More players report to Orioles after deadline, McCann pushes for ways to improve pitchers' control

CLEVELAND - The Orioles held their usual pitchers and hitters meetings prior to the first game of a series. Name tags would have been a smart idea.

Starter Trevor Rogers and outfielders Eloy Jiménez and Austin Slater were activated early this afternoon, and infielder Livan Soto was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles optioned outfielder Heston Kjerstad and left-hander Keegan Akin, placed infielder Jordan Westburg on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right hand, and designated outfielder Cristian Pache for assignment.

Pache lost out to Slater, who can provide more offense as a career .252/.342/.388 hitter. Akin, on the club since Opening Day, is one of the few optionable relievers on the club and became expendable despite his 3.34 ERA and 0.971 WHIP in 56 2/3 innings.

“This is kind of normal for a post-deadline day when you get some new faces in the clubhouse,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “A lot of our guys who have been around for a while now are kind of acclimated to it and understand it.

“I think the guys who have come in here, talked to all of them now, they’re really excited to be here, excited to be part of the team and where we are in the standings. And all of them said, just want to contribute and help out any way they can. So really appreciate the attitudes of all the guys who have come in.”

Kjerstad has nothing else to prove in Triple-A, but he got squeezed off the roster again. The Orioles sought a right-handed hitting outfielder at the deadline and kept Slater. Kjerstad was unable to get consistent at-bats before the deadline and space wasn't created for him.

Since his recall on June 24, Kjerstad was batting .291 with a .391 on-base percentage and .491 slugging percentage. He was 2-for-18 since his reinstatement from the concussion injured list.

“It was a tough one,” Hyde said. “We think extremely highly of Heston. Doesn’t mean that Heston’s not going to be back with us soon. This is just the decision we made for right now, where are roster is, and we feel like we’re putting the best roster out every single night. We have good outfielders here and everyday playing time isn’t available right now, and hopefully down the road it will be. But it’s never easy sending a guy down who’s as good of a player as Heston is.

“You can add Keegan Akin in there, also, how well he’s been throwing the ball for us. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions when it comes to roster situations at the deadline.”

Asked whether Kjerstad’s defense has created a hurdle to getting regular starts with the Orioles, Hyde quickly responded with, “No, the talent in our outfield has.”

Slater is on the bench tonight and profiles as a defensive replacement in the late innings, along with providing some balance hitting from the right side.

“He’s gonna be in the mix for all three outfield spots, either defensively or when he pinch-hits to stay in the game,” Hyde said. “Also a guy who’s been taking care of left-handed pitching in the past as part of a platoon situation in San Francisco, and did it very, very well, so you could see that, also.”

Slater spent parts of eight seasons with the Giants and three weeks with the Reds.

"I'm excited," Slater said. "Obviously, bounced around a little bit, but ending up on a first-place team right in the middle of the playoff hunt is super exciting. I'm here to contribute as much as I can and hopefully bang some lefties around a little bit and play some good defense, run the bases and help the guys get some wins."

Hyde met Rogers about an hour before his media scrum in the dugout at Progressive Field.

“He’s excited and ready to pitch for us,” Hyde said. “He’s an awesome conversation. He’s pumped to be here, he’s pumped to pitch on a winning team right now. And hopefully he can give us a boost. He’s been throwing the ball really well his last eight or nine starts with Miami, and so hopefully he can do that for us tonight.”

Coby Mayo remains at Norfolk, playing third and first base, while Soto is tasked with moving around the infield.

“I’m sure you’ll see Coby here at some point,” Hyde said.

Hyde was the Cubs’ farm director when Jiménez was a 16-year-old slugger who matured into a top prospect in the Dominican.

“One thing that Eloy’s always been able to do is really, really hit and be a hitter first, but also have huge power, be able to change the game with one swing but also take really good at-bats,” Hyde said. “We’re hoping that he can bring that to us here.”

Jiménez has played eight innings in right field this summer and made only 14 starts in 2023.

“He’s not a hundred percent, physically,” Hyde said. “He was on the IL with a hamstring. I know that’s a work in progress. He’s starting to feel better and better. And he’s been playing with it a little bit. At times, when that improves, possibly in the outfield a little bit, but mainly a DH, pinch-hitter type of player.”

Jiménez was batting .240/.297/.345 in 65 games with the White Sox, going back-to-back in disappointing seasons also marked by health issues. He said he feels good that the Orioles have confidence in him. He holds fond memories of his years with Hyde. And he joked about having to take a plane by himself to Cleveland.

"It is fun, you know?" he said. "Especially when you have a group of guys that, they enjoy what they do and they win. That's all you want when you're on a team."

As for getting any starts beyond the DH role, Jiménez said, "I like to play in the outfield because I feel more in the game in every situation. We talked and they said, 'I want you to work in the outfield and just feel comfortable with that.' I like to play the outfield. That's how I enjoy the game."

* The swelling is subsiding in James McCann’s left eye. It isn’t a slit anymore. The multiple colors, however, are a reminder of the fastball that smashed into his face, and why the veteran catcher is pushing for a change in rules to protect vulnerable hitters.

