After the All-Star break, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will have 72 games to plan for. It’s no secret the team’s starters haven’t gone deep into games.
In the second half of the season, it’s possible that the Orioles will give starts to more of their young pitchers.
On Tuesday night, the Orioles started Spenser Watkins, a 28-year-old who threw one scoreless inning on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels.
Watkins will be the 12th starter this season and was the 11th player and ninth pitcher to make their major league debut for the Orioles.
The Orioles have left-hander Keegan Akin in the rotation with two other left-handers — John Means and Bruce Zimmermann — on the 10-day injured list.
Right-hander Dean Kremer is at Triple-A Norfolk, and so is left-hander Alexander Wells, who pitched twice in relief last week. Zac Lowther, who had one early-season start, is in the bullpen.
“I’d like to see Zimmermann come back for sure,” Hyde said. “I’d like to see Kremer continue to develop in Triple-A and possibly, hopefully, have him come back at some point.”
Hyde is hoping Zimmermann, who’s sidelined because of a left biceps tendinitis, will be back near the end of the month or the beginning of August. Kremer is starting for Norfolk on Tuesday night.
“Akin can hopefully improve his command. He needs to get better,” Hyde said. “He’s going to continue to get starts up here. I don’t know what the rotation is going to look like. This year is a strange one with injuries … possibly we have a lot of young guys in the rotation in the second half.”
The Orioles have been cautious with their young arms.
“Something our pitching guys are really monitoring is innings,” Hyde said. “Someone like Tyler Wells, we just haven’t built up more because of coming off Tommy John [surgery in 2019]. He’s on track now from an innings perspective.
“It’s something we’re taking into consideration very, very closely. Giving guys some resets has helped with that.”
Means update: John Means, who’s on the 10-day injured list because of a left shoulder strain, threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. He’ll pitch Friday at Double-A Bowie and then next week for Triple-A Norfolk. If all goes well, he’ll be activated after the All-Star break.
Means threw two innings on Sunday at Aberdeen, and he said he felt good afterward.
“He’s on track to join us after the break,” Hyde said.
Lakins surgery: The Orioles announced that right-handed pitcher Travis Lakins, who’s on the 60-day injured list, had “successful surgery to fix a recurrent olecranon stress fracture in his right elbow.”
The surgery was performed Tuesday morning in Los Angeles by Dr. Steve Shin.
Notes: On Monday, the Orioles assigned right-handed pitcher Konner Wade to Triple-A Norfolk after he cleared waivers. … Delmarva first baseman TT Bowens, who signed as an undrafted free agent last year, was named Low-A East Player of the Week. … Orioles strength and conditioning coach Joe Hogarty will work with the American League All-Star team in the July 13th All-Star Game at Denver’s Coors Field. … Third baseman Maikel Franco, who hasn’t played since June 29 when he sprained an ankle on the last play of the game in Houston, was in the original lineup but was a late scratch. Domingo Leyba replaced him.
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Please tell me Hyde didn’t put Tate in to begin the 6th and that he let Watkins get to walk off the field to a nice ovation. I’m following game on my phone so I don’t know how the pitching change happened.
dlgruber1 - what's up? knew this had to be you posting about Hyde taking out Watkins after he threw 89 pitches tonight, averaging 18 pitches an inning...how long should have Hyde let Watkins go? Six innings and approximately 107 pitches or complete game and 162 pitches? How many Orioles pitchers would you like to see on the IL this season? What difference does it make if Watkins pitches more than 5 innings tonight? Will it help the 27-57 Orioles make the playoffs? Will almost 29 year old Watkins be with the Orioles in 2-3 years? Get over yourself bruh!
OhMy, I’m afraid you missed my point. I didn’t want him left in the game to pitch. I wanted the batter to be announced, Hyde to then come out and remove him so he could get a nice ovation from the crowd (whatever there was of it) as he walked back to the dugout, that’s all. O’s fans have had SO little to cheer about this season I just thought it was a chance for them to give a guy a standing O for a job well done. I thought I was clear on that but I guess not.
And one more thing, you’ll ALWAYS know it’s me. You see, I don’t change my handle more often than the weather changes.
Totally agree DL, thought the same exact thing, another good move by a real manager, you don’t get too many of those moments in a career, especially this yr w/the O’s, great opportunity missed & classy message sent that was also missed, oh well, at least the bullpen didn’t totally melt down...lol...go O’s...
