NEW YORK—After using the bullpen for 10 1/3 innings the past two games, the Orioles needed another relief pitcher, and they optioned right-hander Yennier Cano, who was an All-Star in 2023, to Triple-A Norfolk after Saturday’s game.
Cano struck out all three batters he faced in Saturday’s 9-0 loss to the New York Yankees, but he’s had a troubled year with a 1-4 record and a 4.73 ERA. Cano has allowed nearly 10 hits per nine innings, and though he’s struck out 31 batters in 26 2/3 innings, he was the logical reliever to be optioned.
“Yesterday looks great, Cano comes in and probably has one of the best outings of the year,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “You’ve got to be very careful with recency bias and understand that we have to look at the last three, four months. Yenny Cano has been good at times. He’s been up and down, everybody can admit that. This could be a good opportunity for Yenny to go down right now and make the small adjustment, whatever needs to be made to get back down to being Yenny Cano.”
Along with Keegan Akin and Félix Bautista, Cano was one of the three relief pitchers with options remaining.
“We need a fresh arm,” Mansolino said. “There are a limited amount of guys that can be optioned, so there’s really just a couple to choose from.”
The Orioles recalled right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo from Norfolk. He pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit in his only appearance for the Orioles last month.
Injury updates
Mansolino thinks catcher Adley Rutschman could return from his left oblique injury after the All-Star break, which is Friday, July 18th. He described Rutschman’s injury as “mild,” but the Orioles want to be careful not to aggravate it.
“He wants to play. He’s kind of going stir crazy,” Mansolino said. “The fact that it is milder in nature kind of makes it harder … We all know abdominal or oblique injuries if you push those things, it can get really ugly, three, four weeks it can be three months.
“In his mind, he probably thinks he can possibly go out there, but medically that’s not the smart thing to do. He’s handling it fine, just wants to play.”
Infielder Jordan Westburg, who left Saturday’s game with a sprained left index finger, is not in the lineup for Sunday. He was wearing a sliding mitt when he slid headfirst into second for a stolen base.
“Doesn’t know how he did it,” Mansolino said. “It’s been the same mitt he’s used for a couple of years … It’s sore this morning. We’re hoping it’s two, three days. If it gets to be longer, it will be another conversation. I don’t think we know for sure what this is going to be, but the X-rays were negative. It’s not fractured, that’s the positive.”
Outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who’s on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder injury, will begin another rehab assignment at High-A Aberdeen on Sunday.
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