Only once in his career had the veteran outfielder played a full season, arriving in Baltimore on a three-year, $49.5 million deal this offseason with 14 trips to the injured list on his record. O’Neill’s power was undeniable — he mashed 31 home runs in only 113 games last year — but the Orioles acquired him understanding that he wasn’t going to play all 162.

So far, those risks have proven to be legitimate concerns. O’Neill, 30, has returned to the IL twice with separate neck and shoulder injuries in his first season with the Orioles, limiting him to 36 games in which he’s slashed .211/.298/.398 with just five homers and 15 RBIs.

With Baltimore (46-58) already beginning to act like sellers ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, O’Neill has been among the most disappointing players on the roster this year.

“It’s been a grind, man,” O’Neill said. “It hasn’t been easy. Obviously, I’ve been injured a lot and just trying to fight my way back and figure out that routine in the cage and the prep and all that stuff. So, hopefully I’m figuring out that click now and can continue forward.

“Unfortunately, I have been dealt with the injury bug this year. Obviously, I’m doing what I have to do to make those adaptations and get myself ready on a day-to-day basis, and there’s something new every year. There’s something new every day, honestly. Just trying to keep the progress.”

His injuries have had lingering effects on his performance at the plate. O’Neill tried to play through the neck inflammation that sidelined him in late April, even though he wasn’t able to turn his head all the way to either side. He then attempted to come back too early from his shoulder impingement in June and had to shut back down, undergoing platelet-rich plasma injections before finally making it back in early July.

The constant injury management and time in the trainer’s room have affected his ability to get his swing mechanics in a good place. 

“I think as his body got beat up, he was unable to do the work in the cage necessary to make the corrections he needed to make as his swing got out of whack,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “Tyler is a needs-his-swing-to-feel-good guy, and I think lately as his body has felt better and his health has improved, he’s had the ability to get in the cage and take the reps he’s needed to make the corrections he’s had. So, as I watch him start to perform on the field, it absolutely coincides with the amount of work he’s been able to do in the cage.”

After dealing with some “general soreness” and missing two more games last week, O’Neill has come back showing signs of progress. He’s collected multiple hits in three straight contests, going 6-for-10 with two home runs and a double. The Orioles brought the right-handed O’Neill in to help address their struggles against left-handed pitchers, and he has as many hits against them over the past three days (three) as he did the entire season to that point.

“I’m feeling pretty good in there right now,” O’Neill said. “Just really enjoy being here with these guys, man. It’s such a good group of guys here, and I just want to be out there grinding with them. It’s fun playing every day.”

It’s an encouraging sign for a player the Orioles are likely to have under contract for the next two seasons. O’Neill has an opt-out that he could exercise this winter to reenter free agency, but he would have to finish the season on a Babe Ruth-caliber tear to justify walking away from the remaining $33 million on his deal. Even then, it might not be enough because of the injuries.

With Cedric Mullins a popular trade candidate and Heston Kjerstad demoted back to Triple-A Norfolk after struggling mightily in his first full season at the major league level, O’Neill and Colton Cowser are the only outfielders the Orioles can write in their starting lineup with permanent marker. Just how confident they feel in O’Neill’s value could go a long way in determining whether they trade Ramón Laureano, who has a 2026 team option, this week.

The playoffs are out of the question for the Orioles at this point, but as they turn their attention to 2026, helping O’Neill finish the year strong is among the most important priorities for the club in its quest to rebound next season — almost as important as keeping him healthy.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

Thunder and lightning in the area created a bizarre scene at Camden Yards in the sixth inning of Friday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies as the team played through the weather despite emptying the seating bowl of fans. Steady rain fell for about 10 minutes, but lightning flashes across the sky kept fans on the concourses until the bottom of the seventh.

An announced crowd of 25,090 was treated to some early thunder as the Orioles (45-58) launched four home runs their first turn through the lineup. Jordan Westburg, Tyler O’Neill, Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson all tattooed solo shots off Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland, giving Dean Kremer a 4-0 lead to work with after two innings.

Kremer couldn’t keep it, surrendering two home runs of his own to center fielder Mickey Moniak and second baseman Thairo Estrada as the Rockies climbed all the way back to win 6-5.

