Notes on Orioles rotation, hot streaks for Urías and Mateo, López 's All-Star experience, and more

The Orioles have completed the composition of their rotation through the first turn following the All-Star break.

Austin Voth starts Monday against the Rays at Camden Yards and Spenser Watkins starts Tuesday. No changes to the rotation beyond its order.

Tyler Wells and Jordan Lyles are lined up to start the last two games of the series.

Ramón Urías is batting .372/.413/.628 (16-for-43) with two doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIs, three walks and eight runs scored in 13 games since being reinstated from the 10-day injured list on July 4. He has five multi-hit games during that stretch, and the 14 RBIs are tied for fourth in the American League and fifth in the majors.

Urías leads the Orioles in hard-hit percentage (50 percent) and ranks second in average exit velocity at 90.8 mph, according to Statcast. His hard-hit rate places him in the top seven percent in the majors.

“It’s nice to see Ramón playing healthy. Not just the offense. He’s playing really good defensively," said manager Brandon Hyde.

“Ramón just gives us a good at-bat. He uses the whole field, he’s got sneaky power. He’s got nine homers and he’s missed a bunch of time. But I love the way he uses the whole field and stays on the baseball, and he gives a quality at-bat almost every time up.”

Shortstop Jorge Mateo is 9-for-27 in his last seven games. He had an extra-base hit in his last three.

“He’s just staying on the ball better,” Hyde said. “He’s covering more of the plate. For a while he was seeing a ton of breaking balls away and they’d kind of show him in and get him out away, and right now he’s made a conscious effort to really stay on the baseball. You saw him hit a slider into the left-field corner last night. In Tampa before the break, I thought he swung the bat well, hit a couple balls in the gaps. Loved the line drive out to the second baseman, against (DJ) LeMahieu yesterday. For me, that means he’s staying on the baseball.

“He works so hard in the cage, and if you watch him take batting practice, he drives the ball out to right field as well as anybody. He’s so strong, and he’s got such huge, raw power that at times I think he gets a little too quick in the game. But he’s still really early in his major league career and I like the adjustments he’s made lately.”

Jorge López warmed last night in case of a save situation, but he didn’t pitch. He’s waiting to make his return appearance after retiring both batters he faced in the All-Star Game.

American League manager Dusty Baker removed him after three pitches, putting an arm around López’s shoulder.

Asked to describe the experience, López said, “It was hot.”

“Besides everything, like I said before, it was a dream,” he said. “Being with the guys, I used to play versus them. The most important thing was just, my son (Mikael) having fun. I did. And being close to him on the field, he was having fun. That was the most special thing I’ve ever seen.

“Besides that, got the (two) quickest outs in the All-Star Game. I don’t know if that’s history or not, but I was so glad I did the job. We finished winning the game, and that’s going to be forever in my memory. It’s an honor.”

Mikael doesn't know the players, but he joined in the on-field tribute for future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols during the Home Run Derby. A group hug of sorts.

"That moment, all the Latinos went to home plate, his last year," López said. "He recognized how much he gave to this game, to the guys like me, where we work so hard to get to this point. The career he's had, it's really inspirational for everyone. That's a moment he's never going to forget."

The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber swung at the first pitch from López and the Padres’ Jake Cronenworth chased the second. Didn’t get the ball out of the infield.

“As a pitcher, you just want to attack,” López said. “I threw one ball and the next guy swings, too, the next pitch, so you can see this guy wants to just hit it or (be) out. … It’s just different, way different.

"I threw a bunch of pitches in the bullpen. I was so, so nervous when I got the call. It's a 3-2 game, I want to win. I think I got the little butterflies. In 2014 I went to the Futures Game and got one out there, so I didn't mind that Dusty came in. There were a couple guys who were going to throw."

The Yankees placed reliever Michael King on the 60-day injured list with a fractured right elbow and optioned outfielder Tim Locastro to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They recalled right-hander Clarke Schmidt, signed right-hander Shane Greene to a major league contract and selected him to the 26-man roster.

Greene hasn’t pitched for the Yankees since his rookie season in 2014.

King sustained the injury last night while throwing a pitch in the eighth inning.

“That was hard,” Hyde said. “You never want to see somebody walk off the field like that. You knew it was probably pretty serious. That’s never fun to see.

“Felt bad for him. Hopefully, he recovers. That’s a special arm and a really good pitcher, and he’s got great stuff, and a young guy. Hopefully, he can recover.”

For the Yankees
DJ LeMahieu 1B
Aaron Judge CF
Anthony Rizzo DH
Gleyber Torres 2B
Josh Donaldson 3B
Matt Carpenter RF
Aaron Hicks LF
Isiah Kiner-Falefa SS
Kyle Higashioka C

Gerrit Cole RHP