Hyde shakes up Orioles’ lineup: Mullins batting 2nd, Rutschman 5th

BOSTON—Manager Brandon Hyde shook up the Orioles’ lineup for Monday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox. Adley Rutschman, who normally bats second, was dropped to fifth for the 10^th time this season while Cedric Mullins was moved up to second, where he’s batted only once in his career.

Rutschman is batting .197 in the second half of the season, and Hyde knows how important he is to the team.

“We’re just trying to get him back on track,” Hyde said. “So I’m trying to mix things up for him, let him see a few guys before him until he gets back to being the kind of player we know he is, which is what he was like in the first half and all last year. Just going through a tough time right now, so just mixing it up a little bit for him.”

The Orioles need more patience at the plate, and Hyde’s trying to do what he can.

“You’ve got to learn it,” Hyde said. “We don’t have a ton of experience in our lineup. It’s a skill these guys are going through that they’re going to be better for later on. We are taking some frustrated at-bats right now and our guys just need to simplify their process a little bit and do what they do well. And not try to do too much. I think we’re a swing or two away from that happening. We’re just not being consistent with it right now.”

Mullins, who hit .136 in May, has bounced back with a .281 second half and an .891 OPS.

Entering Monday night’s game, the Orioles have hit .251 with runners in scoring position. In 2023, they hit .287.

“I think we haven’t put as much pressure on defenses as we want to,” Mullins said. “Not really just putting the ball in play, making things be in motion to open things up like that for us. That’s something we did really well last year, and for us to do what we need to do once playoffs come around, we need to do that.”

Hyde thinks having Mullins higher in the lineup could help the team.

“You look at his numbers the last couple weeks and he’s taking good at-bats and he’s getting on base,” Hyde said. “By shaking it up a little bit and putting him up at the top, I’m just hoping he gets on base and can create some runs with his legs. Hopefully get in scoring position for guys who hit behind him.

“I like the at-bats he’s taking, I love the fact that he went two-strike, put the ball in play. That’s something we have to do a better job of as a club is to be able to stay on baseballs with two strikes, be able to stay closed and stay through the ball. And Ced did that yesterday a couple times. He’s taken some walks, too, so hopefully he can end the season the way he’s swung the bat the last couple weeks.”

Mullins believes the change in lineup dynamics can lower the amount of pressure they’ve been feeling.

“I think it comes internally,” Mullins said. “Just wanting to do it for the team in those moments really takes away from the approach sometimes, so being able to get back to what we were doing, take a step back, understand we’re good and when we’re all doing what we can to contribute, we’re going to be great. So, we have a little time to do it but have confidence we can.”

Last year, the Orioles clinched a playoff berth with two weeks left in the season and while it’s theoretically possible for them to secure their spot in the postseason by Saturday, it’s not likely.

This year has been more of a slog, and Hyde is using his 127^th different batting order, which includes Coby Mayo at third batting eighth, and rookie Liván Soto starting for the first time as an Oriole. Soto is playing second base in place of Jackson Holliday, and batting ninth.

The Orioles have played without Jordan Westburg since August 1^st, and the offense has suffered.

“I think injuries honestly have played a toll,” Hyde said. “When you have guys that would normally be in your lineup that aren’t, people try to make up for it. We’re not scoring runs the way we did the first half or last year. When you don’t have a veteran group, guys just try to do a little bit more than maybe they’re capable of at times. And over time that leads to maybe some numbers you wish you would put up that you didn’t.

“The bottom line, though, is we’re a half-game out of first place, we have a mountain of injuries, we’re really young and we have whatever, [18] games to go and it’s really in our hands. So, if you asked before the season if you’d be in this kind of situation, you’d want to be. And so we’ll see what we’re made of here these last few weeks.”

Notes: Hyde said he’s not sure when first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who’s on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left wrist, will play again.” I don’t know. I want to say it’s optimistic, but I’m not really sure,” Hyde said. “I think he’s going to come back by the end of the regular season, I just don’t know when.” … Hyde hopes that starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez will throw a live batting practice session later on the road trip. Rodriguez is on the 15-day injured list with right lat/teres discomfort. … Gunnar Henderson was named American League Player of the Week. He hit .417 with three home runs and five RBIs. It’s Henderson’s second Player of the Week award.