“That’s on me,” Kremer said after the game. “But all in all, didn’t do my job tonight. Guys gave me a lead, and I blew it.”

Catcher Hunter Goodman tied the game on an RBI double in the fifth and left fielder Jordan Beck brought him home with a single up the middle to put Colorado (27-76) in front.

Though Kremer pitched through the rain to complete his eighth start of at least six innings this season — tied with Tomoyuki Sugano for the most on the Orioles — the five runs charged against him raised his ERA to 4.23.

“He was in the zone, which I think probably played to their favor a little bit,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “A couple of the balls that they hit, I think the two-run homer was kind of at the very bottom of the zone, but teams like that, you tend to maybe work the edges a little bit more and get a little bit weaker contact in some spots.”

Jackson Holliday (3-for-5) evened the score in the seventh on an RBI single, but the tie was short-lived. Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar took Andrew Kittredge deep to left field for a go-ahead blast — the seventh home run of the night between the teams — that proved to be the decisive shot.

Postgame analysis

Pitching has been a primary source of the Orioles’ woes all season, but there’s no denying that their offense has consistently left runs on the field.

After their home run barrage, the Orioles collected two hits over their next four innings and finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The patient line-drive approach that hitting coaches have preached this season hasn’t manifested into consistent production, even on nights when they’re sending the ball flying out of the yard.

What they’re saying

O’Neill on how he’s feeling at the plate after missing two games with general soreness earlier this week:

“I feel pretty good. I’m just really trusting the pregame prep and working with the hitting guys really hard and stuff. Taking a lot of swings the last couple weeks, so just trying to figure things out, man. It’s a continuous grind so hopefully we’re on the right track.”

By the numbers

The last time the Orioles hit four homers their first time through the order was Aug. 19, 2016, against the Houston Astros. Westburg, O’Neill, Mayo and Jackson, meet Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo. It’s also the second time this season the Orioles have hit four homers in a game and lost.

On deck

The Orioles will look to even up the series Saturday behind the red-hot Trevor Rogers, who has a 1.74 ERA in seven starts since making his season debut in late May. He’ll be tasked with outdueling Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela, who leads the major leagues in losses (13) and hits allowed (146).

Around the horn

• Adley Rutschman is scheduled to play one more rehabilitation game Saturday with Triple-A Norfolk before the Orioles will reevaluate him to determine if he’s ready to come off the injured list, Mansolino said Friday. Rutschman started behind the plate for the Tides on Friday and finished the night 1-for-5 with a single.

• Left-hander Cade Povich is scheduled to make another rehab start next week, but that could change depending on what the Orioles’ rotation looks like after the trade deadline. Povich worked up to five innings and 70 pitches in his last outing Thursday.

• Mansolino spoke with Kyle Bradish on Friday after he made his first rehab start Thursday since his Tommy John elbow surgery and the right-hander “felt great,” the interim skipper said. “For the ball to come out of his hand the way that it did after missing so much time, we’re really excited about him.”

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

Baltimore traded left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to the New York Mets for pitching prospects Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster on Friday, the team announced. Soto is the first domino to fall in what’s shaping up to be an active trade deadline week for the Orioles as they look to salvage value out of a lost 2025 season.

“He was doing good. It was up and down at times, but he was getting lefties out, which is what he’s getting paid to do, ultimately,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “I thought Gregory did a great job. I thought he probably got off to a little bit of a rough start initially in ’24 but after those first few outings I think, by and large, he did a wonderful job.”

The Orioles called up infielder Jeremiah Jackson to fill Soto’s roster spot ahead of their series opener against the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies on Friday.

Soto, 30, was due to hit free agency this winter after the Orioles acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies at last year’s deadline in exchange for pitching prospects Seth Johnson and Moisés Chace. Soto has posted 4.33 ERA in 68 games over the past two seasons for Baltimore and his final appearance was a converted save in their 4-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.

“Well, I can’t control that,” Soto said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones on Thursday of potentially being traded. “What I can control is going out there, doing what I did today, doing my job. If they ultimately decide to make a decision where they trade me, perfect, let it be.”

