Calling the Pen: Orioles’ decision on when to remove Rogers starts a debate

Trevor Rogers’ body language said it all. The Oriole starter turned to watch the flight of a ball hit to deep right field by Toronto’s Charles McAdoo, and as it landed in the stands for McAdoo’s first major league hit, Rogers dropped into a crouching position on the mound. He would leave it shortly but not without sparking debate about whether he still should have been on it in the seventh.

Through six innings, the 28-year-old left-hander looked like the pitcher who went seven strong innings on Opening Day and recorded a 1.81 ERA in 2025. The Blue Jays had just two hits, and the Orioles led, 5-0. Rogers had thrown just 74 pitches, so it wasn’t surprising that he went out for the seventh.

But maybe manager Craig Albernaz should have called it a night for Rogers. After two solid starts to begin 2025, Rogers has struggled, losing six straight and making folks wonder if his exceptional 2025 season was an aberration. To leave at that point might have provided a needed boost to his confidence.

Then the seventh happened, and a 5-0 lead disappeared within four batters and 10 pitches. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled and Kazuma Okamoto crushed a home run to left on 93-mph fastball in the middle of the plate. I was looking for Albernaz at that point, but he remained in the dugout.

Daulton Varsho doubled to left. Still no Albernaz, perhaps figuring that Rogers could retire the rookie McAdoo before he would summon Tyler Wells. But McAdoo hit another fastball that got too much of the plate into the right-field stands for the second two-run homer of the inning. Rogers’ and the Orioles’ feel-good night was over in a game the Orioles would lose, 6-5, as Yennier Cano surrendered two more in the eighth in his second straight poor outing.

“I think I just got too amped up and just went back to trying to blow fastballs by guys,” Rogers said. “The third time up, they’re ready for heaters. I’ll learn from it. That’s on me. We should have won the game and just got to be better.”

The Orioles should have won a game they led 5-0. To his credit, Albernaz acknowledged that he should have pulled Rogers sooner. Rogers indicated he was tired, which makes one wonder it he and the manager talked before he went back out for the seventh.

“I was getting tired towards the end, but until Alby takes the ball out of my hand, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got for the guys,” Rogers said. “I think it was a learning moment for both of us. I think I probably should have, sixth inning, put my ego aside and probably turn it to the bullpen. But this game’s about learning, and we’ll make adjustments.”

Albernaz didn’t hesitate to answer the question about whether he waited too long to make a move.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Albernaz said. “Yeah. That’s a struggle. Leaving him in too late. He was efficient with his pitches and where the ‘pen was, but, yeah, left him out there too long.”

MASN analyst and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer wasn’t asked about Albernaz’s decision after the game but has talked about how managers are reluctant to let a starter face hitters for a third time, citing hitters’ rising success rate the third time through. With more emphasis on velocity and spin rate, it’s a different game than when Palmer pitched, and that starters used to be able to still surprise hitters a third time but now show all of their cards before then. The average major league start is less than six innings.

What he saw in Rogers, though, was a pitcher who had regained his command through six innings and one who quickly lost it in the seventh. Like Albernaz, he was encouraged by Rogers’ performance, the seventh inning notwithstanding.

The difficult loss and the postgame comments triggered a lively text exchange among BaltimoreBaseball.com publisher Steve Cockey, Oriole writer Rich Dubroff and me. We’re passionate about the work we do and the team we cover.

Steve wondered how Earl Weaver would have reacted to Rogers’ quote: “it was a learning moment for both of us.” He pointed out that Rogers had thrown just 74 pitches in six innings after Rogers said he was “getting tired towards the end.”

Rich thought Albernaz should have removed him after the sixth “to give him a shot of confidence.” He mentioned it’s not just the number of pitches but the number of times a pitcher starts an inning, adding that Rogers hasn’t pitched into the seventh since Opening Day.

Both made valid points, taking into account Rogers’ struggles and the state of starting pitching these days. I would’ve pulled Rogers after Okamoto’s home run, criticizing Albernaz for waiting two batters too long, costing Rogers and the Orioles.

It was the kind of loss that triggered emotion and discussion. The last part took some of the sting out of the loss.