Orioles have more bullpen decisions pending this month and beyond

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde plucked three relievers from his nine-man bullpen last night after Dean Kremer carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and didn’t record an out.

Yennier Cano inherited a bases-loaded, no-out mess and retired three batters without a run scoring. Cionel Pérez retired two batters and left a runner for Seranthony Domínguez, who recorded the four-out save.

They are three sure things to keep pitching for the Orioles, if healthy, through September and the playoffs.  

Switching out arms is a common practice but the Orioles could take it to another level this month.

Jacob Webb had made two injury rehab appearances in the minors and is nearing a return from right elbow inflammation. The Orioles’ medical staff checked him yesterday and a decision is pending. One more game with an affiliate or reinstatement.

Webb tends to fly under the radar but he’s posted a 3.08 ERA with 53 strikeouts and only four home runs surrendered in 49 2/3 innings. His 53 appearances led the club before his injury, two more than Cano, and left-handers are hitting .125/.238/.194 against him.

This isn’t a matchup guy in an era with the three-batter minimum rule.

Left-hander Danny Coulombe is facing hitters after his June surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. His loss really stung, as the Orioles were now minus a high-leverage lefty who had a 2.42 ERA and 0.615 WHIP in 29 games, with three walks, 28 strikeouts and three home runs surrendered in 26 innings.

Coulombe held right-handers to a .130/.175/.315 line and left-handers to a .171/.171/.229 line. He was igniting early All-Star selection conversations. Trying to fill the void became a full-time job for the Orioles.

The expectation remains that Coulombe will return before the end of September. He’s confident, the team is confident.

Grayson Rodriguez also is racing against the clock to get back. He threw his first bullpen session on Wednesday, mixing off-speed stuff with his fastball in a session that lasted about 20 pitches, and said “everything felt good.”

Rodriguez hasn’t appeared in a game since July 31 due to right lat/teres discomfort. Not as serious as the 2022 injury with Norfolk that cost him exactly three months. The Orioles need to get him started on a rehab assignment with the Tides’ season ending on Sept. 22. The Bowie Baysox are done Sept. 15.

Reinstating Rodriguez also impacts the bullpen. Rodriguez, Corbin Burnes and Zach Eflin are cemented into the rotation. Kremer had three quality starts in a row before getting smoked on the right forearm by a line drive in Colorado, and he notched another last night. Albert Suárez has done an exceptional job as Rodriguez’s replacement and the Orioles are hopeful that his three-homer outing Wednesday was just a hiccup.

Left-hander Cade Povich shut out the White Sox over a career-high 7 1/3 innings Tuesday night, with no walks and a career-best 10 strikeouts. He allowed five runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium. The erratic nature of a pitcher’s rookie season is on full display here.

The Orioles have more off-days than they’re accustomed to and could stay with a five-man rotation after Rodriguez returns. They could bump Povich to the ‘pen or option him. Let’s see what they get out of Suárez next week in Boston.

The bullpen currently holds, in alphabetical order, Keegan Akin, Matt Bowman, Cano, Domínguez, Cole Irvin, Craig Kimbrel, Pérez, Burch Smith and Gregory Soto. Soto is under team control through 2025, making the trade with the Phillies about more than just this season. His tenure threatened to be much shorter after he allowed four runs on Aug. 2 and 6, but his scoreless streak has reached 10 games. Irvin was designated for assignment at the deadline and later outrighted, but he’s able to provide length.

Bowman, a Chevy Chase native, has allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings and he’s out of options. Akin, who has one option, has allowed one run and three in his last eight appearances covering nine innings. He’s walked one and struck out 13.

Smith, who’s out of options, appeared vulnerable to a DFA after allowing runs in seven of nine appearances, with a total of 10 in 8 2/3 innings. Opponents hit five homers. But he’s built a streak of four consecutive scoreless outings over 4 1/3.

Cano, Domínguez and Pérez are staying, of course. We already talked about it.

Kimbrel is a fascinating subject, one of baseball’s all-time great closers whose struggles are well documented and raising questions about his security on the postseason roster. Domínguez is the first option in save situations. Kimbrel hasn’t received an opportunity since July 25 and his second-half ERA is 6.91 with a 1.884 WHIP.

Kimbrel has registered a 2.96 ERA and 1.134 WHIP in 30 road games and a 5.24 ERA and 1.343 WHIP in 24 home games.

Nick Anderson is in Triple-A after signing a minor league deal with the Orioles and he could force another bullpen move. Colin Selby and Trevor Rogers were with them previously, and the latter allowed three runs and struck out nine batters in 6 2/3 innings last night for Norfolk.