Givens and Tate ready to face minor league hitters (plus other notes)

Two veteran Orioles relievers will begin injury rehab assignments this week.

Mychal Givens will pitch for Double-A Bowie on Wednesday and Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. Dillon Tate is scheduled to pitch for Norfolk Thursday and Saturday.

Givens began the season on the injured list with left knee inflammation, made six appearances with the Orioles and returned to the IL on June 2 with right shoulder inflammation. He allowed five earned runs and six total with six walks in four innings.

Tate is waiting to make his 2023 debut. He completed a rehab assignment and went back on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain. The Orioles transferred him to the 60-day IL to create a spot for infielder Josh Lester.

The latest injury is unrelated to the strained right forearm that kept him from pitching in spring training.

“Better than the first go-around, so that’s encouraging,” Tate said. “I’m happy that it’s better.”

Tate appeared in 10 games on his first rehab assignment and registered a 14.04 ERA and 2.880 WHIP in 8 1/3 innings. Half of his appearances came with Norfolk, and he allowed five runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3.

Being less than 100 percent physically contributed to the poor statistics but didn’t offer a full explanation.

“Some of it is getting back in the games,” he said. “But I’m not ever really paying much attention to rehab numbers. Yes, it’s still a competition and I’m going out there competing to the best of my ability, but that’s not what it’s all about at the end of the day.”

Tate knew by his first appearance that he had more work to do in order to face major league hitters again.

“I just want to give myself a little bit of time to let it develop, and I can’t call it quits right away,” he said. “Not to say that I called it quits initially, but I just have to listen to my body and give myself the best possible chance, because I’m still part of this team and if I can’t give them my best, then I end up bringing the team down. That’s not something I want to do.”

The Orioles don’t know whether Tate will require a full 30 days again on his assignment.

“I’m not entirely sure,” he said. “That’s going to be something that’s up to the front office, the training staff, of course. So, whatever their discretion is when it comes to that. We’ll see how that goes.

“I think we’re just going to see how it goes,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I have no idea. I’m hoping he throws the ball extremely well, I hope he feels great after every outing. We’re just going to take it outing to outing with him down there.”

Tate hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since Game 2 of the Oct. 5 doubleheader against the Blue Jays. He turned in his finest season with a 3.05 ERA and 0.991 WHIP in 67 appearances.

“D had such a great year last year for us,” Hyde said. “He’s got a powerful sinker and last year he really kind of came into his own with the changeup and the slider, the three-pitch mix that he was able to command and get huge outs for us the last third of the game last year. Hopefully, he can get back to that level of where he was last year, because that would be a huge boost for us.”

The wait has been “a mental grind,” Tate said. “More than I realized.”

“Physically, time is going to allow my body to get to where it needs to be,” he said. “But the other pieces, mental, it’s just not getting too down on yourself and just staying as tough as I possibly can. Just not quitting on myself.

“You’re going to get beat up and that’s something that everybody may not be able to deal with, but you just get beat up and you get back up and you get beat up again and you keep doing the same thing until you’re ready to go and you get a couple of wins in there.”

Ryan Mountcastle is out of the lineup again tonight but is “much, much better,” Hyde said.

“No concerns,” Hyde said. “I talked to him yesterday on the phone. He actually came here and got some swings in. He’s going to do full BP today – ground balls, full pregame – and he’s available off the bench today. I just kind of wanted to give him a day of work a little bit and be available off the bench, and then he’ll be back in there.”

Reliever Danny Coulombe battled an illness but said he was available Sunday.

“I feel a lot better,” he said. “I was dealing with some health stuff but the off-day was great, so I feel great. Got some antibiotics. Made a huge difference.”

Coulombe said he had something similar to flu-like symptoms.

“You touch things I guess from your kids,” he said. “It happens, right?”

The Blue Jays made some roster moves earlier, putting infielder Brandon Belt on the injured list with left hamstring inflammation and right-hander Adam Cimber on the paternity list, and optioning catcher Tyler Heineman to Triple-A Buffalo. Catcher Danny Jansen was reinstated from the IL, and infielder Ernie Clement and right-hander Bowden Francis were recalled.

For the Blue Jays
George Springer RF
Bo Bichette SS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B
Matt Chapman 3B
Whit Merrifield 2B
Daulton Varsho LF
Alejandro Kirk DH
Danny Jansen C
Kevin Kiermaier CF

Chris Bassitt RHP