Two minor leaguers suspended, more on trade deadline (O's down 7-2)

Single-A Delmarva shortstop Jared Breen and right-hander Nick Cunningham have been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspensions are effective immediately.

Breen, a 24th-round pick in 2013 out of Belmont University, was batting .242/.349/.328 with 10 doubles, two triples, one home run and 22 RBIs in 62 games. Cunningham, a 20th-round pick in 2013 out of the University of Arizona, was 4-3 with a 3.23 ERA in 20 games, including two starts.

Breen is on the 60-day disabled list after running into a wall while chasing a foul ball on July 3 and suffering a fractured right knee cap, broken orbital bone and concussion.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter asked reporters today to fill him in on the latest Blue Jays acquisitions. He's only interested in the Tigers no longer having David Price to make Sunday's start at Camden Yards.

The Blue Jays acquired Price this afternoon for minor league left-handers Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt. Norris will start Sunday against the Orioles.

Add Price to a list that includes shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins.

"Obviously, they're great additions and they're pretty good subtractions," Showalter said. "That's their business, how they evaluate and how Detroit does. I'll tell you this, (Dave) Dombrowski has been very astute moving players and he gets value for value, so we'll see. You guys can call and tell me about it when you're able to clear the smoke and see how it was.

"It's kind of like Andrew (Miller) last year. You've got certain things you do when you think you've got a chance. I don't really dwell on what I think it means it means for (us). Right now, I'm dwelling on what it means for Detroit the next four games. Then it will be Oakland.

"I usually do a roster in advance to think about the bullpen and how we want to match up the next series if there's a tie-breaker, but this time of the year I don't do the one in advance because the roster changes so much from the time you've written it until Aug. 1 or 2. And the worst one is when you get to September. There's 38 of them. That's an advance scout's nightmare."

Showalter indicated that he's expecting executive vice president Dan Duquette to make a move by Friday's 4 p.m. non-waiver deadline.

"That's the bet," Showalter said. "If you told me to bet on which side of it, I'll take the 51-49. I don't know. Dan's brought some things around that's going on, but I'm sure there's a lot going around. It's pretty hot and heavy.

"There's been some guys who have gone that we've talked about, that we were talking about, but if I told you who they were asking for them, you would have said, 'Of course you won't do that.' There aren't any secrets, the same people they always ask for.

"I don't have any way to handicap it. I'm getting ready for a game tonight. When he comes in and knocks on the door and says, 'This has happened,' then we'll deal with it. There's too many things to get ready for."

Showalter repeated how he despises the term "buyers or sellers."

"Somebody was telling me about a guy that was (almost) traded yesterday, (Wilmer) Flores, who was crying on the field," Showalter said. "There's something wrong with the process there, when somebody's showing him their phone from the on-deck circle. Now, the PR people would probably tell you it's great for the game, everybody's talking about it, look at this and whatever. But these are human beings. They're not pieces of meat.

"These are guys I'm obviously close with and I don't look at them that way. I know it's the reality of the business, but it's not like we're moving around slabs of bacon here, OK? And I like bacon."

It probably would be breaking news if he didn't.

Showalter said he hopes Duquette isn't feeling pressure to make a trade.

"He's engaged, committed, trying to put our best foot forward every day for this year and in the future," Showalter said. "You have to have the ability to say 'yes' and 'no.' There aren't many secrets about who's got what and what this guy is. People feel differently about certain guys. You're trying to manage injuries. This time of year, doctors and trainers are very important, trying to look at medicals on different stuff. Everything is a risk. A guy who's been healthy for eight years, you might say he's due. It's all about timing sometimes. It's an inexact science. That's why everybody weighs in on it."

"We have some people who are hurt right now," Showalter added, referencing top pitching prospects Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey. "If they were healthy, people would be all over them, too. So who's right, us or them? Everybody gets hurt."

The Orioles are hurt by a lack of production from the corner outfielders. They moved Chris Davis to right field and Nolan Reimold is starting in left field again tonight against Tigers right-hander Alfredo Simon.

Orioles left fielders are batting a combined .213, ranked 29th in the majors. The Athletics are 30th at .210. Their .284 on-base percentage is 28th and .333 slugging percentage 27th. They've combined for eight home runs, which is tied for 19th.

Showalter was asked about the need for improved production.

"I have confidence that different phases of the game pick up some things, but over the long haul you've got to do certain things," Showalter said. "If we pitch like we have the last five or six nights, it might, but that's a hard pressure line to put on players, pitchers. You'd like to, but you'd like everything to be perfect every night. You'd like to have nine guys be hot and every close situation be a no-anxiety 1-2-3, but it would be boring if it wasn't.

"It's pretty obvious... If you're always comparatively speaking to everybody else, you're always going to find things you're better at and worse at than somebody else this year."

The Orioles are continuing their search for a corner outfielder. They have interest in the Tigers' Yoenis Cespedes, but do they have the neceessary available prospects to outbid other teams?

"All these outfielders, everybody who's moving, we've talked about them," Showalter said. "Some of them, we like our guys better than."

Update: Miguel Gonzalez threw 30 pitches in the top of the first inning while surrendering two runs and four hits. J.D. Martinez lined a two-run double down the left field line, the ball eluding Manny Machado's backhanded attempt.

Right fielder Chris Davis threw out Ian Kinsler trying to advance from first to third base on Jose Iglesias' single, the Orioles 29th outfield assist of the season. Kinsler initially was safe, but he came off the bag.

Update II: Gonzalez allowed five runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings, with one walk and one strikeout. He was removed after 66 pitches. The 10 hits tied his career high from May 24 in Miami.

Bud Norris replaced Gonzalez and picked off Ian Kinsler, but he served up a two-run homer to Yoenis Cespedes, who took his time rounding the bases.

Nolan Reimold walked off Alfredo Simon to lead off the bottom of the fourth and Adam Jones collected the Orioles' first hit with his 16th home run of the season. Tigers 7, Orioles 2

Jones has 182 home runs as an Oriole, tying Ken Singleton for seventh place on the club's all-time list.