The starting rotation was the biggest question mark surrounding the Orioles entering the season.
Heading into a weekend series against the Seattle Mariners from June 23-25, the Birds are still trying to determine what the back end of the rotation will look like, especially the fifth starter.
Kyle Gibson, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish are entrenched in the top four spots of the rotation. Cole Irvin (1-3, 7.71 ERA) has been uneven and he could perhaps hold down the fifth spot as a starter in the short term, but he could also be an option out of the bullpen in the coming days.
Grayson Rodriguez was expected to round out the starting rotation, but he was sent down to Norfolk in May to work on his command. The Orioles were supposed to get a boost from the return of John Means, but the lefty had an injury setback and might not be available until August if he can pitch at all this season.
The Orioles have some options at Triple-A Norfolk, including Drew Rom and Bruce Zimmermann, but they might need starters with more experience for a potential run to the playoffs.
The ideal scenario, at least from a fans’ perspective, would be for the Orioles to pull off a blockbuster trade for a starter.
Some of the most intriguing names are Shane Bieber (Cleveland Guardians), Eduardo Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers) and Lucas Giolito (Chicago White Sox). To obtain one of these of starters, the Orioles would have to dip into their prospect depth.
Gibson and Kremer will start the first two games, respectively, against the Mariners at Camden Yards.
Reinforcements On The Way
There has also been some talk about the Orioles adding a bat at the trade deadline, but positive reinforcements are on the way internally.
Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins are expected to be back in the Orioles lineup in the near future. Both players began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk, and Mullins homered on June 21.
“We’re going to evaluate both of those guys after every game,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s going to be a day-to-day thing with them. Nice to see them out there and hopefully it goes well for both of them.”
Mullins went to the IL on May 29 with a right groin strain and rehabbed in Sarasota. He has been one of the Orioles’ most productive players, slashing .263/.356/.479 with eight homers, 39 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.
The Orioles signed Aaron Hicks when Mullins was injured. Hicks has been a huge boost to the lineup, batting .321/.424/.571 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in 18 games.
The team will have four talented outfielders when Mullins returns with Austin Hays in left and Anthony Santander in right. However, Hicks can share outfield time with those three and serve as the designated hitter.
Mountcastle has not been in the lineup since June 8 after suffering from vertigo in Milwaukee. He has had an uneven season, batting .227/.264/.421 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 60 games. Mountcastle has struck out 64 times and earned 12 walks.
Hays Playing Like An All-Star
Austin Hays has put together a strong case to make the 2023 All-Game in Seattle and is also a candidate for Most Valuable Oriole.
Entering the June 23 game against the Mariners, Hays leads the American League with a .323 average. Frank Robinson is the only Oriole to ever win a batting title when he hit .316 in 1966, the year the club won its first World Series.
Hays also has a .362 on-base percentage, .520 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 31 RBIs. He also has one of the best arms of an outfielder in MLB and is a plus defender. If Hays can stay healthy and keeps producing, he could garner much more attention during the second half of the season.
“The way he plays left field, especially in our ballpark, he plays Gold Glove defense also. Leading the league in hitting,” Hyde said. “He’s getting huge hits for us, the power. He’s not playing banged up right now, and I think that last year he definitely did the second half. He’s showing you, showing everybody, what kind of player he can be.”
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox