Orioles Activate Yaramil Hiraldo From 60-Day IL
The Orioles reinstated right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A, the club announced. Hiraldo has been sidelined since early April with shoulder inflammation. Baltimore now has a full 40-man roster.
Hiraldo broke camp with the club after a decent stretch to close the 2025 season. He permitted four earned runs in three appearances before going down with the shoulder injury. Hiraldo walked four and struck out two over 1 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old began a rehab assignment at the end of June. He’s made four appearances between High-A and Triple-A. He’ll remain in the Norfolk bullpen for now.
It was a winding journey to the big leagues for Hiraldo. He was signed by the Diamondbacks as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2018. The righty topped out at High-A in Arizona’s system and was released after the 2021 season. Hiraldo pitched in various independent leagues from 2022 to 2024. A strong campaign in the Mexican League earned Hiraldo another look in affiliated ball with Baltimore. He delivered a 3.55 ERA with a healthy 34.4% strikeout rate across three minor league levels last year.
Hiraldo sits in the mid-90s with his four-seamer and sinker. He also throws a slider and splitter. The righty leaned on the fastball and splitter almost equally last season. The slider was his clear third pitch, but he still used it 26.1% of the time. It’s a well-rounded arsenal for a reliever. Hiraldo’s splitter looks like a legit weapon, with a ridiculous 61.6% whiff rate and a .161 batted average allowed last year.
Baltimore is without closer Ryan Helsley, but the bullpen has a steady stable of right-handers with Andrew Kittredge, Rico Garcia, Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano, and Anthony Nunez. Long man Albert Suarez is also right-handed. There isn’t an obvious spot for Hiraldo, but further attrition could provide him with another big-league opportunity. He’s in his second minor league option year.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
Mike Elias On Deadline Plans, Rutschman, Kremer, Mountcastle, Bassitt, George
Today’s 6-4 loss to the Nationals dropped the Orioles to 39-46, but Baltimore remains only three games out of a wild card spot in the underwhelming American League. Ten of the 15 AL clubs have losing records, leaving the Orioles still in striking distance of the playoffs if they can finally get on any kind of extended hot streak.
“I wish we were arriving at that at a much different way, and the context around that’s unusual. But we’re right there,” president of baseball operations Mike Elias said about his team’s presence in the playoff chase when speaking with MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, the Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer, and other reporters on Saturday. This is why the O’s still have an eye towards buying rather than selling at the August 3 trade deadline, even though Elias acknowledged that a lot can happen in the next five-plus weeks.
“We’re planning that way [towards buying] in case it’s the case,” Elias said. “I’m going to have to look at the circumstances and what happens. I will be doing the right thing for the franchise, regardless of everything else. We’re going to have to see what the standings are and what our team is looking like at that time. But we’re certainly making those preparations and everybody in this building is in the mindset of going for it in 2026.“
It has now been close to two full years of mediocre baseball for the Orioles since they began the 2024 season with a 57-33 record. The O’s were 34-38 in the final 72 games of the 2024 campaign and still reached the postseason but were swept by the Royals over two games in the wild card series. Baltimore then struggled through an injury-plagued 2025 season that saw the club drop to a 75-87 mark, ending a string of three straight winning seasons.
Within this broader context, it is fair to wonder if the Orioles can reach another gear. Injuries have again played a big role in the 2026 season, but several players expected to be roster cornerstones (i.e. Gunnar Henderson, Shane Baz, Trevor Rogers) have also ranged from inconsistent to outright disappointing. Simply being “inconsistent” might be enough to get the O’s over the playoff line in a weak American League, but the Orioles have to do some work just to get to the .500 mark.
Elias declined to specify what the Orioles would hypothetically look to add at the deadline, though bolstering either the rotation or the bullpen seems like the most obvious target. The O’s could also stand to add at least one bat to the infield or outfield mix, yet the extent of the team’s lineup shopping will hinge on how many (or any) of Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Tyler O’Neill, Colton Cowser, or Coby Mayo can get on track in July.
As one might expect, Elias didn’t really address the possibility that the Orioles could be sellers at the deadline, since the club is still focused on returning to contention. What Elias did so, however, was downplay the possibility that Adley Rutschman was any sort of a trade chip.
