Mullins is not in the Orioles' lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Mullins has struggled over his last three outings, going 1-for-12 with five strikeouts over that span. He's available off the bench for Saturday's contest, and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Mullins is "pressing big-time," per Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. Heston Kjerstad will start at left field while Colton Cowser shifts to center field.
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Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: Collects third hold
Rotowire
Kimbrel struck out one in a perfect seventh inning Friday to record his third hold of the season in a 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
The 35-year-old reliever didn't exactly get deployed in the highest-leverage spot, as he faced Arizona's 8-9-1 hitters, but Kimbrel got the job done on an efficient 12 pitches (eight strikes). He topped out at 94.5 mph with his fastball though -- he averaged 95.9 mph last season -- and it was only the second time in Kimbrel's last seven appearances that he avoided giving up a run. Yennier Cano got the save in the ninth inning, and that figures be the arrangement for a while until Kimbrel demonstrates his struggles are behind him, although other relievers like Danny Coulombe could also be in the saves mix. Over those last seven appearances, Kimbrel has a 10.13 ERA, 3.19 WHIP and 8:9 K:BB in 5.1 innings.
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Orioles' Yennier Cano: Notches second save
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Cano gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his second save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Craig Kimbrel worked the seventh inning and faced the bottom of the Arizona order, a strong sign that at least for the moment, manager Brandon Hyde is focused on building the veteran closer's confidence back up rather than throwing him into the fire in the ninth. Due to Kimbrel's recent struggles, Cano has picked up both his 2024 saves in his last three appearances, but Jacob Webb and Danny Coulombe have also collected saves in the last couple weeks, although the former's came in the 12th inning. Even if the O's turn to a committee to protect leads at the end of games, Cano figures to see the majority of save chances until Kimbrel proves he's ready to resume his usual role.
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Orioles' Cole Irvin: Just misses quality start Friday
Rotowire
Irvin (4-1) picked up the win Friday, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over 5.2 innings in a 4-2 victory over the Diamondbacks. He struck out six.
The southpaw was sharp and had given up only a solo shot to Ketel Marte heading into the sixth inning, but Irvin got the hook after 95 pitches (62 strikes) with runners on first and second and two outs. Albert Suarez then promptly gave up a single to let one of the inherited runners score, but the O's bullpen took care of business the rest of the way. Irvin generated 30 called or swinging strikes as he won his fourth straight start, and after a bumpy beginning to the season he's posted a 1.19 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 21:3 K:BB in 30.1 innings over his last five outings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next trip to the mound, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Blue Jays.
Norby was removed from Triple-A Norfolk's game Friday as a precaution due to a left wrist injury, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, but the organization will exercise caution with one of its top prospects. Norby is slashing .275/.360/.497 through 35 games for Norfolk with eight homers, four steals and 26 RBI.
Mountcastle went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 7-6 extra-innings win over the Nationals.
Mountcastle is hitting .226 (7-for-31) over seven games in May, but four of those hits have gone for extra bases. He gave the Orioles a brief lead in the 11th inning of Wednesday's contest. The first baseman is slashing .277/.324/.485 with six long balls, 18 RBI, 20 runs scored, nine doubles and two stolen bases over 142 plate appearances. Mountcastle continues to hit well from the heart of the order in an everyday role.
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Orioles' Anthony Santander: Lifts homer in win
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Santander went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's 7-6 extra-innings win over the Nationals.
Santander is hitting just .227 over seven games in May and batting .215 on the year, but he has a homer in two of his last three contests. The outfielder has added a .737 OPS through 35 games this season, though that's still a decent margin behind last year's .797 mark. Santander is up to six homers, 24 RBI, 18 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple and no steals through 147 plate appearances while holding down a starting role in right field.
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Orioles' Albert Suarez: Collects second win
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Suarez (2-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on a hit and a walk while striking out one over two innings to earn the extra-innings win versus the Nationals on Wednesday.
This was Suarez's second outing since he was removed from the rotation following the returns of John Means and Kyle Bradish. Suarez gave up both runs in the 11th inning during Wednesday's game, squandering a two-run lead, but he ended up with the win when the Orioles took the lead for good in the 12th. The right-hander has been a pleasant surprise with a 2.29 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB over 19.2 innings this season across five appearances (three starts). Suarez is one of the multi-inning options in the bullpen for the Orioles, but he can also be an option for spot starts if necessary.
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Orioles' Gunnar Henderson: Pops 11th homer
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Henderson went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a 7-6 extra-innings win over Washington.