Who was it that got clobbered at Norfolk tonight?!
Kremer
Dean Kremer.
Checking in on the Ramon Urias haters here - BBR? CalsPals? How you all doing?
CB Coach on Rochs site. Urias is Rod Carew compared to Wilkerson! So Kremer looks toasted!
Hey Dick. You've been away a few days. How was the parade and your sister?
I've already addressed Ramon's recent hitting surge a few articles ago. I don't need you prompting me to eat my words and give props when and where they're deserved. No analytics needed.
Nice job King Richard, everyone has played nice until you showed up again, go away...go O’s...
All this guy does is keep on hitting. Has the highest average in the team. I’m happy for this guy and he’s making me into a believer
Highest average on the team, not sure where you’re getting info but it’s inaccurate...go O’s...
Good job tonight Birds ! Come out and do it again tomorrow.
1st starter to complete 5!!!!!! innings in 9 games? Used to love those 20 complete games a year by Palmer!
Golden sombrero for Diaz tonight, now below the Flaredoza line!
> as long as the MASN dispute remains unresolved, I can’t see Baltimore hosting the [All-Star Game] game
I don't get it. Why does the 'MASN dispute' factor in to hosting the All Star game in Balto?
I rarely post comments, bit I am an avid reader of the articles here. Many thanks, your work is very much appreciated. All the best, Barry
I was kinda wondering the same thing. It’s not as if MASN is gonna air the game. I always just thought that Manfred hates Angelos so much that he won’t have an All Star game in Baltimore as long as he’s commissioner and Angelos owns the team.
Maybe the problem with hosting a game in Baltimore is Baltimore
Barry, the commissioner has denied it, and Baltimore deserves the game, but the dispute between the Orioles and Nationals has long annoyed MLB.
Shamus, Baltimore has many more hotel rooms than it had in 1993, when it last held the game.
So if it isn’t what remarky suggests why haven’t they been given another AS game?...go O’s...
The reason the MASN dispute has contributed to no All Star game in Balto, is the lawsuit against MLB brought by PA continues on appeal. It has dragged on for years and has irritated all of the other owners and the Commissioner. Not enough space here to recount the whole saga, but it is PA being PA, in his prime as a lawyer who may be right by the letter of the agreement, when it suits him. Never a good idea to use your partners and then expect to benefit from a plum event that every one of the partners would like to have for themself.
How many other MLB teams are 30 some miles apart? There’s also talk that MLB secretly paid Lerner so he would go along with the original agreement.If MLB was forced to choose who stays in the area and who leaves, which team do you think they would choose??
SF & Oak.(but they're on the way out if no new stadium)
As far as MLB choosing who stays between D.C. & Baltimore......I couldn't really hazard a guess.
I will say the world has changed a lot since the 60's & early 70' when the Senators played there twice. Some people believe in 75 years as we keep populating this Earth, DC & Baltimore will be 1 giant metropolitan suburbia.
But alas, I'm in the twilight of my time on this planet. I think I'm playing 6 feetum before the O's are forced out and same for the Nats. They have far more support now than they enjoyed in 60's & early 70's
Not really the choice. If MLB expands to two other markets, e.g., Nashville, and Portland, the franchise fees would be far more lucrative to all of the owners than to allow an existing franchise to move. As was noted, Oakland wants to stay there, but California is not interested in financing sports stadiums. I suspect the A's will go to Vegas. The MASN story has many twists and turns, including the other owners think (as I understand it) that PA got TOO good of a deal from Bud Selig. Still, the owners are not pleased that the lawsuit has been strung out over years by PA challenging rulings from arbitration and "neutral" courts. The Nats have not made it easier to resolve by not conceding the final settlement number.
As I tried to say above, partners do not take kindly to one if its partners suing because the partners are being accused of bad faith.
Before someone mentions Chicago or New York or LA , they have way more TV market area .
Was that Kevin Brown or Scott Garceau doing the play-by-play with Ben McDonald yesterday? The announcers were so busy with 'small talk' and adlibs that they failed to announce any of the Oriole batters in the O's 8th inning. I like commentary. But I tuned in to view the GAME. Orioles have so many new faces that viewers might want to know whether it's Leyba or Franco at bat. Kevin Brown and Scott Garceau aren't any better than the Nationals play-by-play guys (and that's a low bar). Man, I really miss Gary Thorne!
Kevin did the game.