Flaherty: “Sometimes you don’t bounce back the way you want to” (plus tonight's Orioles lineup)

Jack Flaherty said he was scratched from tonight’s start against the Blue Jays because “sometimes you don’t bounce back the way you want to.”

Flaherty is referring to his Aug. 15 start in San Diego, when he allowed seven runs in three innings and came out after 84 pitches.

“You just try to make the right decision of making sure that you feel right,” Flaherty said. “Sometimes after starts you just don’t bounce back the way you want to.”

Flaherty declined to share any specifics, saying “just in general.”

“Throwing yesterday, just didn’t quite feel like you quite bounced back, and sometimes those are hard decisions to make, especially when you want to take the ball every time out. Just one of those things.”

Dean Kremer is starting tonight, and the Orioles are listing Thursday as TBA. Flaherty didn’t know when he’d get back on the mound.

“I don’t know if that’s been discussed and whatnot, but just in terms of yesterday, I didn’t quite feel right, didn’t quite feel like I bounced back. Had a long one there in San Diego.

“We’ve been working on things and just trying to get ready for the next one.

Asked whether it’s happened in the past and if he’s concerned, Flaherty said, “It’s not concerning. You push things around all the time depending on the way it works out. Sometimes, you just don’t hear about it. But when it comes up right before a start, then you hear about it.”

Mechanical or physical?

“Just, sometimes you don’t quite bounce back right,” he said.

Anthony Santander has returned to the lineup tonight for the first time since Friday, starting in right field and batting third. Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop. Ryan O’Hearn is batting fifth and playing first base.

Jordan Westburg is the second baseman and Ramón Urías is at third.

Ryan Mountcastle, whose on-base streak has reached 27 games in a row, has a .905 OPS against right-handed pitching in the second half compared to .539 in the first.

Henderson in his last seven games: .419/.455/.774 (13-for-31), six extra-base hits, nine RBIs.

Opponents are hitting .296 against Kevin Gausman’s splitter this month after posting a .205 average through the end of July.

Brandon Belt has three home runs in his last two games.

The Blue Jays have won 10 of their last 16 games and are on pace for 90 wins, but they’re currently out of playoff position - a game behind the Mariners for the third wild card.

The Jays have a 12-23 record against the American League East but have won four in a row.

For the Orioles
Adley Rutschman C
Gunnar Henderson SS
Anthony Santander RF
Ryan Mountcastle DH
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Austin Hays LF
Cedric Mullins CF
Jordan Westburg 2B
Ramón Urias 3B

Dean Kremer RHP

The Sept. 21 game in Cleveland has been picked up as an exclusive FOX broadcast at 7:15 p.m.