“He’s been the cornerstone, basically, since I’ve been here, so he’s an enormous part of it,” Elias said. “I wish our commitment was greater than it is. We want him here forever. That’s not something that’s crossed the desk or the agenda. Our focus, first of all, we want to get it back, but we want to win with him here.”
Rutschman has one more year of arbitration eligibility before entering free agency following the 2027 season. Selected first overall in the 2019 draft, Rutschman’s MLB career has seen some peaks and valleys that have largely reflected the Orioles’ own results over the last five seasons. This year, Rutschman has hit a solid .255/.332/.456 with eight homers over 232 plate appearances, while missing some time due to two minimal IL stints (the catcher was just activated from the concussion-related IL today).
While Rutschman looks to be back in good form, it remains to be seen if an extension is really in the cards. Speculation about Rutschman’s future in Baltimore hit a new level when fellow catcher Samuel Basallo was signed to an eight-year extension last August, suddenly entrenching Basallo as part of the Orioles’ long-term plans.
Even if the Orioles do become deadline sellers, a Rutschman trade is probably unlikely to happen until the offseason at the earliest. Teams generally prefer to not acquire a starting catcher in midseason, as catchers need time to fully adjust to a new pitching staff. That said, catching is always in short supply around baseball, and having Rutschman for two postseason runs instead of just one might inspire some contenders to at least check in with Elias about Rutschman’s availability. Elias’ statements on Saturday could be viewed as gamemanship in the context of upping Rutschman’s price tag for any potential suitors, yet it is also fair to assume Elias was being genuine in wanting to keep a former 1-1 pick in the fold.
Elias provided Kubatko and company with some other updates on the injury front. Dean Kremer has missed over two months due to a quad strain, but Elias said Kremer is “really close” to being activated from the 60-day injured list after making two Triple-A rehab starts. Yaramil Hiraldo is also nearing a minor league rehab assignment, as the right-hander is looking to get back to game action since shoulder inflammation sidelined him in the first week of the season.
Ryan Mountcastle is also on the 60-day IL and hasn’t played since suffering a broken bone in his left foot in mid-April. Elias didn’t get have any details on when Mountcastle will be able to return, as “he just started running and we’re getting to the point where we can see if we can like weave that into his baseball activities.” Righty Colin Selby has yet to pitch this season due to shoulder problems that Elias said were still ongoing, and it “doesn’t seem like he’s close to getting back up and running.”
Chris Bassitt‘s timeline also remains unclear, as Elias shared the detail that the right-hander recently had a bone spur removed from his ailing back. Elias described the surgery as “a pretty minor procedure and we’ll see where he’s at in a couple weeks and see like if and when he can start throwing….I think there’s still a very strong possibility we get him back and we get him back in better condition before the end of the season.”
As much as Elias downplayed the severity of the situation, obviously any kind of a back procedure is a little troubling. Even if Bassitt is ready to start throwing in two weeks’ time, a standard throwing progression and at least a couple of minor league rehab starts will probably keep him from returning to the rotation until some point in August. If Bassitt won’t be an option until after the trade deadline, that will be another factor in the Orioles’ approach to potentially adding pitching before August 3.
Bassitt signed a one-year, $18.5MM free agent contract last offseason and he posted a 5.27 ERA over his first 56 1/3 innings in a Baltimore uniform before lower back discomfort sent him to the 15-day IL on June 5. It seems likely that he’ll be shifted to the 60-day IL whenever the O’s need another 40-man roster spot.
Elias also provided an update on outfield prospect Nate George, who is dealing with “a medical condition that’s nothing to do with athletics or baseball. We’re still totally confident that he’s gonna be fine, but this is the type of thing that takes a long time to come back out of and play professional sports from, so it’s gonna be a while. I don’t have much more beyond that, but he’s in good shape.”
George last played for A-level Frederick on May 3 and has since been sidelined by this non-specified illness. A 16th-round pick for the Orioles in the 2024 draft, the O’s went well above slot with a $445K bonus to keep George from attending college, and the outfielder already emerged on most top-100 lists prior to the 2026 season.
