What changes are coming to Orioles?

The mathematical first half of the season is behind us. The Orioles played their 87^th game last night in Minnesota, leaving two on the table before the All-Star break.

That’s the actual splitting of the halves.

The draft will run from Sunday-Tuesday. Four Orioles will be in Seattle for the All-Star Game, and prospects Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad are on the Futures Game roster.

Adley Rutschman will attempt Monday night to join Cal Ripken Jr. and Miguel Tejada as Home Run Derby winners.

And then, it’s back to business. Three games at home against the Marlins and three against the Dodgers, followed by trips to St. Petersburg, Fla., and Philadelphia.

The team will undergo changes before it reaches the trade deadline. The movement is consistent this season and some big decisions are on deck.

Here are a few:

* Ryan Mountcastle’s injury rehab assignment ends during the break. The Orioles can’t leave him with Triple-A Norfolk or any affiliate.

Only a new bout with vertigo could infiltrate what’s otherwise two simple choices: Reinstate Mountcastle and return him to the active roster or reinstate and option him.

The expectation is that Mountcastle reclaims his job at first base. He was 4-for-30 before the Orioles shut him down, and the illness explanation was clarified. The results with Norfolk were slow to develop, but he has 12 hits in 12 games.

Bringing back Mountcastle forces a corresponding move that isn’t simple to identify.

Ryan O’Hearn got hot again in New York, going 7-for-16 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs. Aaron Hicks had a hit in each of his last four games and five of six, but he was scratched from Thursday’s lineup with a sore left Achilles tendon that restricted him to serving as designated hitter the previous night. He didn’t start last night but had a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning.

The Orioles have ample coverage in center field with Hicks, Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser and Austin Hays when he's no longer day-to-day. The entire outfield is deep, including infielders who can move to the grass. Adam Frazier started in left Thursday after Cowser slid over to center.

Who's moved for Mounty?

* Grayson Rodriguez has made six starts with Norfolk since the Orioles optioned him again. He’s completed six innings in five of them, all resulting in quality starts.

In the last two, Rodriguez has allowed one earned run with one walk and 20 strikeouts in 12 innings.

How much longer before he goes from reset to Orioles rotation?

Rodriguez pitched Tuesday in Durham and tossed six scoreless innings with three hits, no walks and 12 strikeouts. He was the International League’s Pitcher of the Month for June after going 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and .185 average against.

The velocity is there. He’s establishing the fastball. His confidence must be soaring.

“The last start was really good, obviously,” manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday at Yankee Stadium. “Threw the ball great. Sounded like the command’s really improving. So we’re really excited about that and watching him closely.”

Logic says the Orioles are close to recalling Rodriguez. He’s checking the necessary boxes and there’s no other reason to keep him down.

Left-hander Cole Irvin started last night and gave the Orioles his best performance since the trade by tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings before Mike Baumann replaced him and let an inherited runner cross the plate. Irvin is the starter who’d apparently move out of the way because the Orioles aren’t pulling Kyle Gibson, Tyler Wells, Dean Kremer or Kyle Bradish, and they aren’t going with a six-man rotation.

Irvin’s timing last night was impeccable.

* The bullpen has ripples in it from the constant movement, and more are coming.

Eduard Bazardo made his Orioles debut Thursday night, allowing an unearned run in the ninth inning. He arrived the previous day to return the pitching staff to 13. Chris Vallimont was optioned, designated for assignment and traded to the Guardians.

The Orioles optioned Bruce Zimmermann and recalled him to replace injured left-hander Cionel Pérez. Austin Voth (elbow) and Keegan Akin (back) are on the IL. Voth is out of options.

Mychal Givens was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 1 and can’t return before August. He’s beginning another rehab assignment after the break, reporting to the Florida Complex League.

Dillon Tate was scheduled to get a second opinion on his elbow. He hasn’t pitched since 2022.

Back-to-back days with the bullpen untouched seems worthy of a headline.

What's next?