Orioles option Povich, Kjerstad scratched from lineup, Elias on draft and trade deadline (Kjerstad on IL)

The Orioles tweaked the bullpen again this afternoon.

Right-hander Vinny Nittoli had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and rookie starter Cade Povich was optioned after last night’s game.

Left-hander Danny Coulombe was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster.

Nittoli allowed one run and struck out four batters in three innings with Norfolk. The Orioles signed him to a minor league contract on July 2 after the Cubs designated him for assignment.

Nittoli appeared in seven games with the Athletics this season and allowed two runs in eight innings. He appeared in one game with the Mariners in 2021, two with the Phillies in 2022 and three with the Mets last summer. He’s registered a career 3.07 ERA in 14 2/3 innings.

Povich became expendable with the All-Star break only a few days away and the Orioles not needing a fifth starter. They also have an off-day before their series in Miami that begins July 23.

This could be a brief reset or an extended absence to allow him to keep developing.

The transaction was announced after media sessions with manager Brandon Hyde and executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias. Details are lacking.

Povich has made seven major league starts and registered a 6.27 ERA and 1.545 WHIP in 33 innings. The worst happened in Oakland with eight runs charged in one-plus innings. He worked 5 1/3 last night against the Yankees and allowed three runs and five hits with five walks and six strikeouts.

Control is an area that needs improvement with Povich walking 18 batters this season. He’s also hit two.

* Heston Kjerstad was written into today’s lineup after Clay Holmes nailed him in the batting helmet last night in the ninth inning, causing the dugouts and bullpens to empty and manager Brandon Hyde’s ejection from the game. However, Kjerstad is a late scratch.

Kjerstad went out for pregame workouts and didn't feel 100 percent.

Austin Hays is starting in left field against right-hander Luis Gil.

“He got evaluated last night, ran through a bunch of tests this morning. He’s medically cleared to play,” Hyde said earlier today.

“It’s incredible. He wants to play and he feels great, so he’s in there again today.”

Not anymore.

For the Orioles

Gunnar Henderson SS
Adley Rutschman C
Anthony Santander RF
Ryan O’Hearn DH
Jordan Westburg 2B
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Colton Cowser CF
Austin Hays LF
Ramón Urías 3B

Update: The Orioles recalled Kyle Stowers and placed Kjerstad on the seven-day concussion injured list.

Kjerstad is 14-for-37 with two doubles and three home runs since returning to the majors.

The Yankees have hit 10 Orioles this season and lead the majors with 62 hit batters. The Orioles have hit three Yankees.

Among the Orioles’ victims are some of their younger players – Kjerstad, Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser twice and Jordan Westburg once.

Is this sending a message, an intimidation factor, or just 10 pitches that slipped?

“I think when you’re facing good hitters you’ve got to be able to pitch to both sides of the plate, and pitching in is a part of the game," Hyde said. "Whether they’ve hit more guys than us or not, that’s not something I’m really concerned about right now. I want to win and what we’ve done is won these last couple years, and so that’s my main focus right now.

“You want to see your players not get hurt. We caught a break last night with Heston not getting hurt, as well as other guys who have been hit, but our total focus right now is to win and to continue to win like we have been the last couple years.”

The Yankees suggested last night that Hyde was chirping at Holmes and their dugout after Kjerstad went down, which escalated the situation.

“I was emotional,” Hyde said. “My guy got hit in the head, and I might have said some things that at the time I reacted to it.”

* The draft begins Sunday and the Orioles make the 22^nd, 32^nd and 61^st picks on the first day.

“We’ve got the whole crew up there on the top floor of the warehouse, all the scouts from around the country.” Elias said. “(Vice president of player development and domestic scouting) Matt Blood is doing a great job leading the discussions. We have our analytics department and a lot of the evaluators that use advance information, everything’s kind of coming together right now. And the draft’s tomorrow and it’s one of the more fun days of the year, so we’re excited for it.”

The Orioles are like other teams that don’t tip their hand. High school or college. Position player or pitcher.

Elias labeled the draft class as “fine.”

“Nothing strikes me as noteworthy in one direction or another,” he said. “It is a thin high school class in the first round. A lot fewer high school players being talked about in the first round than normal, that would probably be my takeaway, so it’s looking much more likely that there will be more college players to choose from. But all it takes is one to be there.”

The 22^nd slot is the latest for the Orioles since 2016.

“This is where we want to be,” Elias said. “I’ve said repeatedly, we did the high picks, I think we did great. And I’m glad to be out of there because it means our team’s winning. You have access to some very special players at the top of the draft, but it’s a very high-stakes game and those picks aren’t that easy to hit on, either. And down here in the 20s and below, it’s challenging, but it’s a fun challenge. It also means your big league team is in a good spot, which is what this is all about.

“Enrique Bradfield is off to a good start. We’ve got Westburg, who was the 30th pick. Gunnar was the 42nd pick. Our history in some other places that a lot of us have worked, we’ve managed to do OK down in this part of the draft, and I hope we can this year, too.”

The trade deadline arrives on July 30 and it isn’t ignored. It’s just further back than the draft. There’s an order.

Pitching is the priority – rotation and bullpen.

“I think my impression of the strengths and weaknesses of our roster are probably not different than any of yours or anyone who’s been following the team, so we understand where maybe the easiest areas to bolster the team would be if we’re able to add,” Elias said. “There’s a whole market forming. It’s going to be very competitive. It’s probably going to be tough to line up on things. And we’re as busy as we’ve ever been. Between the draft and the trade deadline, our whole front office group is working around the clock. So I’m really confident that we’re going to be really well prepared and that we’re going to have the tools and the chips necessary, and the ownership support necessary at our disposal to explore this deadline to the fullest with the intention of bringing in help for the team, for the 2024 team.

“But this is also a negotiation, and I’m not going to sit here and say exactly what we’re going to do. We’ve got to work on it. So we’ll see what happens, but we’re prepared. The new owners are very supportive of the efforts that we’re going to put forth, and I think we’re going to be well equipped to go on and look. But the market just hasn’t revealed itself yet and the distraction of the draft is still here, and maybe things will pick up right after the All-Star break.”

This is the second year with Elias and crew as buyers rather than sellers. Past status doesn’t necessarily make the process easier in 2024.

“We learned about that particular market that year,” Elias said. “Trade stuff’s hard. You have to line up and then there are several steps even after the two GMs line up on a trade that have to happen. I’m not sure there were big, sweeping lessons that I can repeat here that would make sense.

“I think a big data point that these deadlines with the new wild card spots, they’re going to be tough, and they might be late, too. We ended up making a trade at the last second, and maybe that will be possible here too. I just don’t know yet.”