Orioles’ Albernaz on Kremer: ‘He’s made a great impact’; Trevor Rogers reacts to Kremer, deadline; Hiraldo recalled

BALTIMORE—Manager Craig Albernaz will miss starting pitcher Dean Kremer, who was traded by the Orioles to the Minnesota Twins for 18-year-old minor league outfielder Jhomnardo Reyes late Friday night.

“It’s part of the game, and the initial reactions were a little bit of shock,” Albernaz said.

Albernaz was not present when the 30-year-old right-hander was told of the trade.

“Dean’s been a leader here, a staple here for seven years,” Albernaz said. “He’s made a great impact in that clubhouse with all those players and the coaching staff and myself in my short time I’ve been around him.

“He’s such a great competitor, baseball guy. He’s very engaged, loves to talk ball, very aware of what’s going on and [when] you lose someone like that, it’s tough, and he’s going to do well in Minnesota.”

The Orioles face the Twins at Target Field from August 10^th-12^th.

Albernaz said he spoke with Kremer Saturday morning as well as Minnesota manager Derek Shelton.

“We wish Dean nothing but the best,” Albernaz said. “If we face him, hopefully, it will be a fun competition. We’re sad to see him go.”

Trevor Rogers reacts to Kremer’s deal

The time between now and Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline is difficult for players.

Orioles starter Trevor Rogers, who’s heard his name in rumors but would like to stay in Baltimore, was surprised that Kremer was traded.

“I was sitting on my couch last night, and it popped up on my phone,” Rogers said. “I really couldn’t believe it. He’s been a staple here for a lot of years. It was tough to see him go.

“He went to the Twins. They’re making a push. We’re making a push here, too. We all wish that he wasn’t the guy to get shipped out of here, stay with us, but I think he’s going to do great over there. They’ve got a solid guy, a solid pitcher. He’s going to be missed here, for sure.”

Rogers was traded to the Orioles from Miami at the trade deadline in 2024 and knows this can be an anxious time.

“It never gets easy,” Rogers said. “It makes it easier when guys are coming in instead of guys going out, a lot of uncertainty. When Monday comes and goes, everyone can kind of relax a little bit and get back to doing our jobs.”

Rogers likes to avoid thinking about the uncertainty, especially at home.

“My wife’s on Twitter a lot, so I have to tell her, ‘give your eyes a break,’” he joked. “Let’s relax a little bit.”

Mayo leading off

Coby Mayo will be the Orioles’ fifth different leadoff batter this season. Mayo, who hasn’t hit higher than fourth in 2026, will be the designated hitter against Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez.

“He’s really good against left-handed pitching,” Albernaz said.

Mayo is hitting .286 with a 1.076 OPS, 10 home runs and 19 RBIs.

“We’re still trying to figure out our optimal lineup against left-handed pitching,” Albernaz said. “Trying to get in as many at-bats as he can against Cris Sánchez.”

Taylor Ward has hit leadoff 66 times, Gunnar Henderson 36 times, Dylan Beavers six, and Adley Rutschman twice.

Nine in the bullpen for now

With Kremer gone, the Orioles will have a nine-man bullpen for at least a few days. The Orioles recalled right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo from Triple-A Norfolk.

Hiraldo has missed most of the season with right shoulder inflammation. He started the season on the Orioles’ active roster but was sent to the injured list after three games. He allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings for a 21.60 ERA.

“The biggest thing with Hiraldo is he’s healthy,” Albernaz said. “You guys have seen his stuff. It’s real, and the look I had of him during spring training, it was really impressive.”

He had a 1.08 ERA in eight games for Norfolk.

“By all accounts, he’s feeling great,” Albernaz. “Velo is there, and offspeed pitches are really competitive in the strike zone.”

Orioles-Phillies lineups

Orioles

Coby Mayo-DH

Taylor Ward-LF

Gunnar Henderson-SS

Pete Alonso-1B

Tyler O’Neill-RF

Christian Encarnacion-Strand-3B

Leody Taveras-CF

Jackson Holliday-2B

Jake Rogers-C

Shane Baz-RHP

Phillies

Trea Turner-SS

Kyle Schwarber-DH

Bryce Harper-1B

Alec Bohm-3B

Brandon Marsh-LF

J.T. Realmuto-C

Bryson Stott-2B

Justin Crawford-CF

Bryan De La Cruz-RF

Cristopher Sánchez-LHP

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