In return, the Orioles acquired a 20-year-old, hard-throwing right-hander in Aracena who has a 2.38 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings for Low-A St. Lucie this season. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, Aracena was the Mets’ No. 19 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline’s rankings and No. 28 on Baseball America.

Aracena averages in the upper 90 mph range and tops out at 101 mph with his fastball. His cutter has a lot of movement on it and he also mixes in a slider and curveball. The right-hander struggled mightily with walks in his first full season in the U.S. last year but cut his walk rate from 20.2% last year to 13.2% in 2025 with a bump in strikeouts too.

Foster, 26, was a 14th-round draft pick in 2022 out of McNeese State who moved to a full-time reliever role this season. He put up a 1.01 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings at Double-A Binghamton before being promoted to Triple-A Syracuse earlier this week.

Another right-hander, Foster is unranked by either Pipeline or BA but could be in the mix for a bullpen role with the Orioles in the near future if they can help him carry over his success to the Triple-A level.

Soto is the second player the Orioles have traded this month after shipping right-hander Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays for the No. 37 overall selection in this year’s MLB draft. Baltimore used the pick to select high school outfielder Slater de Brun, who signed for $4 million Thursday.

“I actually saw him in the parking lot so we got to chat for a little bit,” fellow reliever Yennier Cano said of Soto through Quinones. “Just wishing him the best, honestly. He was saying how happy he was to be here with the Orioles but ultimately, having the chance to compete with the Mets and also have a chance to continue to do what’s best for his career, I think that’s something to be happy about. … We understand it’s part of the business.”

With Soto and Baker traded and closer Félix Bautista landing on the injured list this week, the Orioles’ bullpen has lost several high-leverage arms. Cano and Seranthony Domínguez are the most likely candidates to pitch in save situations, though Domínguez is a trade candidate as well with an expiring contract.

“We’re just trying to mix and match the best we can,” Mansolino said. “We’re going to look at all the information and try to get guys in spots where the matchups are favorable to them.”

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

Baseball America and MLB Pipeline both released updated organizational top 30 rankings for every team this week ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, and the Orioles’ lists look much different from how they did at the start of the season.

Samuel Basallo is still the Orioles’ consensus No. 1 prospect, ranking 11th on BA’s overall top 100 rankings and ninth overall by Pipeline. There’s little debate about that with the 20-year-old catcher hitting .264 with 19 home runs and a .975 OPS at Triple-A Norfolk this season.

Behind him, BA lists infielder Coby Mayo — who’s already graduated from prospect status by Pipeline’s requirements — second followed by the aggressive selection of right-hander Esteban Mejia. The Dominican native has burst onto the scene for the Orioles’ rookie ball team in his first season in the U.S., posting a 2.17 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings.

Mejia, 18, sits at No. 82 on BA’s overall top 100, but Pipeline wasn’t ready to slap those expectations on him just yet. He had to settle for fourth on Pipeline’s team rankings, landing behind a pair of outfielders in Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Dylan Beavers.

Bradfield, the Orioles’ first-round draft pick in 2023, has been limited to 36 games at Double-A Chesapeake because of injuries this season, but there’s no doubting his speed or defense in center field when healthy. Beavers, a first-rounder in 2022, has enjoyed a breakout year in Triple-A, hitting .305 with 13 homers, 20 stolen bases and a .907 OPS entering play Thursday.

BA had Bradfield sixth and Beavers seventh on its Orioles list, though they were bumped down a slot so that 2025 first-round pick Ike Irish could slide in at No. 5. Pipeline hasn’t yet included this year’s draft selections in its rankings with a more comprehensive update planned for August. Baltimore drafted Irish out of Auburn as a catcher, and while he might eventually move to the outfield full time, his hit and power tools are what stand out most in his profile.

Outside of Basallo and Mejia, the only other player both lists agreed belonged in the top five was outfielder Nate George. The 2024 16th-round pick out of a high school in Minooka, Illinois, didn’t make his professional debut until May this year. All he’s done since is hit, earning a quick promotion to Low-A Delmarva.