Henderson gave Baltimore its first lead with a solo shot in the sixth inning. That snapped a seven-game stretch without a long ball for the shortstop, which was his longest homerless span of the campaign. Henderson is tied for second in the majors with 11 home runs on the season, and he's added 25 RBI, 28 runs, six stolen bases and a .271/.344/.563 slash line through 36 games.
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Orioles' Craig Kimbrel: LIfted in ninth inning again
Rotowire
Kimbrel was pulled in the ninth frame of Wednesday's game against the Nationals and was charged with two runs on two walks and a hit over two-thirds of an inning, though he was credited with a hold.
Kimbrel was called upon to protect a two-run, ninth-inning lead and initially appeared set to do so with little trouble, as he retired the first two batters he faced. However, Eddie Rosario then tagged the veteran closer for a solo home run, and Kimbrel followed with two straight walks before he was given the hook. Keegan Akin allowed one of the inherited runners to score, thus sending the game into extra frames. Though Kimbrel was credited with a hold, he was pulled in a save situation in the ninth inning for his second straight outing, so his hold on the closer role for Baltimore could be getting tenuous. Over his past five contests, Kimbrel has blown two saves in addition to being pulled from a save situation on two occasions, and he's allowed six earned runs while posting a 4:7 K:BB across 2.1 innings during that stretch.
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Orioles' Jacob Webb: Secures second save
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Webb earned an extra-innings save against the Nationals on Wednesday, allowing an unearned run on one hit while striking out one batter over one inning.
Usual Baltimore closer Craig Kimbrel was unsteady again Wednesday, as he was pulled with two outs in the ninth inning after giving up a solo homer and a walk. The game ultimately went into extra frames, and Webb was called upon to shut Washington down after the Orioles took a two-run lead in the top of the 12th. Luis Garcia opened the inning for Washington by doubling home the automatic runner, but Webb was able to bounce back by retiring the next three batters to earn a save. Kimbrel's hold on the closer role could be starting to slip given that he's given up six earned runs over his past five outings covering 2.1 frames, but if he does end up getting demoted at some point, Yennier Cano would likely be the favorite to take over the closer role, so Webb doesn't figure to see more than an occasional unpredictable save chance.
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Orioles' Kyle Bradish: Fans nine Wednesday
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Bradish tossed five innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine batters in a no-decision against Washington on Wednesday.
In his second start of the campaign, Bradish nudged his pitch count up a bit from 84 to 90 while completing five frames. The right-hander gave up just one run -- as he did in his first start of the season -- and racked up nine strikeouts but settled for a no-decision as both teams' offenses were quiet until the latter portion of the contest. In terms of health, Bradish is still working his way back from the UCL sprain he was diagnosed with in mid-February, though he already appears to be in good form; through two starts, he's posted a 14:4 K:BB while giving up just two runs and eights hits across 9.2 innings.
Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Throws off mound Wednesday
Rotowire
Rodriguez (shoulder) threw 15 pitches off the mound Wednesday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
It's the first time Rodriguez has thrown off a mound since he landed on the 15-day injured list a week ago with right shoulder inflammation. The hope is that the right-hander will be ready to go when his 15 days are up, but he still has some hurdles to clear in order to make that a reality.
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Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn: Getting Wednesday off
Rotowire
O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.
With southpaw Mitchell Parker on the hill for Washington, the left-handed-hitting O'Hearn will retreat to the bench. Adley Rutschman will get a day off from catching duties and will fill in for O'Hearn as Baltimore's designated hitter.
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Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Registers first steal
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Rutschman went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Nationals.
Rutschman had one of the Orioles' three hits in Tuesday's loss. He's gone 8-for-25 (.320) with four extra-base hits and four RBI over six games in May. Rutschman's steal was his first of the year -- speed is the one tool that doesn't show up much in his game. He's still putting together another excellent season with a .322/.359/.469 slash line, five home runs, 22 RBI and 20 runs scored over 34 contests, even with a walk rate at a career-low 5.3 percent.
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Orioles' Corbin Burnes: No support in loss
Rotowire
Burnes (3-2) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six over 6.1 innings to take the loss Tuesday versus the Nationals.
The three walks matched a season high, and the Nationals proved opportunistic by logging three steals with Burnes on the mound. The right-hander has earned a quality start in five of his eight outings and has yet to give up more than three runs in any of his starts. He's winless over his last three starts but owns a 2.83 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB through 47.2 innings overall. Burnes lines up for a home start versus the Blue Jays in his next outing.