Orioles Acquire Christian Encarnacion-Strand
The Orioles have acquired first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand from the Reds, according to announcements from both clubs. Cincinnati, who designated him for assignment last week, gets cash considerations in return. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. To open a 40-man spot for him, the Orioles transferred right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo to the 60-day injured list. The O’s also selected Weston Wilson and put Ryan Mountcastle on the 60-day injured list, moves that were previously covered in this post.
Encarnacion-Strand, 26, put up big numbers on his way up the minor league ladder and had an exciting big league debut a few years ago. The Reds, who acquired him from the Twins in the 2022 Tyler Mahle trade, called him up in July of 2023. In his first 63 games, he hit 13 home runs and slashed .270/.328/.477 for a 113 wRC+. That was buoyed by a .336 batting average on balls in play but was encouraging nonetheless.
It was hoped that he could be a long-term staple of the lineup in Cincinnati but that didn’t come to pass. He struggled early in 2024 and underwent season-ending wrist surgery in June. He was back on the field in 2025 but struggled badly and got optioned to the minors. His performance on the farm was decent but not overwhelming.
Over the past two years, Encarnacion-Strand got pushed down the depth chart. He has primarily been a first baseman, with a decent amount of time at third as well. The Reds got Ke’Bryan Hayes at last year’s deadline to cover the hot corner and Sal Stewart has taken over at the other corner.
Encarnacion-Strand clearly has power but his stock is down. Over the past two years, he has a combined line of .199/.227/.337 in the majors. In Triple-A last year, he hit 11 home runs in 62 games but his 6.7% walk rate and 24.6% strikeout rate were both worse than average. His .245/.310/.493 line translated to a 107 wRC+, above average offense on the whole but not overpowering, especially for a guy whose main position is first base.
That got him squeezed off the roster in Cincinnati but Baltimore will take a shot on him. He still has options, so he can be kept in the minors for the foreseeable future. Not so long ago, the O’s didn’t have much need for more first base depth. They have Pete Alonso in there and also had Ryan Mountcastle on the roster. The designated hitter spot was often being used for Samuel Basallo, who was sharing catching duties with Adley Rutschman.
Suddenly, the path is clearer. Rutschman, Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill all hit the IL in the past few days. That subtracts some depth on the offensive side and also means Basallo is catching more regularly, freeing up some at-bats in the DH spot. If another injury pops up, perhaps Encarnacion-Strand will be recalled. For now, he should be slated for regular at-bats with Norfolk.
As for Hiraldo, he hit the 15-day IL just over a week ago due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. His current status is unknown but this move makes him ineligible to return until early June, so the O’s evidently don’t expect him back before then.
Photo courtesy of Paul Rutherford, Imagn Images
Orioles Place Yaramil Hiraldo On 15-Day IL, Promote Cade Povich
Prior to today’s game, the Orioles placed right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 2) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Left-hander Cade Povich was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and Povich was immediately needed for 5 2/3 innings of long relief work after starter Chris Bassitt was hit hard early in an 8-2 O’s loss to the Pirates.
The 30-year-old Hiraldo made his MLB debut last season, posting a 4.58 ERA over 19 2/3 innings and 18 appearances for the Orioles. Between his decent Spring Training performance and some injuries up and down Baltimore’s pitching staff, Hiraldo won a spot on the Opening Day roster, though he has a 21.60 ERA over 1 2/3 innings of work early in this season. Three of Hiraldo’s four earned runs allowed came in his last outing on Tuesday, and his shoulder issue may have impacted that rough performance.
Hiraldo will now get some time to heal up, while Povich joins the roster in perhaps more than just a bullpen capacity. MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko wrote yesterday that Povich was brought up as a member of the Orioles’ medical taxi squad, so perhaps the team already had a feeling that Hiraldo would require an IL stint. However, the feeling was that Povich was in line to start Monday’s game as the replacement for the injured Zach Eflin, but that plan is obviously out the window given Povich’s usage today.
