Another debut on deck for Orioles

The land of opportunity opened its doors to another newcomer yesterday.

Conner Greene went from taxi squad pitcher to Triple-A Norfolk's bullpen to Camden Yards, where he's trying to become the 12th Oriole to make his major league debut this season.

The club record, which I botched earlier this year due to an erroneous article found in a Google search, is 15 in 2018. The previous mark was 14 in 1955, followed by 12 in 2012 and 2001, per STATS research.

I'd challenge anyone to name the 15 without cheating. But I'm not running a contest, so here they are:

Pitchers Pedro Araujo, Cody Carroll, Nestor Cortes Jr., Paul Fry, David Hess, John Means, Ryan Meisinger, Luis Ortiz, Yefry Ramirez and Josh Rogers; catcher Austin Wynns; outfielders Cedric Mullins and DJ Stewart; infielder Engelb Vielma and super-utility player Stevie Wilkerson.

A few of them have stuck around.

Means is the staff ace and an All-Star in 2019. Fry is one of the club's top relievers and now a trade chip. Mullins was an All-Star this summer and the everyday center fielder. Wynns is the backup catcher. Carroll and Wilkerson are in Triple-A, the latter becoming the first position player to record a save in major league history in 2019.

The names in 1955 aren't as recognizable to younger generations, but future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson is on the list and immediately elevates it.

Joining Robinson were Bob Alexander, Wayne Causey, Angelo Dagres, Don Ferrarese, Tom Gastall, Bob Hale, Rob Harrison, Don Leppert, Chuck Locke, Roger Marquis, Tex Nelson, Jim Pyburn and Hal Smith.

Let's keep going.

In 2012 newbies, also in alphabetical order, were Xavier Avery, Dylan Bundy, Wei-Yin Chen, Luis Exposito, Ryan Flaherty, Miguel Gonzalez, L.J. Hoes, Steve Johnson, Manny Machado, Joe Mahoney, Stu Pomeranz and Miguel Socolovich. The 2001 group was Rick Bauer, Larry Bigbie, Sean Douglass, Kris Foster, Jay Gibbons, Geronimo Gil, Willie Harris, Jorge Julio, Chad Paronto, Tim Raines Jr., Brian Roberts and Josh Towers.

I'm taking 2012.

Greene has a chance to jump in the same pool as Jay Flaa, Mickey Jannis, Zac Lowther, Isaac Mattson, Ryan McKenna, Tyler Nevin, Mac Sceroler, Konner Wade, Spenser Watkins, Alexander Wells and Tyler Wells. Only McKenna, Watkins and Alexander Wells are still on the roster, with Tyler Wells moved to the 10-day injured list. Flaa and Sceroler are no longer in the organization.

Injuries and struggles at the plate are delaying the arrivals of Triple-A infielder Rylan Bannon and outfielder Yusniel Diaz. Bannon is healthy again but entered last night batting .165/.244/.330 in 30 games.

The Orioles could just keep ignoring the 40-man roster and selecting contracts. They did it again yesterday with Greene.

Norfolk reliever Dusten Knight, 30, has a 0.77 ERA in 23 1/3 innings, recording five saves and allowing just two runs and 14 hits. No home runs in 21 appearances and he's struck out 24 batters, but he's also walked 11.

Knight isn't as capable of providing length but he's completed two innings in three of his outings. And he does a backflip after a save, so yeah, who doesn't want to see that?