Wondering about Monday's starter (and Aberdeen leftovers)

While the Orioles downplay John Means' second stop on the injured list, this time with a left biceps strain, they need to find a starter to take his next turn.

Means is expected to miss only one start, but who's making it?

Someone has to take the mound Monday night in San Diego, and manager Brandon Hyde isn't ready to announce his choice. Probably because he doesn't know yet what it is.

Gabriel Ynoa is an option if he's fresh. He worked 1 2/3 innings Wednesday in Arizona and three innings the following night in Anaheim.

Ynoa threw 33 pitches against the Angels and certainly could be used on short rest, but only if Hyde can stay away from him this afternoon. He's becoming valuable again as a multi-inning reliever, but Hyde has mentioned Ynoa as a rotation candidate if needed.

Jimmy Yacabonis worked as the opener Thursday and tossed 46 pitches in two innings. He'd probably be fine handling the same role Monday.

Tom Eshelman followed Yacabonis and threw 64 pitches in 4 1/3. Hyde might be reluctant to extend him on short rest.

Dan Straily started last night for Triple-A Norfolk and allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, striking out nine Lehigh Valley batters. He wasn't scratched, which would have been a strong indication that the Orioles wanted him available.

David Hess started Thursday for the Tides and threw 86 pitches in five innings. He won't be brought back on short rest after that workload.

Chandler Shepherd is starting Monday and would be on normal rest, but he's registered a 7.15 ERA and 1.744 WHIP in nine appearances. Doesn't seem like he's ready.

Hyde told the media in Anaheim that Means will undergo a precautionary MRI on his biceps muscle, the concern level still advertised as low.

"I'm going to miss one start and I'll be good to go," Means told the media. "I, honestly, probably could start again, but it's one of those things I don't want lingering and want to attack as fast as I can. I want to finish the season healthy and strong."

A left shoulder strain forced Means onto the injured list last month, and he returned as soon as he was eligible. The Orioles are shooting for the same timeline.

* Adley Rutschman will play his second game today with short-season Single-A Aberdeen, and he'll be behind the plate after going 0-for-5 last night as the designated hitter.

Sitting in the dugout after each failed at-bat, unable to contribute in any other way, had to test his patience.

"That's one of the nice parts about catching is just being able to be part of every single pitch and just have the game roll," he said.

Rutschman seemed more relaxed with the media following the game than he did during his two-minute session on the concourse after batting practice. He checked to make sure he didn't have barbeque sauce on his face. The smiles came easily.

Perhaps he felt a sense of relief after the big buildup over his Maryland debut.

"I'm not glad it's over with, I'm just excited for tomorrow," he said.

"I feel like when you're playing every day, the days seem to mesh together. So it's just baseball, baseball, baseball, which is how it should be.

"It definitely got easier as the game went along. I started to feel more on time with the fastball, started laying off some of the off-speed that I didn't in my second AB."

Being in the Orioles organization might have seemed more real after he left Florida.

"I mean, kind of," he said. "It's a different setting. Aberdeen's its own thing and has its own unique fan base here, but it was definitely cool to be here and be in Maryland again."

* Rutschman received most of the attention yesterday, a crowded press box blamed on him. But outfielder Kyle Stowers might have been responsible for the most impressive sequence in the game.

Stowers, chosen by the Orioles with the 71st overall pick out of Stanford University, sent a grounder up the middle in the fifth inning and kept hustling to second base for a double as Hudson Valley's Garrett Hiott was slow to react.

Stowers stole third base and scored on Andrew Daschbach's grounder to shortstop Greg Jones, which came against a drawn-in infield.

Jones' throw sailed to the first base side of the plate and Stowers slid around the tag to manufacture a run.