Dean Kremer was optioned to Triple-A before the season began, as the longtime starter was the odd man out given Baltimore’s full rotation of Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Bassitt, and Eflin. Since injuries are inevitable, Kremer was expected to be called up sooner rather than later, though Kremer just made a Triple-A start on Friday. Rogers’ last start was last Wednesday, so he might end up going on Monday on normal rest, rather than benefiting from an extra rest day provided by the Orioles’ off-day last Thursday.
Orioles Designate Jackson Kowar For Assignment
The Orioles finalized their Opening Day roster, announcing that right-hander Jackson Kowar and infielder Bryan Ramos were designated for assignment. (Ramos’ DFA was originally reported last night.) Baltimore also placed Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg on the 10-day IL. Holliday is recovering from a hamate fracture, and Westburg is attempting to rehab a UCL tear. Righties Andrew Kittredge (shoulder inflammation) and lefty Keegan Akin (groin strain) open the season on the 15-day IL.
Outfielder Dylan Beavers will avoid an IL stint after dealing with a knee issue late in camp. He’s on the Opening Day roster. Utilityman Jeremiah Jackson also grabbed an Opening Day spot. Righties Yaramil Hiraldo and Anthony Nunez won bullpen spots, as did southpaw Grant Wolfram. Righty Albert Suarez, who had an opt-out in his minor league deal, was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk, so it seems he’ll forgo that opt-out and agree to open the season with the Orioles’ Triple-A club.
A hard-throwing former first-rounder with experience in parts of three MLB seasons, the 29-year-old Kowar allowed one run in six spring frames for the O’s. He walked four and struck out four. The former Florida Gator has an ERA north of 8.00 in 91 MLB frames, though he posted a 4.24 mark in 17 innings with Seattle last year. He’s still looking for his first real opportunity post-Tommy John surgery and has been regularly bounced around the waiver/DFA circuit dating back to last season.
Jackson had been in a battle for the final bench spot with several others, but he’s increasingly seemed like the favorite. Baltimore granted veteran Thairo Estrada his release a couple days ago, shortly after infielder Luis Vázquez suffered a broken thumb. Jackson and Ramos looked like the final two candidates for that spot, so when it was reported last night that Ramos was being DFA, Jackson’s spot looked all but secure barring a last-minute acquisition.
The 25-year-old (26 tomorrow) isn’t going to sustain the .365 BABIP that led to last year’s .276/.328/.447 debut effort, but he’s a versatile right-handed bat who can back up at multiple infield and outfield spots. With Holliday and Westburg beginning the season on the injured list, the Orioles are entrusting third base and second base to Coby Mayo and Blaze Alexander, respectively. Neither has much big league experience — not that Jackson does either — so it’s sensible to have another capable option at each spot.
Suarez reportedly drew interest from other clubs but will seemingly stick around as a depth option. It’s a nice luxury for the O’s to have. The 36-year-old righty has given Baltimore a 3.59 ERA in 145 1/3 frames across the past two seasons but was non-tendered in the November after a flexor strain ended his 2025 season. He returned on a minor league pact and will presumably open the year in Norfolk.
Albert Suárez Has Opt-Out In Deal With Orioles
Right-hander Albert Suárez is in camp with the Orioles on a minor league deal. He can opt out of that pact at the end of spring training if not added to the roster, reports Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. Kostka adds that teams are keeping tabs on Suárez and his status as that opt-out decision approaches.
Suárez, 36, spent 2019 to 2023 putting up good numbers in Japan and Korea. He returned to Major League Baseball in 2024 by signing with the Orioles and went on to have his best big league season to date. He gave the O’s 133 2/3 innings in a swing role, making 24 starts and eight relief appearances. He allowed 3.70 earned runs per nine with a 19.1% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate.
He wasn’t able to repeat that performance last year. He was beset by a subscapularis strain and a mild flexor strain, only making five appearances on the year. He was non-tendered at season’s end and re-signed to a minor league deal. He has a 7.59 ERA in a small sample of four appearances in Grapefruit League play this spring.
It doesn’t appear as though he has a great path to a roster spot with the Orioles right now. They currently have a rotation consisting of Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer. They could option Kremer but it feels a bit unlikely since he’s been in the rotation for most of the past five years.
