Danny Coulombe has been one of the Orioles’ most reliable pitchers out of the bullpen.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound left-hander has a 2.42 ERA and 0.615 WHIP with 28 strikeouts and three walks in 29 appearances (26 innings) this season.
Manager Brandon Hyde needs to make major adjustments now that Coulombe is on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation.
“Injuries are part of the game and there’s a lot of pitching injuries happening right now around the league,” Hyde said of Coulombe. “It scares you, so you try to keep your guys as healthy as possible, knowing that things like this are going to happen.”
Coulombe’s injury creates a puzzle to the Orioles’ strategy with middle relief when the starters can’t go deep into games.
The Orioles could move left-hander Cionel Pérez into Coulombe’s role as the top lefty setup man, but he has dealt with injuries and inconsistency this season. Pérez is 1-0 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.075 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and six walks in 18 games (17.2 innings pitched).
Keegan Akin is another left-handed reliever, but he has also been inconsistent this season and allowed some costly runs. Akin blew a save but did manage to pick up the win on June 13 against the Atlanta Braves despite allowing two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings.
The Orioles did recall reliever Bryan Baker, who has experience in the majors but he is a right-hander and could limit Hyde’s ability to play matchups.
Both Akin and Pérez could be thrown into tougher matchups with Coulombe unavailable. It’s not an ideal situation for Hyde, especially with the influx of left-handed bats on the schedule, including Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper of the Phillies, Juan Soto of the Yankees, and Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker of the Astros.
Nonetheless, the Orioles bullpen has been exceptional and had a 3.24 ERA entering this week, which ranked third in the American League.
“It’s hard because when you’re winning games like we’ve won and you have 40-something wins in 60-something games you are, more times than not, pitching in a high-leverage spot and you are pitching in stressful situations,” Hyde said. “It’s a lot easier to pitch down 6-2 than it is 6-4 with two runners on. Knock on wood, we keep playing these types of games, appearances are going to be up for a lot of these guys.”
Six-Man Rotation Could Be The Way
The Orioles have toyed with the idea of a six-man rotation to get them through the All-Star break.
The idea is that manager Brandon Hyde can save some wear and tear on his starters’ arms as the team gets ready for a stretch run to the postseason.
As it stands, the Orioles have Corbin Burnes, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Cole Irvin, Cade Povich and Albert Suárez capable of starting games.
Dean Kremer, who is on the IL with a triceps strain, threw a bullpen session on June 13 without issues. He could begin a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend.
Nonetheless, Hyde has not committed to a six-man rotation, but it’s a concept that is on the table to prevent further injuries. The Orioles have already lost John Means and Tyler Wells for the season.
“A lot of balls are in the air,” Hyde said of the six-man rotation.
World Series Preview?
There will be a buzz around Camden Yards this weekend when the Orioles play the Phillies in a three-game series.
The games are already sold out on Saturday and Sunday in what some pundits are saying is a possible World Series preview.
The Phillies (46-22) have the best record in the National League but are missing catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee), shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) and outfielder Brandon Marsh (hamstring).
The Orioles (45-23) trail the Yankees by 2.5 games in the American League East.
The Orioles lead the big leagues in home runs (107) and have the 10th-best team batting average (.248). The Phillies rank sixth in batting average (.254) and home runs (77).
With temperatures expected to be in the 90s, balls could be flying around Camden Yards.
Friday: Phillies’ Ranger Suarez (10-1, 1.81 ERA) vs. Orioles’ Kyle Bradish (2-0, 2.62 ERA)
Saturday: Phillies’ Taijuan Walker (3-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez (7-2, 3.27 ERA)
Sunday: Phillies’ Zack Wheeler (8-2, 2.16 ERA) vs. Orioles’ Corbin Burnes (7-2, 2.08 ERA)
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox