DENVER The response is roughly what one would anticipate. When a teammate gets hurt, players find it difficult to understand why or maintain tally. Less than twenty-four hours after a 103.1-mile line drive struck Dean Kremer’s right arm, leaving a Rocky Mountain high welt above his wrist, Zach Eflin was activated from the injured list and started yesterday’s series finale in Colorado. Once more, the Orioles were forced to adopt a win-at-all costs mindset. Since Kremer has stayed off the injured list, maybe Thursday’s rest day will help him. However, he only lasted 3 1/3 innings, and the team lost 7–5, with manager Brandon Hyde turning to six relievers. Hyde stated earlier that he would be shocked if Kremer began playing in the next four or five days
After taking a 93.8 mph sinker to the nose, Ramón Urías continues to play and rolls his ankle to cover third base. The Orioles’ best hitter is out indefinitely because he is on crutches and a 10-day injured list. If not for misfortune… Anthony Sanders, the first base coach for the Orioles, called the evening “kind of disappointing.” However, I’m genuinely concerned about Dean and Urías, particularly about him being tipped in the nose and now the ankle. We only need to cross our fingers and hope that we can continue to be healthy in the last stretch. That would be a welcome diversion from the daily grind.
Misery loves company, as they say, and the Orioles know that the baseball gods aren’t just picking on them. They wonder why again and then survey the baseball landscape.
“If you really look at the big picture you do,” Sanders said, “but then as you look around the league and look at all the other injuries that are happening, just got to stay afloat and next-man-up mentality.”
Catcher James McCann stood at the railing Saturday night with a mixed sense of disbelief and déjà vu. Trust me, it makes sense on this club. In the crazy year 2024.
“You hear the comments in the dugout when it happens,” he said before his home run and double in a 6-1 win. “I’d say not surprised as much as, ‘Here we go again.’
“It gets frustrating. Especially, Urie’s been kind of carrying the torch a little bit on the offensive side for a few weeks now. Dean’s obviously a huge part of our pitching staff. The frustrations just continue to mount when it comes to that. But it’s the same thing we’ve said all season long. We can’t let it take us down. We’ve got to keep fighting, we’ve got to find a way, next man up.”
Another player could come up later today with catcher David Bañuelos likely one-and-done again. The Orioles selected his contract yesterday for the third time because he was nearby, one of the big perks of residing on the taxi squad.
Bañuelos’ assignment would free up a spot on the 40-man roster. With Urías out, the Orioles could call up an infielder, and Liván Soto made just one appearance for them as a pinch runner. Nick Maton is hitting and wasn’t included in Norfolk’s lineup last night.261/.368/.477 with 12 doubles and 16 home homers. In June, he was up for less than a week and was declared completely. If it matters, Jean Segura was released yesterday, and J.D. Davis isn’t hitting. With Ryan Mountcastle and Urías out with injuries, Davis, who started at third base for the Tides yesterday night, might step in at the corners.
I expected outfielder Forrest Wall to be in play for a promotion but the Orioles designated him for assignment yesterday after he was 4-for-11 with a home run. He was the only Norfolk outfielder on the 40-man. Daniel Johnson, with 21 homers for Norfolk, was on the taxi squad for a day.
The roster churn isn’t gonna slow.
Reliever Nick Anderson seems to be nearing a call from the Orioles after opting out of his Dodgers minor league deal to seek a better opportunity.
Reliever Colin Selby tossed three scoreless and hitless innings with the Orioles, but they needed a fresh arm and sent him down. He could be back. Don’t dismiss left-hander Trevor Rogers, who followed his disastrous Norfolk debut start by allowing only two runs and three hits over six innings. And don’t forget that Brandon Young is on the radar screen, his visibility increasing last night with one run allowed in five innings.
Reliever Jacob Webb began his injury rehab assignment last night with a scoreless and hitless inning for the Tides. That could be an extremely short assignment.
That’s probably it for me on this travel day. I’ll be back Tuesday.
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