Assuming those six guys are on the roster, that leaves rooms for seven more pitchers, given the roster limit of 13 arms. Ryan Helsley, Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia can’t be optioned. Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells have optioned but Kostka describes them as locks for the roster. Kostka also suggests Grant Wolfram is likely to get a spot as well.
That would be seven and would result in Jackson Kowar, who is out of options, getting squeezed out. Kowar has big velocity but hasn’t translated that into strong results yet. He has an 8.21 ERA in 91 big league innings.
It’s possible one spot could be opened if Eflin requires a stint on the injured list, though he seems to be trending towards avoiding the IL. If one spot does open up, Kostka suggests that it could go to Kowar or Suárez, though he also lists José Espada and Yaramil Hiraldo as possibilities. Those latter two guys have options and pretty limited big league experience. If the O’s want to maintain some depth, they could option them while using a spot to either select Suárez or keep Kowar.
With less than a week left in camp, decisions will need to be made soon, unless Eflin’s progress slows down or someone else gets hurt. Depending on how things play out in the coming days, it’s possible both Suárez and Kowar end up available to other clubs, Suárez via his opt-out and Kowar via waivers.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
Orioles Claim Jose Castillo, Designate Carson Ragsdale
The Orioles announced Monday that they’ve claimed left-handed reliever Jose Castillo off waivers from the Mariners. Righty Carson Ragsdale was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Baltimore also placed righty Albert Suarez on the 15-day IL due to right elbow discomfort and recalled fellow righties Chayce McDermott and Yaramil Hiraldo from Triple-A Norfolk.
Castillo, 29, joins his fourth team of the 2025 season. He’s suited up for not only the Mariners but also the Mets and D-backs. The well-traveled southpaw has pitched 24 2/3 innings and turned in a 4.38 ERA with a 19.5% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate. He’s tallied three holds in five situations, but lefties (.390/.469/.561) and righties (.300/.377/.455) have both hit well against Castillo in limited appearances.
This marks Castillo’s first generally healthy season since his rookie year in 2018, when he pitched 38 1/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball for the Padres. Injuries decimated the lefty’s career; he pitched only 1 2/3 big league innings combined from 2019-24 and didn’t top 37 2/3 innings at the minor league level in any season along the way. Castillo can still be controlled another two seasons beyond the current year, if he sticks on the Orioles’ 40-man roster.
Ragsdale, 27, is a longtime Giants farmhand who made his way to the O’s via waivers earlier this summer. He made his big league debut with Baltimore, tossing three innings but serving up eight runs on nine hits and a walk with two strikeouts. The 2020 fourth-rounder had solid numbers throughout much of his minor league tenure but has stumbled to a 4.87 earned run average with just a 19.7% strikeout rate and a 12% walk rate.
Ragsdale notched a 2.93 ERA in High-A and a 3.49 mark in Double-A, but he’s barely kept his ERA under 5.00 in parts of two Triple-A seasons. He’s sitting 92.6 mph on his four-seamer this year, complementing the pitch with a high-70s curveball and a splitter — the former of which has previously drawn plus grades in scouting reports. Ragsdale has two minor league option years remaining beyond the current season, which could heighten his appeal to clubs in need of pitching depth.
As for the 35-year-old Suarez, this elbow issue will end his season. He’s missed most of the 2025 campaign due to a separate shoulder injury. Suarez pitched well in 11 2/3 big league innings between injuries, logging a 2.31 ERA with a 10-to-2 K/BB ratio. The journeyman righty was a godsend for the O’s in 2024, going from a minor league signee to a key member of the staff who tossed 133 2/3 innings with a 3.70 ERA.
Suarez pitched in the majors with the Giants from 2016-17 and then spent the 2019-23 seasons starring in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (2019-21) and the Korea Baseball Organization (2022-23). The O’s can control him for three more seasons via arbitration, but it’s not clear how severe his current elbow ailment is or how much time it might cause him to miss.
