Webb about to begin rehab assignment (plus other pregame notes)

LOS ANGELES – The Orioles are slowly getting healthier and manager Brandon Hyde would say “knock on wood” when you mention that. His team currently has 12 players on the injured list. 

Righty reliever Jacob Webb is reporting to Triple-A Norfolk to soon throw for the Tides. Perhaps as soon as early next week, the O’s could get a key piece in their bullpen back. Meanwhile, starter Zach Eflin is eligible to return from the injured list on Sunday and Hyde today confirmed what Eflin earlier told reporters – he will not need a rehab assignment. Perhaps he gets that Sunday start in Colorado.

Eflin and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (on the IL with right lat discomfort) both did some light tossing pregame today in the Dodger Stadium outfield.

As for Webb, he last pitched on Aug. 2 and went on the IL a few days later due to right shoulder inflammation.

“He’s going to throw here in the next few days,” Hyde said of Webb, who has a 3.08 ERA and .188 batting average against over 53 games. “If all goes well, could be anytime. Sometime beginning of September. Which would be huge.”

Tonight the Orioles lineup once against shows Cedric Mullins in center field. They lost Ryan Mountcastle to the IL yesterday, but Mullins returns today. He has remained active but hasn’t played since leaving Friday’s game early with left quad tightness.

“With both guys out the last couple of games against Houston – now Mounty is on the IL – it’s a blow to us,” said Hyde. “We were hoping Mounty could bounce back from the wrist, but he’s going to need a little bit more time. We needed to put him on the IL, but great to see Cedric back in there.

“With the wrist, we were hoping it was going to improve, just wasn’t showing much improvement, so there will be a lot of treatment here this next week. Timetable for that, I don’t know. But I’m staying optimistic that when his IL stint is over, the days are over, that he is able to join us.”

As for Eflin, who is 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four O’s starts, his return would provide a boost to the O’s rotation.

“I am going to knock on wood and cross my fingers. We need him back. Everything is going well so far, but a few more days to go,” said Hyde.

The skipper feels the O’s have had their troubles overcoming the injuries. The Orioles are 18-18 since the All-Star break.

“We haven’t picked up very well for guys that got hurt and we need to this last stretch," Hyde said. "It’s been a tough couple of months, injuries have played a part of that, but injuries are happening around the league. We need to do a better job of picking up for guys that are hurt. We are missing some important pieces right now and hopefully we can start playing better."

Hyde said Mountcastle’s absence is going to mean more games in the field for Ryan O’Hearn.

“He’ll be out at there at first base more often. You know, all things go well, he’ll be out there at first base this whole series and probably the majority of the Rockies series also," he said. 

Hyde was asked about the O's offense that scored just 13 runs in four games versus the Astros and has averaged 3.7 runs per game the past nine games.

"We've struggled offensively. We've got some guys kind of going through it right now," he said. "This is an important time of the year, we need to pick it (up) offensively and we need to help out the pitchers that are missing a ton of guys on the mound.

"We need to start scoring some runs. It's not easy to be 2-2, 3-3 in the sixth inning every night. We're very capable. And it's not going to be easy this series but we need to start stringing some at-bats together."