George, 19, is slashing .358/.416/.527 with 32 stolen bases in 53 games. He can play all three outfield positions and so far has shown the plate discipline that, combined with speed, lends itself to the profile of a leadoff. Like Mejia, George is still a long way off from the majors, but his stock has soared compared with where it was a year ago.

Filling out the rest of BA’s top 10 is shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, the reigning Golden Spikes Award winner for the best amateur player in the country and the Orioles’ No. 31 pick in this year’s draft, and right-handers Michael Forret and Braxton Bragg.

Forret and Bragg have both enjoyed impressive campaigns this summer, though they’ve each spent time on the injured list and Bragg is currently sidelined with recurrent right forearm discomfort. Forret is in High-A Aberdeen’s rotation, and he’s a good bet to be pitching in Chesapeake before the end of the season with his 1.86 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings.

Pipeline has the pitching duo at the front of a quintet of arms that make up the back half of its top 10. Behind them are right-handers Keeler Morfe, Nestor German and Chayce McDermott. Morfe is on the IL and McDermott hasn’t pitched since July 10 while German earned a promotion to Double-A and has since put up a 4.50 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 52 innings.

Both lists are likely to look different again next week when the Orioles are expected to trade some of their veteran players at the deadline. Most of the club’s trade candidates are on expiring contracts, which haven’t garnered significant hauls in recent years.

But between the emergence of some high-ceiling players at the lower levels, a draft in which the Orioles made seven top-100 picks and a trade deadline that’s likely to be busy, Baltimore is starting to restock its farm system after graduating much of its top talent the past few years.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

With the trade deadline just a week away, Morton is shaping up to be one of the Orioles’ top candidates to find a new home before the end of the month. Since May 10, the 41-year-old has a 3.53 ERA over 13 appearances (10 starts), including his performance Thursday.

“I think in any business, whether it’s baseball or the real world, the real business world, I think stability is kind of king,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “Charlie brought a lot of stability to us over this time. I don’t know how much longer we’re going to get that stability out of him. Hopefully, he stays. If he doesn’t, then somebody else will have to step up and continue the stability that he’s brought us.”

The Orioles’ win put a stop to their three-game losing streak and ensured that they wouldn’t be swept in a four-game series for the first time since 2021.

Morton allowed three runs on five hits and four walks over 6 2/3 frames against the Guardians, throwing a season-high 107 pitches. Most of the damage against him came on a pair of home runs from All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan, who is typically more of a slap hitter. It was the first multi-homer game of Kwan’s career and improved his line to 4-for-8 with three homers against Morton.

Despite Kwan’s performance, Mansolino pushed Morton deep enough for the veteran to get the win. He talked to the right-hander after the sixth inning with his pitch count in the mid-90s to see if he wanted to go back out for the seventh. It was a hot day and Morton had worked out of a few jams his past few innings, but he asked for the ball back.

“I think as a starting pitcher, that’s an opportunity when a manager does that,” Morton said. “I have a lot of respect for Tony and managers that do that, that have those conversations. They want to give you the chance to plead your case or they genuinely just want you to go back out there and try to do it for yourself and the team. And I love that.”

Gunnar Henderson provided the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the seventh, lining a left-on-left line drive to right field off Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski to score Alex Jackson from third.

Ramón Laureano also homered for the third time in four games, with all three coming against the team that released him after he got off to a slow start last season. He moved back into a tie with Jackson Holliday for the team lead with 14 home runs on the year.

The Orioles’ offense jumped on Guardians lefty Logan Allen early by sending eight men to the plate in the top of the first. Laureano’s homer brought two runs in and Ramón Urías scored another with a line drive that center fielder Angel Martínez misjudged, allowing it to sail over his head as Tyler O’Neill scored all the way from first.

O’Neill returned to the Orioles’ lineup Thursday after missing the previous two games with “general soreness” and went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Coby Mayo also got the start — just his fifth this month — and finished 0-for-2 before being lifted for pinch hitter Ryan O’Hearn in the eighth.

After the Orioles placed closer Félix Bautista on the 15-day injured list with shoulder discomfort before the game, Mansolino used Corbin Martin to get through the seventh before turning to Seranthony Domínguez in the eighth and Gregory Soto for the save situation in the ninth. Andrew Kittredge and Yennier Cano were both unavailable after pitching the previous two games.

