Updates on Trumbo, Núñez, Hanhold and rotation (tied 4-4)

The tightness in Mark Trumbo's upper back and neck area that caused him to be scratched from yesterday's lineup has subsided and he's available to play tonight, according to the veteran outfielder and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.

The club announced yesterday that Trumbo had a strained left trapezius.

"Upper back, something tightened up and it just wouldn't cooperate by the time that the game came around," Trumbo said. "So with this many extra guys, I felt like somebody else was probably a better option.

"I'm ready to go today."

Hyde said Trumbo is feeling a lot better and could be used later as a pinch-hitter.

"He's available to come off the bench tonight to get a big hit for us if necessary," Hyde said.

Trumbo came back this month from right knee surgery performed last September. He's gone 5-for-19 with three doubles and three RBIs.

The back issue didn't panic Trumbo.

"I'm ready to go today," he said. "Not really worried about it. It's happened many, many times over the years. Sometimes it plays a little nicer, sometimes it doesn't. That's kind of it."

Trumbo seems fairly satisfied with his at-bats since coming off the 60-day injured list.

"I think for the most part they've been OK, he said. "I've gotten a few hit. No homers yet, but I think overall I've been pretty competitive."

Hyde has been careful with Trumbo, making sure to provide the necessary rest in order to keep the knee from flaring up.

"He's done an excellent job," Trumbo said. "We've kind of kept an open line of communication. Flying usually aggravates things a little bit, but not enough to keep me off the field so far."

Renato Núñez had his left hand wrapped earlier today after being hit by a pitch yesterday in the eighth inning. He isn't in the lineup and probably won't come off the bench tonight.

"It feels all right," he said. "I thought it was going to be a little bit worse, but they gave me some stuff and I woke up better than yesterday, so I feel fine."

X-rays on the hand came back negative. Núñez tweaked his right hip earlier in the at-bat, but the hit-by-pitch was more serious.

"Noonie's better, too," Hyde said. "Kind of a rough at-bat for him, but he feels a lot better today. Just sore, but he's day-to-day."

Pitcher Eric Hanhold, claimed off waivers yesterday from the Mets, won't join the Orioles over the final weeks. He's in the organization, but off the active roster.

"Hopefully see him in spring training," Hyde said.

Hyde hasn't fully mapped out his rotation for the remaining 11 games after tonight beyond giving John Means, Dylan Bundy and Asher Wojciechowski two starts apiece. He'll fill in the rest.

"For the other guys we're kind of playing it series by series at this point," Hyde said. "We'll figure it out as one series ends and the next one begins."

Hyde said yesterday that Aaron Brooks would start Thursday, but the spot is listed as TBD.

Chandler Shepherd is receiving an audition tonight with his first major league start.

"Had a couple nice relief appearances for us and been a starter in Triple-A," Hyde said. "Give him an opportunity to start and see what he can do."

Shepherd is the 17th Orioles pitcher to start this season, two shy of the club record set in 1955. The total is the fifth-highest in the majors this season. The Blue Jays lead with 20.

Double-Bowie manager Buck Britton has joined the coaching staff for the rest of the month. Triple-A Norfolk manager Gary Kendall has returned home.

"It was great spending a couple weeks with Gary and now we get to spend a couple weeks with Buck," Hyde said. "It's something that I got to experience when I was managing in the minor leagues with the Marlins. They brought me in September.

"You can watch the game all you want on TV, but until you're in the dugout and see the speed of the game up here and see how our coaching staff works and just the inner workings. Like today we're going to have pre-series meeting and he's going to be involved in that.

"All those types of things are just a great experience and really valuable for Gary and for Buck and going into next year with an idea of how we do things up here. They just get a nice feel of what it's like to be involved with the coaching staff in the big leagues and watching a big league baseball game from the dugout."

Hall of Famer Ed Reed, the former Ravens safety who's throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, took a round of batting practice and fielded ground balls at shortstop. He also had some lengthy conversations with Richie Martin and Stevie Wilkerson.

The Blue Jays no longer are listing Trent Thornton as tonight's starter. They've switched to right-hander Ryan Tepera.

Bo Bichette SS
Cavan Biggio 2B
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. DH
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 3B
Randal Grichuk RF
Justin Smoak 1B
Teoscar Hernández CF
Billy McKinney LF
Danny Jensen C

Ryan Tepera RHP

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "O's Xtra" that airs at 6:30 p.m. on MASN2.

Update: Trey Mancini's two-run homer in the first inning gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead.

Update II: Randal Grichuk's home run off Shepherd in the second cut the lead to 2-1.

Update III: Cavan Biggio's two-run homer in the third gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead.

Update IV: Mancini's sacrifice fly in the fifth tied the game 3-3.

Update V: Mancini's RBI single in the seventh gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead, but the Blue Jays tied the game in the eighth on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s sacrifice fly off Shawn Armstrong.