Kjerstad optioned again in latest Orioles roster revision, Rogers starts tonight (updated with lineup)

CLEVELAND – The Orioles made a series of roster moves this afternoon leading into their four-game series against the Guardians at Progressive Field.

Jordan Westburg was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right hand, and the Orioles recalled Livan Soto from Triple-A Norfolk. Westburg could return by late September. Soto is wearing No. 73.

Outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jiménez has joined the club after the Orioles acquired him from the White Sox at the deadline and he’s wearing No. 72. Heston Kjerstad was optioned again to Triple-A Norfolk.

Kjerstad is batting .301 with a .998 OPS, 14 doubles and 16 home runs and 58 RBIs in 56 games with Norfolk, but his opportunities remain limited in the majors.

Outfielder Austin Slater, acquired from the Reds, was activated and given No. 15. Reliever Keegan Akin was optioned.

Outfielder Cristian Pache, acquired from the Phillies, was designated for assignment.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers also has reported and makes his Orioles debut tonight. He’s wearing No. 28.

The Orioles acquired Rogers from the Marlins for second baseman Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers. His only career appearance against the Guardians came on June 9 in Miami and he held them to one run and two hits in five innings.

Reliever Vinny Nittoli declined his outright assignment and elected free agency.

The 40-man roster has 39 players.

Jackson Holliday, expected to start again at second base, is the third-youngest second baseman in major league history to hit a grand slam at 20 years and 240 days, according to STATS. Bobby Doerr was 20 years and 99 days in 1938 and Rougned Odor was 20 years and 205 days in 2014.

The Orioles lead the Yankees, who have won five in a row, by a half-game in the American League East. This is the fifth time in the wild card era that the Orioles are in first place entering August.

The Orioles have received at least 15 home runs from the top eight spots in the lineup, joining only the 2019 Yankees and Athletics as teams to accomplish the feat before August, per STATS.

Also per STATS, Anthony Santander has a career .551 slugging percentage in August, the highest of any Orioles player with a minimum 500 plate appearances. The rest of the list is impressive: Manny Machado at .540, Eddie Murray at .529, Frank Robinson at .499 and Rafael Palmeiro at .497.

Gunnar Henderson is the Orioles’ recipient of the 19^th annual Heart and Hustle Award. The overall winner will be announced in mid-November on MLB Network.

First-round pick Vance Honeycutt, the center fielder from the University of North Carolina, signed today for $4 million, as first reported by MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis. The slot value was $3,802,200. That’s 20 out of 21 picks under contract with the deadline later this afternoon.

The Guardians start four right-handers in the series, beginning with Ben Lively, who’s posted a 3.44 ERA and 1.168 WHIP in 18 games in his first season in Cleveland. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last seven starts.

Right-handers hit .271/.321/.473 against Lively and left-handers hit .192/.265/.359. He’s never faced the Orioles.

Jiménez is 3-for-6 with a double against Lively.

Lively has held opponents to a .184 average with runners on base, tied for fourth-lowest in the majors.

The Guardians lead the Twins and Royals by six games in the American League Central. They’re 33-15 at home, the best record in the majors.

They won two of three games from the Orioles in June at Camden Yards.

These teams split a four-game series in Cleveland last year. The Orioles are 192-245 all-time against the Indians/Guardians on the road. Their last four-game sweep in Cleveland occurred in 1971.

For the Orioles

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

Trevor Rogers LHP