“Ser is the best guy right now down in the bullpen,” Mansolino said. “I think we can all agree on that. He’s been really good for a while minus a couple of outings surrounding the All-Star break. So, you’re going through the 3-4-5 [hitters] in the eighth inning. That’s the best part of the order. We’re going to throw our best guy right there.”

Domínguez put two runners on but struck out first baseman Carlos Santana to escape the jam, and Soto retired the side with a pair of strikeouts for his first save of the season.

“Yeah, in reality, a lot,” Soto said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones of the confidence boost he got getting the ball in the ninth. “Especially after my outing here the other night. It gives me a lot of confidence to hear that and know that, especially after what happened to Bautista. So, I felt good going out there today and getting the job done.”

Postgame analysis

Morton’s trade value is looking pretty safe after he quelled any fears of regression with his strong performance Thursday.

The 41-year-old isn’t going to be atop any buyer’s wish list, but he should garner plenty of interest as a veteran, two-time World Series champion and capable innings eater. Every team needs pitching at the deadline, and with very few clubs expected to be full-fledged sellers this year, Morton might end up bringing back the biggest return of any player the Orioles trade.

What they’re saying

Morton on the possibility of being traded and the responsibility he feels for the Orioles being in a position where they’re likely to sell at the deadline:

“I look back, and knowing what I’m capable of doing, and knowing that I failed for a decent stretch in the beginning of the season, and I know I let a lot of people down, and I know that it was difficult and it caused, I’m sure in large part, a lot of the difficulty that has happened with the team. We had a manager fired. We had stretches that were really difficult in terms of losing, personally, as a group. And through that, I think you do create a deeper bond with the guys in the room, if you let yourself.

“Because the failures and the difficulties, when you actually start to have those conversations and you start to look people in the face and look them in the eye and you figure out who you are as a group, you start to realize, ‘Wow, this is a really good group, and we’re capable of so much more.’ And to look back and think we’re a week away from the room changing — to what degree, I don’t know — but it’s sad. Because we are a good team. We are a good group of guys. We are capable of a lot more. And to know that this is where we are right now in this moment in time, it’s tough.”

By the numbers

O’Neill collected both of his hits Thursday against left-handed starter Allen, something the Orioles signed the right-handed slugger to do to help balance out their lefty-heavy lineup. However, because of injuries and extended slumps, O’Neill entered the game with only three hits against left-handers all season.

On deck

The Orioles (45-57) return to Baltimore this weekend and turn their attention to the lowly Colorado Rockies, who own the worst record in the majors at 26-76. Dean Kremer will start the opener opposite Kyle Freeland.

Around the horn

• Left-hander Keegan Akin is scheduled to make his next rehabilitation appearance with Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday and “my guess is he’d be an option after that,” Mansolino said Thursday. Out since June 30 with shoulder inflammation, Akin has made two appearances thus far and allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings.

• The Orioles laid out their pitching plans for their upcoming series against Colorado. After Kremer on Friday, Trevor Rogers will take the ball Saturday and Tomoyuki Sugano is scheduled to pitch Sunday in what could be his final start with Baltimore if he’s moved at the trade deadline.

• Maryland men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams will throw out the first pitch for the Orioles’ series opener Friday, the team announced. Williams, who replaced Kevin Willard at the helm of the program in the spring, will be accompanied by several of his new players on the field.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

Baltimore signed high school outfielder Slater de Brun, the No. 37 overall pick, away from his Vanderbilt commitment Thursday, making him the last of their 14 selections from the first 10 rounds to come to terms. He is getting a $4 million signing bonus, a source with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. The slot value for his draft spot was $2.6 million.

Time to get to work!!! @Orioles https://t.co/qatwxLTgwM

— Slater de Brun (@slaterdebrun25) July 24, 2025

The club selected de Brun with the compensation pick it received from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Bryan Baker trade earlier this month.

De Brun’s $4 million bonus is the second largest of any player the Orioles drafted this year, behind only first-round pick Ike Irish, who signed for slot value at $4.42 million. The 5-foot-10, 187-pound Oregon native was the third-highest ranked high school outfielder in the draft, according to MLB Pipeline.

