Pregame notes updating Rodriguez and Coulombe rehabs, Griggs on ballpark upgrades

More positive injury news came out of Camden Yards this afternoon. Momentum for the Orioles isn’t restricted to winning the next series.

Grayson Rodriguez completed his first bullpen session this afternoon and remains confident in his return later this month from a lat/teres injury.

Rodriguez threw about 20 pitches, mixing off-speed stuff with his fastball.

“Arm’s feeling good and I think right now that’s the most important thing is just being able to get back on the mound, let it eat a couple times,” he said.

“Everything felt good. The ball was spinning well.”

Rodriguez didn’t know when he’d throw again. Heads are spinning trying to calculate progressions and possible return dates.

“I really haven’t looked at the schedule yet,” he said. “I know pretty soon rather than later, so looking forward to the next one.”

Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since July 31 and is eager to assist the Orioles in repeating as division champions. The rotation desperately needs him.

“Obviously you want to get back out there as fast as you can, but first and foremost is making sure you’re healthy,” he said. “That way you can at least make a few more starts ahead of the postseason rather than rush back and set yourself back a little bit further. But right now everything’s feeling good and just waiting to get back out there.”

A rehab assignment can’t be delayed too long with Triple-A Norfolk’s season concluding on Sept. 22.

“Obviously it’s kind of hard to not look at the calendar, but at the same time really not paying too much attention to it,” he said. “I think everything will work out just fine, especially with the way I’m feeling right now, and I think that will take care of itself.”

Dean Kremer threw a side session today but a decision hasn’t been made regarding his next start and whether he can avoid the injured list.

“We’re gonna continue to monitor him, see how the wrist and the hand look and respond tomorrow, see how it feels,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “But still unsure if he’s gonna make that start and what we’re gonna do.”

The Orioles list TBA as their starters for the weekend series against the Rays at Camden Yards.

Infielder Jordan Westburg removed the cast from his right hand again and did more throwing. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad is on the concussion injured list but he’s cleared for baseball activities and nearing a rehab assignment. Two more encouraging developments.

Left-hander Danny Coulombe faced hitters yesterday for the first time since his June surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow. He threw 15-20 pitches to Nick Maton, Liván Soto and Coby Mayo.

“Felt pretty good,” he said. “I’m sore in all the right places. I think we’re just going to take it day-by-day, but I’m pretty optimistic. I feel very good today. We’ll just keep progressing and go from there.”

Coulombe said there’s no timetable for his return, but he’s certainly in play for later this month.

“As long as it keeps trending the way it is, absolutely,” he said. “But it’s a day-by-day thing. Surgery’s a tricky thing, but I’m pretty happy with where we’re at.”

The Orioles had back-to-back losing months before the Rockies came to town. Coulombe could have made a difference as a high-leverage arm equally adept at retiring left-handed and right-handed batters.

“You’re watching the game and you’re like, ‘Well this would probably be my situation here,’” Coulombe said. “But the four lefties we have in the ‘pen are all very good and they’re capable. Yeah, obviously I can’t wait to be back and I’m just excited to play baseball again.”

Coulombe can’t escape a pressurized environment. He didn’t want to accidentally hit Mayo, Maton or Soto and cause an injury in live batting practice. Don’t let any pitches ride up on their hands.

“It’s always weird facing your teammates,” he said. “You don’t want to throw inside. But no, it’s fun.”

Reliever Jacob Webb’s rehab assignment shifts to Double-A Bowie tonight after his nine-pitch scoreless inning Sunday with Norfolk.

Webb went on the injured list with elbow inflammation and should beat the others to the active roster. The Orioles remain hopeful that the trickling continues through the month to strengthen the club for the playoffs.

“There’s a lot of guys who are close,” Rodriguez said. “I think everybody’s champing at the bit to get back out there. Obviously, you don’t want to be on the IL. The days go by slow, but like I said, a lot of us are getting close and I think we can really help the team out.

“I don’t think anybody wants to face us, especially when everybody’s back. I think a lot of guys are confident in that. We’re still playing good baseball, so I think we’re just going to keep looking ahead.”

Said Coulombe: “We’re pretty optimistic that we’re going to get some reinforcements here at the end of the year. We’re a pretty dang good team, so we’ll just see where it goes.

“This is a talented team already and you add some really good players to that … We’re just excited to get going and see where everything takes us.”

* Catie Griggs, hired in July as the organization’s president of business operations after she held the same role in Seattle, met with the media for the first time today. She was asked about future ballpark upgrades and suggested that “relatively smaller changes” will be evident in 2025 “just because in general it takes time from a permitting standpoint to ensure that we are doing things right.”

The more substantive and permanent changes are coming in 2026, she said. In the meantime, the Orioles will attempt to make some improvements of a more temporary nature for next season.

“Just looking out behind you right now, I think we have some opportunities with video boards, and rumor has it that there's some audio things that we might be looking to improve, as well. But there's a lot of things,” said Griggs, who’s sat in about 15 different locations during games, including the splash zone, to gain more of a feel for Camden Yards.

“I think one of the things that’s interesting with a ballpark like this is it’s incredible. Like, this is truly one of the ballparks within Major League Baseball, and so I think for us it’s really important that we respect the integrity and the history of this ballpark and all things that make it unique and special and amazing, and find ways where we can really accent that and deliver more value to our fans in ways that it respects the past but also embraces the future.”

Hyde said he’s spoken with Griggs a few times and is impressed by everything she can offer to the organization.

“She’s awesome,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know her and working with her going forward.”

“I think it’s a very significant hire for us,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said earlier this summer. “She is coming from a run of success and a really good organization and a great operation out there in Seattle. I got the chance to talk to her extensively before we made the hire. I was extremely impressed by her. I can’t wait to work with her. And I think it’s going to be a wonderful, fresh look and addition of somebody that’s kind of been at the top of the field with best practices and a lot of skill and vision.

“All accounts are we’re going to be making some heavy changes to the ballpark here over the next several years and I think she’s going to be perfect for that. So we’re all really excited that she’s coming and I can’t wait to work with her.”