Jiménez batting cleanup today, Selby joins Orioles

The Orioles elevated Eloy Jiménez to the cleanup spot for this afternoon’s series finale against the Red Sox.

Jarren Duran robbed Jiménez of a home run last night with a leaping catch at the center field fence in the ninth inning. Jiménez is 14-for-33 (.424) with the Orioles.

Adley Rutschman returns to the lineup after pinch-hitting last night. He began the past two games on the bench due to lower back discomfort.

Ryan O’Hearn is in right field and batting second. Anthony Santander isn’t in the lineup.

Gunnar Henderson, in the third slot again today, is batting .346 against fastballs this month compared to his .262 mark in July.

The Mets are starting left-handers David Peterson, José Quintana and Sean Manaea in the three-game series against the Orioles that begins Monday night at Citi Field.

For the Orioles

Colton Cowser LF
Ryan O’Hearn RF
Gunnar Henderson SS
Eloy Jiménez DH
Adley Rutschman C
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Jackson Holliday 2B
Cedric Mullins CF
Ramón Urías 3B

Albert Suárez RHP

Reliever Colin Selby arrived at Camden Yards this morning and gives the Orioles a fresh arm for their bullpen. He also returns their reliever total to eight.

The Orioles recalled Selby this morning after optioning left-hander Cade Povich last night.

“I’m pretty excited to get this new opportunity,” he said.

The Pirates traded Selby to the Royals in April and he made two appearances, going back-to-back on May 3-4. The Orioles acquired him for cash considerations on July 11 and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.

“It’s a little bumpy,” he said. “First time I kind of experienced this, being traded almost out of spring training and then again. It’s kind of settled down now and I feel comfortable where I’m at. Ready to push forward and help the team any way I can.”

Selby brings a 6.00 ERA and 1.667 WHIP from Norfolk in nine appearances and innings. He walked five batters and struck out 11.

Four outings in a row concluded with no earned runs scoring until Thursday, when he allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning at Gwinnett.

“There’s always room for improvement,” he said, “but I think I’ve been throwing the ball pretty well.”

Most striking about Selby is his thick reddish beard. On a team that celebrates its facial hair, Selby might be king.

“It does need some care when I wake up and when I go to bed,” he said. “I wake up and it smashes the side of my face half the time. But yeah, I’ve been working on it for, probably, coming up on about three years now. Don’t really have a plan for it. Just keep it going, I guess.”

Rules implemented at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia required players to shave in the fall, but they could keep the ensuing growth if the team was ranked. The Pirates had a no-facial-hair rule that also stifled Selby’s freedom of face expression until COVID, when it was waived.

“I would usually have a beard and then shave it to a mustache in the offseason and kind of restart,” he said. “About three years ago I just didn’t. I just let it ride.”

For the Red Sox

Jarren Duran CF
Wilyer Abreu RF
Triston Casas 1B
Rafael Devers 3B
Tyler O’Neill LF
Masataka Yoshida DH
Connor Wong C
Ceddanne Rafaela SS
David Hamilton 2B

Kutter Crawford RHP