McCann spoke up a few years ago in a meeting with officials from Major League Baseball about allowing pitchers to use rosin or sunscreen to improve their grip on the baseball. A new policy was announced in 2021 that banned sticky substances, with offenders receiving 10-game suspensions. Spider Tack was cited as the primary reason why spin rates increased, putting hitters at a greater disadvantage.

Meanwhile, batters are first to speak up about the dangers in pitchers with slippery hands throwing with excessive force and reduced command, particularly when trying to work inside.

McCann feels lucky to have escaped serious injury. Infielder Jordan Westburg wasn’t as fortunate. A fastball in the fifth inning Wednesday afternoon fractured his right hand and might keep him out until late September.

“I think that today’s game, there’s a lot of pitchers that, their focus is throwing their best pitch at max velocity,” he said. “We lost our All-Star third baseman yesterday to a broken hand because he got hit by a pitch, and you see guys just kind of letting it go as hard as they can, and where it goes is where it goes. You talk to pitchers, I think a lot of them wish that they had some sort of stick to be able to control a little bit.

“The Spider Tack, that’s a different story. That’s taking an average pitch and making it above average. Sunscreen, rosin, something like that is not going to take an average pitcher and make him an above-average pitcher, but it could help him have command to where those balls aren’t getting away from him. Maybe I’m wrong, but I do think most pitchers would agree that when they do have a little bit of something to help them feel the baseball, they have better command.”

Right-handers who miss arm-side and can’t control the baseball put right-handed batters in harm’s way.

“The body goes early, the arm drags, the miss is arm-side, so right-on-right, it’s going to hit the righty high, whether that’s the hands or the face,” McCann said. “And when it’s left-on-left, same situation.”

Former Orioles manager Buck Showalter was an outspoken proponent of the sticky baseballs used in Japan. He had a box mailed to him in order to further his research.

“That would be the same concept as the sunscreen and rosin,” McCann said. “Maybe that’s a little bit better of a way to control it because who knows how much sunscreen and rosin a guy’s using, whereas if it’s a tacky ball, it’s a tacky ball. But most pitchers would sit here and tell you that they feel better when they are able to have that tackier substance to feel the baseball.”

McCann senses that MLB is receptive to a compromise down the road.

“They’ve studied it, they’re looking at it,” McCann said. “I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t know that there’s a right or a wrong answer. I just think where the game has gone right now and how pitchers are pitching, there needs to be more emphasis on that command.

“It’s real important. All you’ve got to do is look in our dugout when a pitch goes high and tight on a guy. Even if it doesn’t hit him, there’s not one person that’s happy about it. And the opponents agree. I can go down a rabbit hole, 10-15 years ago, guy gets it like that, very next inning someone on the other team gets hit. A message is sent. Well, that doesn’t happen anymore for multiple reasons. The game doesn’t police itself. There are no consequences for a guy getting drilled on the hand like Westburg or myself getting hit in the face. And I don’t think going back to just letting guys throw at people is the way to go. But I do think there needs to be some steps taken to get this out of the game.”

Orioles batters have been hit 47 times this season, tied for 12^th in the majors. The bigger problem is where they’re struck – head, hand, wrists.

“I do know guys get hit,” Hyde said. “I know that MLB puts a lot of time and effort and experimented with a lot of different things regarding this. Hopefully, they come up with the right conclusion with it. Our guys have gotten hit a lot this year, especially above the waist. And that’s pretty dangerous.”

* Ownership of the Orioles is fully in the hands of David Rubenstein and his partners. MLB approved the sale of the remaining 60 percent earlier today.

Initial approval of the sale at 40 percent was gained in March.

Rubenstein, the control owner, issued the following statement:

“I thank John Angelos and his family for their team leadership and ownership of the team over the last 30 years. John led a dramatic overhaul of the team’s management, roster, recruitment strategy and farm system. We are building on these accomplishments thanks to the outstanding work of Mike Elias, his leadership team, Brandon Hyde and our great players. We’re thrilled to have Catie Griggs soon join us as the new team president of business operations as we focus on winning on and off the field.

“As an ownership group we are firmly committed to this team and to my hometown. Our ownership group comprises a group of world-class investors, Baltimore leaders, and sports legends who are committed to the success of the Orioles and the revitalization of Baltimore. We look forward to working with our partners in the city and state as we refurbish Oriole Park, develop the area surrounding Camden Yards and enhance the experience for all Orioles fans.”

* The Orioles signed all 21 of their drafted players. The last was 17^th-rounder Iziah Salinas, a left-hander from Cowley County Community College in Kansas.

They also signed 10 undrafted free agents - seven right-handed pitchers, two left-handed pitchers, and one infielder.

Ryan Cabarcas, LHP, Florida International University
Jon Glassey, RHP, University of Illinois
Christian Herberholz, RHP, Auburn University
Kenny Leiner, RHP, Limestone College
Chipper Menard, LHP, University of Louisiana Monroe
Steven Ondina, SS, Arizona State University
Alex Ramos, RHP, Goshen Central High School (N.Y.)
Jacob Stretch, RHP, Virginia Tech
Trent Turzenski, RHP, Valparaiso University
Ben Vespi, RHP, University of Central Florida

Vespi is the younger brother of left-hander Nick Vespi.