Orioles Notebook: Injuries, Late-Season Roster Decisions and More

BOSTON — A quick two-game series at Fenway Park brought plenty of questions for the Baltimore Orioles about what might be to come later this week and beyond for their roster.

Baltimore lost infielder Jordan Westburg on Monday night in the first inning of a 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox to what was termed as a sore right ankle. Then, before Tuesday’s game got underway, catcher Adley Rutschman was scratched from the lineup with right abdominal discomfort.

What comes next for both Orioles could be determined by their improvement (or lack thereof) during Wednesday’s off day. Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino indicated in Tuesday’s pregame media session there was likely more concern for Westburg heading to the injured list over Rutschman.

“(Westburg) came in sore today, but not quite as sore as we thought he might be, which was a positive sign,” Mansolino said. “It’s hard to be overly optimistic until probably after the off day. We get to Thursday, we’ll have a pretty good idea if we’re going to kind of keep him day-to-day and keep him off the IL and what that kind of looks like.

“If Thursday he comes and there’s not a lot of improvement, then we’re gonna have to probably consider it (injured list).”

Rutschman’s absence from the lineup was more out of an abundance of caution, especially after the two-time All-Star catcher missed more than a month with a left oblique strain earlier in the season.

“There was some side soreness that popped up a little bit. I’m learning now, but it sounds like yesterday he had some general soreness in the opposite side that he injured earlier,” Mansolino said. “He came in today and started his cage routine. Didn’t feel good, so wisely stopped. We’ll get him checked out tomorrow and see the severity of it.”

Opportunity for Luis Vazquez

With Westburg shelved temporarily, it could open up additional playing time for Luis Vazquez.

Including Tuesday, Vazquez had appeared in four straight games for the Orioles after going through a stretch where he didn’t play from August 9-16. Prior to Tuesday and getting the start at third base, he had started just one game since being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on August 1.

While he may not have had a lot of playing time, and certainly needs to show improvement at the plate (going just 2-for-21 heading into Tuesday), Mansolino praised the potential of the 25-year-old native of Puerto Rico.

“This guy’s interesting to me,” Mansolino said. “He’s an elite defender. I think we know that … but there’s more in the bat than I think people think. I know our hitting guys like him. I like him. I watch him and he has a compact swing.

“We’ve seen him do this a couple times where he sits there for a month and he doesn’t get on the field, then he plays the game and swings the bat good.”

Baltimore’s Successful Starting Pitching

Heading into Tuesday, Baltimore’s starters had logged a 3.06 ERA in 29 games since July 19. That is the lowest mark in the majors during that period, just ahead of the Chicago Cubs (3.07 ERA). Prior to that run, Baltimore starters owned a 5.24 ERA, the second-highest clip among MLB’s 30 teams, with only the Colorado Rockies (6.13 ERA) ahead of them.

Orioles starters have also been especially effective away from Camden Yards, allowing four earned runs or fewer in 16 straight road games since July 19 (including three earned runs or fewer in 14 of the 16 contests). That equates to a 2.77 ERA.

“Pitching wins,” Mansolino said. “I know we’ve been swinging the bat good. Part of the reason why we’re swinging the bat good is because we’re in the game. If you’re chasing five or six runs by the fourth inning, it’s going to be hard to have good at-bats in the game. For us, and for all 30 teams, it starts with starting pitching. And I think, as you’ve seen this little stretch we’ve been on over the last couple of weeks, it’s been our starting pitching by and large.”

Orioles Balancing Priorities with Lineup Decisions

With Ryan Mountcastle getting the start at designated hitter on Tuesday and Coby Mayo sliding in at first base, Mansolino was asked about playing Mountcastle with his lower numbers (OPS+ of 88 this season compared to a career OPS+ of 111) and one more year of arbitration remaining before he becomes a free agent.

“He (Mountcastle) is a good player. We got to figure out how to do this, so I’m going to manage it the best I can,” Mansolino said. “Obviously, there are a lot of things that go into this. I still would like to win games, and I know that people on the outside look at that and say, ‘We have to develop.’ You can do both.

“There are a lot of teams in the big leagues doing it, and it’s the same thing that every minor league team should be doing, taking whoever’s on the field and trying to win the game. So with that being said, are we going to sit Coby five straight days? No. Are we going to let Coby sink? No, we’re not going to do that either. We’re going to try to put him in the best position to succeed, and sometimes that’s not playing a game or two.”