which came one pitch after James McCann’s RBI double in the second, Jordan Westburg cleared the left field wall for a two-run shot in the third, and the Orioles (11-6) claimed the series with a chance to sweep Wednesday.

The Orioles have placed Tyler Wells on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation and selected the contract of catcher David Bañuelos from Triple-A Norfolk.

Bañuelos was on the taxi squad and a convenient move for the Orioles, who must find a starter for Wednesday afternoon’s series finale against the Twins at Camden Yards.

Infielder Liván Soto was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. He homered earlier today in Jacksonville.

Wells has made three starts and allowed 10 earned runs (11 total) and 18 hits in 15 1/3 innings. He’s walked three batters and struck out 13.

Wells faced the Brewers on Friday and surrendered four runs and six hits in four innings. He was in the clubhouse this afternoon during media availability.

One night after starting in left field against a Twins right-hander, Austin Hays returns to the bench while the Orioles try to claim another series.

Colton Cowser moves from right to left and Hays takes a seat on the bench while stuck on three hits in 39 at-bats.

“It’s baseball,” Hays said this afternoon. “Baseball’s tough, it can be really hard at times. You’ve got to stay focused on the right things, stay positive every day, continue to get lost in the work, make sure you’re doing the right things, you’re focusing on the right things.

“Right now, I feel good at the plate. I’m hitting the ball hard. I made some adjustments around that Boston series. I was able to drive the ball in the right-center field gap there. I’ve been hitting the ball hard since that series. You’ve just got to wait for them to find the hole. You’ve got to stay patient and stay focused and stay positive. It’s a long game, it’s a long season. We’re still in the first month. Just stay positive and get through it.”

Hays was reminded again about the odd nature of the sport - and it can feel cruel - that he gets a bloop single to snap an 0-for-26 streak but lined out last night at 104.8 mph off the bat. He barrels a ball and it’s aimed at the third baseman.

Ryan Mountcastle gets his turn to rest tonight, as the Orioles continue their series against the Twins.

Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter.

James McCann gets another start behind the plate, but this time against a right-hander, Chris Paddack.

Colton Cowser is in left field.

Grayson Rodriguez makes his fourth start. He’s 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.167 WHIP in 18 innings and has struck out 21.

The Orioles are 16 games into the 2024 season, settling into second place and confident that their best baseball is ahead of them. The division battles are slow building, with the competition so far limited to the three-game sweep in Boston. They must wait until April 29 to begin a four-game set against the Yankees before traveling to Cincinnati and D.C., and hosting the Diamondbacks.

No one should wait for more observations and surprises, the stuff that might not have been safe bets during the winter or the early days in camp. The stuff that's getting noticed.

Colton Cowser is tied for the Orioles’ home run lead.

He had sole possession until Gunnar Henderson and Cedric Mullins caught up to him last night.

Cowser needed 37 games to hit his first major league home run. He belted two that night in Boston and four over four games, including Sunday’s 422-foot blast to right-center field in the eighth inning.

The last mailbag felt emptied but actually had more to it. I need an umpire to stop by my house and check the bottom for sticky substances.

As everyone knows, there’s nothing worse than a sticky bottom. But I digress …

Let’s do a morning mashup, combining a mailbag with leftovers. Much safer than the two liquids you poured together in chemistry class.

Complaining about the clarity, lengthy, style, grammar or brevity will get you edited right out of here.

Also, my mailbag makes your mailbag use the homer hose for a good cleansing.  

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde just wanted Jackson Holliday to breathe.

What sounds simple and natural is a lot more challenging in a suffocating environment.

Holliday played in his first three major league games and didn’t get a hit in 11 at-bats. Seven of them ended with a strikeout.

Fans of opposing teams celebrated it on social media. They chanted “overrated” at Fenway Park. Nonsense in the baseball world remains in full supply, but that’s the nature of the business.

Take the pulse inside the Orioles clubhouse and the level of concern is undetectable.

There will be a day when Jackson Holliday walks into a clubhouse and goes to his locker, turns back around and is ignored. No recorders or cameras. No media forming the shape of a basketball three-point arc.

He will be a major league player arriving for work. Perhaps getting a bite to eat, since he dresses next to the entrance to the kitchen. Perhaps just relaxing before fulfilling the on-field obligations.

We aren’t there yet.

“Looking forward to it, but it’s awesome,” he said earlier today, flashing that boyish grin. “Obviously doing something right if you’ve got all this attention. But yeah, looking forward to that. Just excited to play.”

