Good morning, Camden Chatters.
It’s very strange to be starting a Thursday Bird Droppings during the baseball season without talking about an Orioles game the previous day. Teams almost never have an off day on a Wednesday, other than weather-related cancellations. But for some reason that I’ve yet to determine, the MLB schedule makers decided to just not schedule a game for the O’s last night. It’s the first time since July 2005 that the O’s have had a scheduled off day on a Wednesday (other than the All-Star
break).
Even without a game to play, there was big Orioles news yesterday, and it wasn’t good. The O’s announced that closer Félix Bautista underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and labrum in his right shoulder, and his recovery will sideline him for at least 12 months. It’s devastating (if not entirely unexpected) news for both Bautista and the Orioles, and really puts a damper on some of the good vibes that have surrounded the team for the past week.
For Bautista, the best case scenario is a late-season return in 2026, but the more realistic outlook is that he won’t be back in 2027. And there’s also the depressing but very real possibility that he never returns at all, or at least never gets back to the pitcher he used to be. Shoulder injuries have ruined plenty of careers before and will continue to do so. It’s going to be a long road back for Félix, and we’ll all be rooting for him.
The O’s will need to figure out how to soldier on without their lockdown closer. Nobody in the current Orioles bullpen seems capable of taking that mantle. Perhaps Tyler Wells, who had brief experience as a closer earlier in his career, could fill the role when he returns from injury, though the O’s would likely prefer to keep him as a starter unless he proves he can’t do it. A number of experienced closers will be on the free agent market this winter, but is that where the Orioles will choose to spend their money? I’m skeptical.
The non-contending Orioles have the luxury of waiting until the offseason to address the closer issue. For now, their focus returns to the field as they open an eight-game homestand against the two teams they just played, the Astros and Red Sox. The Birds will hope to repeat the success of their 4-1 road trip against that duo.
Tonight will mark the Oriole Park debuts of Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo, which is sure to bring some energy to the Camden Yards crowd. It also brings the return of six-year Oriole Ramón Urías to Baltimore after the O’s traded him to Houston at the deadline. He should get an appreciative reception from the fans. The fun begins at 7:15 with Brandon Young on the mound, hoping to repeat his near-perfect performance against the Astros a week ago.
Links
O’s rookie Young got advice from this teammate before near-perfecto – MLB.com
All that Brandon Young had to do was simply talk to Trevor Rogers and he immediately threw a Rogers-esque masterpiece. I don’t know why every pitcher doesn’t try that.
Basallo is the most high-profile O’s international prospect but certainly not the only one. Meoli gives us a breakdown of some other names we should know.
Orioles’ fastest-rising pitching prospect cracks ESPN’s top 100 list – The Baltimore Sun
Trey Gibson is now a top 100 prospect in baseball. Not bad for a guy who wasn’t even drafted!
Aw, I miss Cedric. I’m going to be a big Mets fan for the rest of this year.
Will Orioles extend Trevor Rogers? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Not only should the O’s extend Rogers, they should also hire him as pitching coach. Did you see what he did for Brandon Young?
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Two former Orioles are celebrating Aug. 21 birthdays: outfielder Mason Williams (34) and infielder Jerry DaVanon (80).
On this date in 1977, Brooks Robinson went on the voluntary retired list, officially ending his legendary 23-year career with the Orioles. The Hall of Famer had played his last game for the Birds a week earlier, the 2,896th of his career, and finished with a career 78.3 WAR and the status as the most beloved athlete in Baltimore sports history.
On this day in 1999, Brady Anderson led off both games of a doubleheader with a home run, becoming just the third player in MLB history to do so. In the opener he tagged White Sox right-hander John Snyder, and in the nightcap he went deep off lefty Mike Sirotka. The Orioles wasted both of those early leads and lost both games. Sheesh.
And on this day in 2019, the Orioles matched some very unfortunate history, coughing up their 258th home run of the season to tie the MLB record with the 2016 Reds. And they still had 35 games remaining in the season! The record-tying blow happened in the third when the Royals’ Whit Merrifield launched a solo shot off O’s starter Aaron Brooks. But that ended up being the only run the O’s allowed in an 8-1 win. The Orioles broke the record the next day against the Rays and ultimately allowed 305 dingers that year.
