Roster expansion is about to force the Orioles into a familiar kind of puzzle.
On Tuesday, the club moves from 26 players to 28, and the extra spots could send this roster in a few different directions. Blaze Alexander is a possibility to come off the injured list before then, though nothing is settled yet. He’s been productive in two rehab games with Triple-A Norfolk, and he’s doing it while bouncing around multiple positions in the same utility role he’s built his game around.
That leaves the Orioles with a simple question and no obvious answer: if Alexander is back, who else gets the call?
The pitching side has at least one name in the mix. Félix Bautista began a rehab assignment Sunday at Double-A Chesapeake, then picked it back up last night with Norfolk after a brief pause.
In his one inning, he retired the side in order, struck out one, and got his sinker up to 97.1 mph. Even so, it’s unclear whether the Orioles want to wait until after Sept. 1 or want to see a certain number of appearances before bringing him back.
For now, no other injured player looks like an immediate option. Ryan Helsley is throwing in the bullpen. Tyler O’Neill has a strained rotator cuff and is facing a difficult road if he’s going to play again this season.
There’s also a developing case for Luis De León. The Orioles shifted the left-hander to Norfolk’s bullpen and are using him in one-inning outings with the clear aim of making him a relief option down the line. On Wednesday, he worked a scoreless seventh inning, struck out two and had his sinker reach 97.4 mph.
Dietrich Enns had a rougher night in that same game, giving up two runs and four hits over two innings to push his ERA to 6.46. He signed a $2.625 million contract with a club option, made 13 appearances for the Orioles this season, was outrighted on May 31 and never returned.
The Orioles could also use help in other areas if the expanded roster points them that way. Cade Povich turned in 5 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits and 11 strikeouts Tuesday night in Durham, and the bullpen no longer has a true long man after Albert Suárez was designated for assignment again. If Baltimore wants length, that path is open.
Suárez continued the pattern by signing another minor league deal and reporting to Norfolk, where he allowed an unearned run in 2 1/3 innings last night.
Yaramil Hiraldo, who broke camp with the team and has already had multiple stints, is another name in the mix if the Orioles simply want another arm.
The extra catcher idea feels less urgent than it once did, even if that used to be standard when rosters could swell to 40. Baltimore already has three catchers, and Yohel Pozo has only been in the lineup three times this month.
There’s a chance the club looks at a bat instead. Jeremiah Jackson can handle both the infield and outfield if there’s space for him. Luis Vázquez had his contract selected Wednesday because he was on the taxi squad, though whether that turns into anything lasting is still anyone’s guess.
The most intriguing call, though, is still the one involving the outfield. Heston Kjerstad could be recalled for the first time this season, or Enrique Bradfield Jr. could get the first major league call of his career.
Kjerstad would bring power. Bradfield would bring speed and defense, and he added a little more to the resume Wednesday by hitting his third home run, a ball that came off at 104 mph.
Bradfield added three more hits last night.
O’Neill’s injury could make another outfielder more attractive, and Alexander’s ability to cover both the outfield and the infield only adds to the moving parts. Baltimore didn’t even have a backup middle infielder until Vázquez arrived.
The next stop on the schedule is Sacramento, where the Orioles are heading back after dropping two of three there in June 2025. Brandon Young, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt are lined up to start.
The Athletics are listing TBA for now, because apparently opponents don’t like to tip their hand too early.
Young already faced Oakland in Baltimore last season and was tagged for six runs and six hits in three innings, leaving him with a 6.70 ERA. He has not yet pitched at Sutter Health Park.
The A’s have been brutal at home and on the road, going 25-41 in Sacramento and 28-40 away from it. Their minus-185 run differential is the worst in baseball, and it’s not especially close.
They were sitting at 38-38 before losing 18 of 21. They’ve also endured losing streaks of 10 games and nine games. Still, in a season that keeps getting stranger, they just took two of three from the Astros and the Twins.
The bigger issue has been pitching. Their 5.46 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and .270 opponent average ranked last in the American League yesterday and 29th in the majors, with only the Rockies sitting behind them. Colorado was at 5.53, 1.52 and .288, and the Orioles get them next.
Baltimore’s own pitching numbers haven’t exactly been a comfort blanket either. The rotation owns a 5.35 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and .268 opponent average, which put it last in the AL and 29th in the majors behind only Colorado. The bullpen’s 5.64 ERA was worst in baseball.
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