In final 50 games, Orioles auditioning for key roles in 2026

CHICAGO—After serving as the designated hitter in Friday’s game, Jeremiah Jackson played right field in his second major league game on Saturday.

“Throwing him to the wolves,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said before Saturday’s game. “This is going to be a challenge for him. First time standing on big league grass defensively.”

Jackson had two hits, and his second helped key the Orioles’ four-run eighth inning.

In the final 50 games of the season, the Orioles will be auditioning players for 2026. Their infield looks set for several years, Mansolino said.

Jackson Holliday at second, Gunnar Henderson at shortstop and Jordan Westburg at third with either Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo at first base

“I mean, with our infield, you look around and there’s no at-bats for the next however many years you’ve got these guys,” Mansolino said.

As a result, there’s a need for a utility infielder to replace Ramón Urías, who was traded to the Astros at the deadline this week.

“I love Ramón Urías,” Mansolino said. “Because he’s awesome and because he helped us win a lot of games. He’s a really good player. We are going to need a replacement for that.”

The 25-year-old Jackson will fight for an occasional start in the infield and get some time in the outfield.

Once you get past these offdays, and the offdays aren’t so bunched up, a guy like Jeremiah is going to play some infield,” Mansolino said. “When you have all these offdays, the boys are going to play every day. Those are everyday players.”

The bullpen has just two established pitchers, left-hander Keegan Akin and right-hander Yennier Cano, who’s struggling but pitched a scoreless shutdown eighth. Cano, an All-Star in 2023, who was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk last month, is 1-6 with a 5.26 ERA.

Since July 10^th, the Orioles have traded right-handers Bryan Baker, Seranthony Domínguez and Andrew Kittredge, and left-hander Gregory Soto. Their closer, Félix Bautista, is out indefinitely with a right shoulder injury.

“Obviously, a big change,” Akin said. “When Baker went and then Soto went, it was like the starting point for me. They’re going to start rolling some new guys in.

“When we saw all these guys go down with injuries, we weren’t winning like we wanted to win. When Baker went, it was like, ‘they’re going to start getting rid of some of these guys.’ I just didn’t know how many.

“Weird to think that I’m sitting down there now, and I have the most service time … At the beginning of the year, I was bottom two, maybe third in line. Do what a veteran does and try to help the new guys out.”

The new guys are Dietrich Enns, a left-hander who joined the bullpen on Saturday, Grant Wolfram another left-hander with just nine big league games, and right-handers Corbin Martin, Elvin Rodriguez, Houston Roth and Kade Strowd.

Martin registered his first major league save in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Toronto. Rodriguez and Roth have yet to pitch for the Orioles since they were recalled before Tuesday’s second game. Strowd has appeared in six games.

“There’s massive opportunity. Who’s ever down there for the next two months, they’re going to get an opportunity for next year,” Mansolino said. “The guy that goes down there and throws well. They’re going to have to throw well against really good competition. The schedule is going to be an absolute beast over the next two months. A guy who goes down there and throws well, no doubt puts himself in a good situation for 2026.”

Akin got a chance to close out Saturday’s game and registered his fourth career save despite two walks. He escaped the jam with the help of his changeup. It seems likely he’ll get the chance for more.

“I don’t think there are any roles right now,” Akin said. “I think it’s going to matchup based.”

Mansolino isn’t sure whose hand he’ll be shaking after wins.

“I don’t know who’s going to close,” Mansolino said. “Just with where we’re at, we’ve got to get to the ninth inning. With the inexperienced relievers that we have, if Keegan Akin gets us through the sixth or seventh inning, we’re going to use him right there, and if we get to the ninth inning with a one-run lead, we’re going to try to figure out who can get outs

“The reality of the roster and the bullpen is that’s just what we have. You can’t pick one guy, and say, ‘you’re the ninth-inning guy.’ We might never get there.”

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