Mullins, Rutschman back in Orioles’ lineup; Bradish thinks he could return in August

BALTIMORE—If the Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals play the final game of their three-game series as scheduled on a rainy Wednesday night, Cedric Mullins and Adley Rutschman will be in the lineup.

Mullins, who’s missed three of the past four games, is listed as the starting centerfielder. He’ll bat seventh.

Rutschman, who took a foul ball off his mask on Sunday, will be the designated hitter and bat second.

“It’s a big sigh of relief,” interim manager Tonny Mansolino said about Rutschman. “You guys understand what he was going through. You can connect the dots on it. Our medical staff, our medical team got to this point. They felt very strongly about putting him in there as the DH.”

Mansolino said that for now the team will go with three catchers. Maverick Handley is scheduled to catch and bat eighth on Wednesday night. Chadwick Tromp, who played for the first time on Tuesday night, remains on the team.

“At the moment, that’s what we’re going with, and we’ll see where it goes,” Mansolino said.

Bradish optimistic about return

Kyle Bradish had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last June, and said his rehab is progressing. Bradish said that he threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Monday and used all his pitches. It was the first time he threw breaking balls.

“Feeling really good. I’m halfway through the bullpen progression,” Bradish said.

Bradish said the plan is to throw live batting practices early in July with a return to the Orioles the following month.

“If all goes good there, rehab outings after that, and looking hopefully sometime in August,” he said. “Everything’s been feeling really good, arm and body has been responding to everything really good. I haven’t had any setbacks. Really encouraged with how this rehab process is going.”

Bradish hopes he can be part of a stronger second half for the Orioles.

“It’s been tough knowing I can’t do anything about it,” he said. “It’s obviously not the start we wanted. I think we’ve been playing good ball lately. Hopefully, come summer and we’re closer back to .500, and we’ll go from there.”

Updates on O’Neill, Sánchez

Mansolino said that Tyler O’Neill, who’s on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder injury, has started baseball activities.

“I am not sure on the rehab assignment, what that’s looking like right now. I think it will come sooner than we think,” Mansolino said. “He was hitting in the cage earlier today.”

Catcher Gary Sánchez remains on the injured list with right wrist inflammation. He took batting practice before Monday’s game.

“I’m doing everything right now,” he said through a team translator. “I’m hitting. I’m starting to hit off the machines as well. It’s part of a progression.”

Sánchez will need a rehab assignment before he returns to the Orioles.

Mansolino said there was no update on Grayson Rodriguez, who hasn’t pitched this season because of right elbow inflammation.

Orioles aren’t sure when Rogers starts again

Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer and Charlie Morton are scheduled to pitch for the Orioles this weekend against the Chicago White Sox. Mansolino is eager to see Trevor Rogers get another start. Rogers allowed just two hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Saturday night in Boston.

“We’ll see where that goes, but he was really impressive the other night,” Mansolino said. “It was really exciting for him. I think it was really exciting for the organization. Strangely, you’re starting to see all our starting pitching kind of tighten up and take off a little bit. I would imagine that we will all sit down and we are trying to figure out a way, the path for him to come back and help us.”

Note: Tromp said about “eight or nine”’ teams were interested in signing him before he signed with the Orioles month. “Once I became a free agent, I thought that this was a perfect spot for me. That’s why I signed here,” Tromp said.

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