Orioles Designate Vimael Machin, Transfer Brandon Young To 60-Day IL
The Orioles announced a series of roster moves Wednesday, designating infielder Vimael Machin for assignment and transferring right-hander Brandon Young to the 60-day injured list (thereby ending his season). Their 40-man roster spots will go to infielder Emmanuel Rivera and right-hander Roansy Contreras — the latter of whom was already known to be on his way to the majors. Their contracts have been formally selected from Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore also optioned right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo to Norfolk.
Machin, 31, played his first four big league games since 2022 earlier this month after the O’s summoned him from Norfolk. He went just 1-for-12 but made the most of that lone knock, depositing it over the right field wall for the second home run of his brief MLB career. He’s now played in parts of four seasons — the other three all coming with the A’s — and posted a .204/.286/.264 batting line in 373 trips to the plate.
Though he’s never fared well in the big leagues, Machin is a lifetime .289/.371/.449 hitter in just under 1400 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He’s a lefty hitter with a good eye at the plate, experience at all four infield positions and a pair of minor league options remaining, so it’s at least feasible that another club plucks him off waivers as a depth option. If not, he’ll have the right to reject an outright assignment from the Orioles upon clearing waivers, should he prefer to explore other opportunities.
Young, 27, made his big league debut with the O’s earlier this season. He’s made a dozen starts despite rocky results — a testament to the depleted status of the Baltimore rotation this year. An undrafted free agent in the shortened (five-round) 2020 draft, Young has pitched 57 2/3 innings in 2025. He’s been tagged for an ugly 6.24 ERA despite passable rate stats (18.4% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate). The long ball has been his primary undoing, as he’s served up 12 homers in his relatively small sample of work (1.87 HR/9).
A hamstring strain sent Young to the 15-day IL last week. At the time, interim manager Tony Mansolino acknowledged that the right-hander would miss more than the minimum, but it wasn’t clear until today’s move to the 60-day IL that Young’s season is formally over; there simply aren’t enough days left on the calendar for him to fulfill that 60-day minimum.
Young can be controlled for six more seasons and has two minor league option years remaining beyond the current campaign. He’ll likely stick around as a depth option for a rotation that figures to be a focal point of the Orioles’ forthcoming offseason dealings.
Rivera, 29, came to the O’s late last season and went on a tear in 27 games down the stretch. He played well enough to be tendered a contract and sign for $1MM in spite of lack of track record. His 2025 season hasn’t gone as hoped. In the same number of games as last year, Rivera has slashed .229/.299/.271. The O’s passed him through waivers earlier in the summer, and he’s hit fairly well in Norfolk, slashing .297/.362/.356 in 246 turns at the plate.
Contreras, 25, is a former top prospect who looked like a potential long-term piece in the Pirates’ rotation following a strong 2022 big league debut. He’s struggled in every subsequent campaign, however, logging a 5.47 ERA over his past 136 2/3 big league frames. He landed with the Orioles via waivers late in the offseason, and Baltimore was able to pass him through waivers themselves, removing him from the 40-man roster. He’s now been added back after tossing 91 2/3 innings of 3.73 ERA ball for the Tides. Mansolino indicated yesterday that Contreras would either start today’s game or pitch several innings of bulk relief.
Orioles Select Houston Roth, Recall Elvin Rodríguez
After trading Seranthony Domínguez to the Blue Jays this afternoon, the Orioles have made some additional transactions to shake up their bullpen ahead of game two of a doubleheader against Toronto. They have recalled right-hander Elvin Rodríguez and selected the contract of fellow right-hander Houston Roth, both from Double-A Chesapeake. The Domínguez trade freed up one roster slot, and to open another spot on the active roster, Baltimore optioned Yaramil Hiraldo to Double-A.
While Rodríguez and Roth are coming up from the Double-A (and Hiraldo is headed down to the Chesapeake Baysox), it’s worth noting that all three pitchers have spent the majority of the season at Triple-A Norfolk. However, Chesapeake is significantly closer to Baltimore than Norfolk. So, the O’s were presumably stashing Rodríguez and Roth at Double-A in case they were needed as depth. With that in mind, Danielle Allentuck of The Baltimore Banner suggests these are likely “temporary moves” to quickly replace Domínguez and replenish the bullpen after game one of the doubleheader.