The Orioles had the largest draft pool in league history ($19,144,500) and have just about used it all, making it unlikely that they sign many of the players they picked in Rounds 11 through 20 to bonuses of much more than $150,000. Any bonuses larger than that count against the pool.

Baltimore’s 12th-round pick Daniel Lopez, a right-handed pitcher out of Odessa College, announced on social media Thursday that he forego signing with the Orioles and transfer to Kansas instead.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

A day after Félix Bautista “didn’t feel right,” the Orioles placed their star closer on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort. He will have an MRI on Friday, interim manager Tony Mansolino said Thursday morning.

“Yeah, it’s tough. Félix is a guy that you know is really one of the leaders,” Mansolino said. “He’s a catalyst for us. He’s a guy that shortens the game. He helps you win major league games every night. So, we just hope that it’s not too severe. He’ll get the MRI tomorrow and he’ll meet with their doctors and we’ll have a better idea as to the severity of the injury.”

The move is retroactive to Monday, and the ballclub recalled reliever Kade Strowd in a corresponding move. Bautista is the 15th player the Orioles currently have on the injured list, two fewer than the Houston Astros for most in MLB, even after they activated starter Zach Eflin on Wednesday.

Bautista, 30, sent a message to the first base dugout during the seventh inning of the team’s 3-2 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday that he wasn’t able to pitch, Mansolino said after the game. He was getting loose by throwing a heavy ball against the wall when he felt something and never took the mound.

“Our phone rang and right when I heard that thing ring, I told whoever was next to me, I said, ‘That is not good,’” Mansolino said. “I didn’t know what it was or who it was, but when it comes our way … I heard it get slammed after and I knew it wasn’t going to be good, and it turned out to be really horrendous.”

Mansolino said he wasn’t aware of an injury before the game, and Bautista warmed up on the field as normal. The unexpected development prompted him to use Colin Selby in the eighth inning of a 2-2 game, and he allowed the winning run on an RBI single by Steven Kwan. Mansolino was saving Seranthony Domínguez in case the game got to the ninth.

The Orioles’ skipper didn’t commit to using a specific reliever in save situations moving forward and said he was going to rely on matchups. Domínguez has recorded two saves this season and 12 for Baltimore since being acquired at the trade deadline last season.

Bautista returns to the injured list for the first time in 2025 after missing all of last season recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery. He owns a 2.60 ERA with 19 saves and 50 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings this year, returning to the dominant form that made him the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award winner in 2023.

The Orioles have managed his workload carefully this season, waiting until late May to start pitching him on back-to-back days and never using him for more than an inning at a time. His name has been the subject of trade rumors with the deadline a week away and Baltimore still holding two more years of team control.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

The Orioles’ top infield prospect has been up in the major leagues since May 31, but after starting 16 of their 27 games in June, he’s made just four starts so far in July.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino characterized the decision as one made with winning in mind.

“When you have major league players in any professional sport — football, basketball, baseball — when you have players having good years in front of them, you’re not going to sit those guys in order to play another guy,” Mansolino said after Mayo drew threw walks and singled in their 6-3 loss to the Guardians on Tuesday night. “You’re going to play the best guy available. It happens in every sport. It happens with all 30 teams in the big leagues, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Baltimore (44-57) has hoped to salvage its season ahead of the trade deadline, but its odds have shrunk considerably amid a 1-7 stretch with seven games to go. Mansolino still didn’t flinch Wednesday, leaving Mayo off the lineup card even with outfielder Tyler O’Neill, a fellow right-handed hitter, on the bench dealing with “general soreness” for the second straight game.

Though Mayo, 23, is slashing .205/.283/.301 with one home run in 29 games this season, he appeared to be getting into a rhythm right before his playing time dived. It coincided with the return of third baseman Jordan Westburg, who was in and out of the lineup in late June because of a nagging finger injury but has started all but one game since July 4.

“Just working in the cage every day, early work or just trying different stuff out in BP, or talking to hitting coaches a bunch,” Mayo said of what he’s doing to improve between starts. “Having confidence from Manso. It’s been fun, just to keep working. And obviously, you want to be in there. But if you’re going to be on the bench, you’ve got to make the most of it.”

The Orioles have had Mayo focus defensively on settling in at first base and he’s routinely worked with senior adviser John Mabry doing infield drills during pregame warmups to sharpen his play at the position, which he didn’t start playing regularly until two years ago.

Mansolino still believes that, despite some improvement, there’s still work to be done.

“He’s doing better,” Mansolino said. “To be a major league average first baseman, he still has a lot of work to do. He knows that, and that message has been delivered to him. So, again, we’re excited about the baby steps and moving forward during this time, and our expectations are really big for the guy.”

While the trade deadline next Thursday might clear a path for Mayo to receive more regular playing time — and mark a sign of acceptance by the ballclub that the focus on winning has shifted to 2026 — he will then have to contend with first baseman Ryan Mountcastle for starts at the position. Mountcastle (hamstring) will begin a rehabilitation assignment Thursday with Triple-A Norfolk, and he’s eligible to return from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

There’s also a chance that the Orioles call up top catching prospect Samuel Basallo before the end of the season. The 20-year-old slugger is expected to be a factor at first base as well, though he hits from the left side of the plate. Mayo, Mountcastle, Westburg, O’Neill and Ramón Laureano — the last of whom is a trade candidate — make for a crowded group of right-handed hitters vying for limited spots.

Mayo is under team control through the 2030 season and the consensus top-30 prospect in MLB has a chance to play a significant role in the club’s hopes of bouncing back from their disappointing 2025 campaign. The Orioles are not making him wait in Triple-A, but he will have to be patient a little longer before Baltimore is willing to give him an everyday look again.

“It was a good night. Made the plays at first base, that was super positive,” Mansolino said of Mayo’s performance Tuesday. “Definitely a small step in the right direction, no doubt for Cobe, but I feel like he’s been taking a lot of small steps in the right direction. Optimistic about him. At some point, his time will come, and he’ll get an opportunity.”

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

Mansolino said that he wasn’t aware of an injury before the game and Bautista warmed up on the field as normal.

“In the seventh inning, as [Yennier] Cano was going through that inning, Bautista sent message that he was going to be unavailable today,” Mansolino said. “Something didn’t feel right, so we shut him down, which then put [Colin] Selby in the game. Otherwise, it would have been [Seranthony] Dominguez in the eighth and then with the idea of Bautista in the ninth.”

Mansolino didn’t know what the specific injury was but said that he would have more information Thursday morning.

The Orioles entered the eighth inning tied at 2 with the Guardians and Bautista’s sudden removal from Mansolino’s list of relief options prompted him to bring in Selby, who allowed Steven Kwan to drive in the winning run on an RBI single with two outs.

Domínguez never got the chance to pitch as Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase locked down the save immediately after.

Bautista, 30, hasn’t pitched since Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, when he allowed a run on three walks and a hit while showing diminished velocity. The right-hander missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery. He carries a 2.60 ERA with 19 saves and 50 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings this year.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.

After entering play Wednesday with the highest bullpen ERA in the majors this month at 6.75, the Orioles let another close game slip away as Colin Selby — pitching in a high-leverage spot because of an unexpected injury concern for closer Félix Bautista — gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

The Orioles (44-57) have lost three straight to open their series against the red-hot Guardians, who have won 11 of their past 13 games. Baltimore, which has lost seven of its past eight, hasn’t been swept in a four-game series since Aug. 16-19, 2021, when the Tampa Bay Rays dismantled the club at Tropicana Field.

Selby entered Wednesday’s game in the eighth with the score knotted at 2 and retired the first two batters he faced. However, No. 9 hitter Bo Naylor kept the inning alive with a double into the left-center field gap and scored on an RBI single by Steven Kwan. It was the only run the bullpen allowed, but a costly one in what has become a string of late-inning losses for Baltimore.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino said that Bautista was unavailable because of something that cropped up during the game, which is why he turned to Selby in the eighth and was planning to save Seranthony Domínguez for the ninth.

“No, played catch fully today, threw, looked great,” Mansolino said when asked if Bautista was dealing with a lingering issue. “In the pregame work and everything that he does, everything looked normal. So, definitely not expected.”

Zach Eflin started his first game since June 29 after back discomfort forced him to the injured list and allowed two runs over five innings. He didn’t allow a base runner until the fourth, when the Guardians tagged him for both runs on a bloop single by designated hitter Kyle Manzardo. The 31-year-old right-hander’s performance was a welcome improvement from his disastrous June numbers, and he’ll get one more start before the trade deadline.

“Kind of able to jump back into it,” Eflin said. “I had two rehab appearances this time. Typically it’s either zero or one. So, had some kind of conditioning before I came back out.

“Being on the IL is never fun. Nobody wants to do it. It sucks. You feel like you’re separated from the team, but at the same time, I’m just super happy to be back and be out there competing with the guys again.”

Jordan Westburg scored the Orioles’ first run on a sacrifice fly by Ryan O’Hearn in the fourth and Jackson Holliday hit his 14th home run of the season in the sixth with a solo shot to right field. Yet that would be it for the offense as Cleveland right-hander Slade Cecconi registered a quality start with two runs over six innings and the bullpen closed it out with three hitless frames.

Postgame analysis

Holliday’s sixth-inning blast broke a tie with Cedric Mullins and Ramón Laureano for the most home runs on the Orioles this season. The 21-year-old has a chance to join Curt Blefary (1965) and Boog Powell (1963) as the youngest players in Orioles history to lead the team in homers.

It’s an impressive feat for the burgeoning star who still has plenty of room to grow in the power department as his body matures. However, it’s also a sign of the times that the Orioles’ leadoff hitter, who entered play Wednesday with just a .415 slugging percentage, is atop the team leaderboard in long balls.

Gunnar Henderson (11) still hasn’t rediscovered his power stroke of a year ago when he launched 37 homers. Tyler O’Neill (3) has been hurt too much and ineffective even when he’s been on the field. Westburg (10) and Adley Rutschman (8) have dealt with injuries and extended slumps as well.

After finishing two home runs shy of the New York Yankees for the MLB lead last season, the Orioles now sit all the way down at 12th with 117 on the year.

What they’re saying

Mansolino on Holliday leading the Orioles in home runs:

“That brings a smile to my face. You just think about everything the kid went through. We’ve talked about it. Super proud of him and the journey that he’s kind of on this year and it’s just the tip of the iceberg right now. This kid’s just getting better by the day. So, excited. It’s a big swing right there. These guys got good pitching and he’s hanging in there. Put good at-bats right there on [Hunter] Gaddis right there in the eighth inning, hit a bolt right at [third baseman José] Ramírez. So, he’s just getting better by the day in all facets of the game.”

By the numbers

Eflin’s velocity was up across his entire repertoire of pitches, including a 1.1 mph average increase on his four-seam fastball (93 mph) and cutter (89.5 mph). He said after the game that he wasn’t paying close attention to his velocity readings but felt strong after getting a couple of rehab starts to build his arm back up.

On deck

The Orioles will send Charlie Morton to the mound Thursday as they look to avoid the sweep. Logan Allen is slated to start for Cleveland, pitting the Orioles against yet another left-handed starter. Baltimore ranks 29th in MLB with a .617 team OPS against left-handers this season.

Around the horn

• Catcher Maverick Handley went to see a wrist specialist this week and right-hander Scott Blewett got a second opinion on his injured elbow. Both of them received good news with Mansolino describing their ailments as “not serious.” Blewett will report to the Orioles’ spring training complex in Florida to resume throwing in the next couple of days.

• First baseman Ryan Mountcastle will report to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday to begin his rehabilitation assignment. The Orioles are hopeful he’ll be ready to return when first eligible July 30, though they might wait until after the trade deadline to activate him when their roster has settled.

• The Orioles officially reinstated Eflin from the 15-day injured list ahead of Wednesday’s game and sent right-hander Brandon Young back to Triple-A in a corresponding move after he started against Cleveland in a 6-3 loss Tuesday. Handley was also moved from the 7-day concussion IL to the 10-day IL after he cleared concussion protocols.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.