Cade Povich is back in the Orioles’ rotation and will take the ball tonight against the Brewers at Camden Yards.
Baltimore recalled Povich from Triple-A Norfolk and opened a roster spot by optioning reliever Codi Heuer, who never got into a game. With Kyle Bradish on the injured list because of a sports hernia, Povich steps back into the mix for a needed start.
His last outing in the majors came on Aug. 31 in Colorado, when he held the Rockies to one run over five innings. That start trimmed his ERA from 4.45 to 4.05, and the Orioles sent him back down the following day.
The broader picture around Baltimore is grim, at least on paper. FanGraphs gives the Orioles a 4.5 percent shot at reaching the playoffs, and the White Sox’s win over the Tigers last night pushed Baltimore three games behind for the final Wild Card spot with nine to play.
There’s still a sliver of history available. The Orioles could become part of a very short list of clubs to erase a three-plus-game deficit with nine games left, a group that includes the 2007 Rockies, 2004 Angels, 1964 Cardinals, 1962 Giants, 1951 New York Giants and 1934 Cardinals. Baltimore also has the toughest remaining strength of schedule in the majors.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, arrives with the best record in baseball at 95-58 and has been rolling lately. The Brewers have won 10 of 15 this month and seven of their last nine, and they’ve been strong both home and away, going 52-26 at home and 43-32 on the road.
They’re also built in a strange way. The Brewers are tied for the second-fewest home runs in the majors, yet they rank second in runs scored.
According to STATS, the last team to finish in the bottom and top two in those categories was the 1900 Brooklyn Superbas. The Orioles, a different franchise from the current one, did it from 1894-98.
Right-hander Dustin May, acquired from the Cardinals in a deadline trade, has a 4.91 ERA in seven starts with Milwaukee. He has faced the Orioles twice in his career, including one start, and allowed two runs and nine hits in eight innings. He also worked two scoreless relief innings at Camden Yards.
At the plate, Pete Alonso is 2-for-5 against May, while Dylan Beavers is 2-for-2.
The Brewers are trying to do something no team has done since the 2010-11 Phillies: finish with the best record in consecutive seasons. Baltimore has had a hard time getting traction against them, dropping two of three in Milwaukee last season and two of three at Camden Yards in 2024. Milwaukee has won the last seven series between the clubs.
In Other News...
Orioles Suddenly Have Surprise Contributors They Cant Easily Ignore
A few unexpected names have started to make the Orioles roster picture a little more complicated. Josh Walker has given Baltimore useful innings out of the bullpen, Alex Hoppe has turned heads on the right side of the staff, and Coby Mayo has added another layer to the clubs list of players forcing their way into the conversation as the season goes on.
Luis De Len is part of that same group of surprise contributors, and his work has made the Orioles think more carefully about how he fits going forward. Craig Albernaz has pointed to those kinds of developments as part of the larger point of player growth, with Baltimore now weighing not just who has helped in the moment but who deserves a longer look when the team keeps sorting out roles. [Read more 🡒]
Gunnar Henderson Has Become A Bigger Orioles Problem Than Fans Expected
Gunnar Henderson arrived in Baltimore looking like the rare young star who could anchor a contender for years, and for a while he looked every bit the part. After winning American League Rookie of the Year and reaching All-Star status in his first two full MLB seasons, he seemed to be the kind of everyday force the Orioles could build around as the lineup matured behind him.
Instead, his production has slipped in 2025 and again in 2026, with key offensive numbers trending the wrong way and his overall value dropping with them. For a team that has watched its playoff hopes fade in recent seasons, Hendersons decline has added a frustrating layer to the bigger picture, because the Orioles are no longer just waiting on team-wide improvement. They are waiting for one of their most important players to look like himself again. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Front Office Shakeup Could Signal More Changes Ahead
The Orioles appear to be in the middle of a quiet front-office reset, with assistant general manager Sig Mejdal reportedly moving out of his longtime role overseeing the analytics department and into a new job centered on emerging technologies and innovative practices in baseball operations. It is a notable shift for an organization that has leaned heavily into data and process under its current leadership, even if the team has not confirmed the change.
Matt Bloods departure adds another layer to the uncertainty, especially because it has not been officially announced either. For a club that has built a reputation for staying ahead of the curve, any movement involving key voices in the front office naturally invites questions about how the Orioles want that structure to look going forward and whether more changes are coming. [Read more 🡒]