Orioles activate Akin from injured list, option Foster; O’s-Red Sox lineups

BALTIMORE—The Orioles activated left-hander Keegan Akin from the 15-day injured list on Saturday and optioned right-hander Cameron Foster to Triple-A Norfolk after Friday night’s game.

Akin had been on the IL since straining his left groin muscle while warming up to pitch in the Orioles’ final Grapefruit League game on March 21^st in Sarasota.

“Honestly, I thought it was going to be longer,” Akin said. “A little freak accident, slipped, was pretty uncomfortable, kind of gave me flashbacks to ’21 when I did it. It ended up a little quicker than I expected.”

Without Akin, the Orioles’ bullpen has a 3.46 ERA.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “You can’t really beat it. It’s been fun to watch those guys compete, and for me to get back in there and do it with them, that will be fun.”

Manager Craig Albernaz is happy to have Akin return.

“He was a guy we were counting on coming into the season,” Albernaz said. “Him going down during spring training was tough. The rest of the guys in the bullpen stepped up, so adding Akin definitely raises the floor of our ‘pen.”

Akin had a 2.25 ERA in four rehab games for Norfolk and knew he was ready after he worked in back-to-back games.

Akin’s activation comes after Andrew Kittredge rejoined the bullpen. Kittredge had been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. He pitched a perfect seventh inning on Friday night.

The bullpen will be further fortified when left-hander Dietrich Enns and right-hander Ryan Helsley rejoin it in the coming days. Enns, who’s on a rehab assignment with Norfolk, has been on the injured list with a left foot infection, and Helsley is on the family leave/bereavement list.

The team will likely have to drop relievers who’ve been performing well.

“Extremely difficult,” Albernaz said of the choice. “I love when players make those decisions extremely difficult for us because that means they’re performing and they’re going about things the right way.”

Foster had a 6.35 ERA in four games.

Orioles-Red Sox starting lineups

Orioles

Taylor Ward-DH

Gunnar Henderson-SS

Adley Rutschman-C

Pete Alonso-1B

Tyler O’Neill-RF

Jeremiah Jackson-2B

Leody Taveras-CF

Coby Mayo-3B

Blaze Alexander-LF

Trevor Rogers-LHP

Red Sox

Ceddanne Rafaela-CF

Willson Contreras-1B

Willyer Abreu-RF

Trevor Story-SS

Andruw Monasterio-DH

Jarren Duran-LF

Caleb Durbin-3B

Connor Wong-C

Isiah Kiner-Falefa-2B

Garrett Crochet-LHP

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