Holliday jogged onto the field about 15 minutes before first pitch and fans cheered him. Stretching out a hamstring could bring a standing ovation. The city is Holliday happy, and he’d love to give them more reasons beyond his arrival.

DL Hall went through the usual, almost clichéd, struggle this afternoon to find the visiting clubhouse at Camden Yards.

The strangeness never goes away for players changing teams and routines. The sense of direction is lost. Amusement follows in the retelling.

“Definitely a little weird for sure,” he said after greeting members of the Baltimore media with a smile and handshake. “I was walking in today, didn’t even know where to go. I was like, ‘I’ve been here but I don’t know how to get to the visiting side.’

“Definitely a weird feeling but awesome. Super excited, obviously.”

The Orioles made their big winter strike by trading Hall and elite-fielding shortstop Joey Ortiz to the Brewers on Feb. 1 for former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, a three-time All-Star and the bona fide ace that the front office hunted.

The Orioles return home after a 4-2 road trip to Pittsburgh and Boston, sweeping the Red Sox and increasing their run total to 70, the second-most in the American League behind the Royals’ 72.

Jackson Holliday makes his home debut tonight and waits for his first major league hit. He’s playing second base and batting eighth.

Colton Cowser is in right field and batting second in a drastically different lineup.

Austin Hays is in left field after failing to start in Boston. James McCann is catching. Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle are on the bench.

Cowser has a .917 slugging percentage through 11 games. According to STATS, the only Orioles left-handed hitter with a higher percentage through 11 games in a season is Chris Davis at 1.000 in 2013 (minimum 25 plate appearances.)

BOSTON – Cal Ripken Sr. would have loved this.

The man who created The Oriole Way, who breathed life into it through the years and the many ups and downs, was made for the 2024 team. Or it was made for him.

The last two lineups had seven homegrown players, and an eighth, right fielder Anthony Santander, who was plucked out of A ball in the Rule 5 draft. Also a baseball baby who needed care and nurturing.

“I saw a connection to the spirit of Dad right from the beginning,” said Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. “I don’t know that Dad would have taken his uniform off and given it to somebody, but he might have. If it’s that important to you, here.”

Having Senior’s No. 7 on the shelf since 1992 never seemed that important to the family. The time for reflection came a few days ago, after the club sought approval to pass it along to Jackson Holliday, the sport’s top prospect who debuted last night at Fenway Park.

BOSTON – The Orioles won’t ever profile as a one-prospect team. Win or lose, they’re going to spread the young talent wealth.

They also let the older guys have their moments, a combination that played out again tonight. It usually works in their favor.

It went absolutely nuts late in tonight's game.

Colton Cowser hit his first two major league home runs, including a three-run shot off Isaiah Campbell in a six-run 10th inning in the Orioles' 9-4 victory over the Red Sox.

The ball traveled 438 feet to right field at 113.6 mph off the bat. He'd love to keep traveling to Boston.

BOSTON – Colton Cowser is playing left field again tonight to close out the series against the Red Sox, putting Austin Hays on the bench for the third game in a row and fourth out of six.

Cowser made two impressive catches last night in the eighth inning, slamming against the Green Monster and holding onto the ball while the Orioles protected a 7-5 lead.

“Those were two huge plays in big spots,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Those balls fall, stuff changes from bullpen usage to other things. I’m excited about the way Colton Cowser is playing right now, just all around. The way he’s playing defense, the at-bats he’s given us, the speed on the bases, everything. He had a really nice game last night.

The Orioles face two right-handers in the weekend series against the Brewers at Camden Yards, which could limit Hays to starting against former teammate DL Hall on Saturday. But Hyde didn’t describe the left field arrangement as a strict platoon.

“Austin’s going to get back in there,” he said. “I think we’re just going to see how it goes, honestly. I like the way Colton’s playing right now, and with Cedric (Mullins) and (Anthony) Santander, we have a lot of really good problems right now. We have four guys on the bench that I wish could be out there, and that’s going to be on a nightly basis.”

BOSTON – The Orioles go for the sweep of the Red Sox tonight and they’ve got Jackson Holliday at second base again and batting ninth.

Manager Brandon Hyde is repeating another lineup after avoiding duplicates in 2023.

At 20 years and 128 days, Holliday last night became the fourth-youngest player in franchise history with an RBI in his debut, behind Brooks Robinson, Andy Etchebarren and Ron Hansen.

Jordan Westburg is the third baseman. Colton Cowser is in left field, with Austin Hays on the bench for all three games of the series.

Grayson Rodriguez is 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 1.054 WHIP in two starts covering 12 1/3 innings. He’s allowed only three runs and struck out 16.