Rodríguez, 27, signed a split major league deal with the Brewers over the offseason after a strong showing in Japan in 2024. However, he gave up 18 runs in 18 2/3 innings with Milwaukee, leading the team to designate him for assignment earlier this month. Baltimore scooped him up off waivers, and if he gets in a game, he will be making his Orioles debut. Before his time overseas, the right-hander pitched for the Tigers in 2022 and the Rays in ’23. All in all, he has a career 9.23 ERA in 51 2/3 MLB innings. The O’s will hope he can look more like the pitcher who put up a 1.80 ERA over 45 innings in NPB last season.
Roth, also 27, has spent his entire professional career with the O’s, rising through their minor league ranks since the 2019 campaign. If he gets in a game, he will be making his major league debut. In 24 appearances (36 2/3 innings) between Double-A and Triple-A this year, the right-hander has a 2.21 ERA but a 4.02 FIP and 4.55 xFIP. He has posted impressive strikeout rates at High-A and Double-A over the past two seasons but struggled to miss bats upon his promotion to Triple-A earlier this year. His double-digit walk rate only exacerbates that problem.
Hiraldo, 29, was recalled earlier today for his fourth stint with the Orioles this season. He pitched two innings in game one of the doubleheader, giving up one run on a solo home run by Joey Loperfido. All told, he has pitched 4.1 MLB innings in 2025 with two strikeouts, no walks, and three hits allowed. He has a 4.19 ERA in 38 2/3 minor league innings this year, but his 32.9% strikeout rate and 5.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio are more promising. Those numbers are all the more impressive considering he spent the 2022-24 seasons in the Atlantic and Mexican Leagues. Prior to 2025, he had not pitched in affiliated ball since the Diamondbacks released him in 2021.
Orioles Designate Jacob Stallings For Assignment
The Orioles announced a series of roster moves today. Left-hander Keegan Akin and catcher Adley Rutschman have each been reinstated from the injured list. In corresponding moves, the O’s optioned right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo to Triple-A Norfolk and designated catcher Jacob Stallings for assignment.
Stallings, 35, was released by the Rockies last month. The O’s were dealing with a few injuries to their catching corps and brought him into the fold via a minor league deal to add some veteran depth behind the plate.
They called Stallings up to the big league squad at the start of July when Chadwick Tromp hit the injured list, joining Rutschman and Maverick Handley on the shelf. Gary Sánchez also hit the IL a few days later, which got Alex Jackson onto the roster.
Stallings got into 14 games for the O’s this month and stepped to the plate 36 times but produced a .114/.139/.143 line in that time. He has a solid reputation for his defense and work with a pitching staff but hasn’t been hitting all year. He now has a combined .134/.195/.168 line in 129 plate appearances between the Rockies and O’s this season. Jackson, meanwhile, has hit three homers in 26 plate appearances for a .269/.269/.769 line. He won’t keep that going forever but he’s been better than Stallings and is several years younger as well.
Jackson will hang onto his roster spot and form the catching duo with Rutschman while Stallings heads into DFA limbo. Given his performance this year, Stallings should clear waivers and will be able to elect free agency. The Rockies signed him to a $2.5MM deal for this year and remain on the hook for the majority of that because they released him. Any other club could sign Stallings and pay him just the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, as the O’s just did.
The return of Akin is also somewhat notable as he is a theoretical trade candidate. He can be retained via arbitration for 2026 and isn’t a strict rental but the O’s could be open to trading in the next few days. Dating back to the start of 2022, Akin has thrown 222 innings for Baltimore with a 3.65 earned run average, 26.1% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate. He has earned three saves and 24 holds in that span.
That performance on its own would make Akin an attractive arm. The fact that he’s left-handed, making just $1.475MM this year and controllable for another season only adds to the appeal. On the other hand, his strikeout and walk rates are down to 23.3% and 11% this year, respectively. He’s been on the IL for almost a month due to left shoulder inflammation. Perhaps that injury explains his struggles but also might tamp down trade interest. The Orioles could put him into a few games over the next few days to demonstrate his health to potential suitors.
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images