The Orioles have praised their depth all season. A recent run of injuries has prompted them to continually put it on display.
Before Wednesday’s game with the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore made a pair of roster moves to alter its bench and bullpen. A day after the Orioles selected the contract of catcher Mark Kolozsvary when they placed first baseman Ryan Mountcastle on the 10-day injured list with vertigo, they first optioned Kolozsvary to recall infielder Joey Ortiz, their No. 5 prospect according to Baseball America, then designated the 27-year-old backstop for assignment to select right-hander Reed Garrett’s contract. Reliever Austin Voth was put on the 15-day IL with right elbow discomfort.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Voth, 30, has dealt with the elbow issue since spring training, but his appearance Tuesday, in which four of the five batters he faced reached base, prompted the Orioles to shut him down. Hyde described his concern level as “very low,” believing a couple weeks of rest will allow Voth to return; tests on the elbow Tuesday night and Wednesday morning came back clean.
Claimed from the Washington Nationals last season, Voth recorded a 3.04 ERA working largely out of Baltimore’s rotation. He has spent this season exclusively in relief, with a 4.94 ERA in 23 outings. He allowed a home run in each of his first five appearances outings, then posted a 1.96 ERA with an OPS against of .495 over his next 13 outings. But Voth allowed 16 base runners over 4 2/3 innings since.
“It’s hard to assess [his performance] because he has been trying to manage this,” Hyde said. “Got off to a little bit of a slow start where he was giving up a homer his first few outings. His last couple of outings have been difficult for him. I thought he was kind of getting on a roll there for a little while in early, mid-May, but just his last few appearances have been a little bit rocky. It’s been bothering him, so it’s the right thing to do to let it rest for a little while.”
Garrett takes Voth’s place in the bullpen. The 30-year-old had a 1.59 ERA in 19 outings for Triple-A Norfolk, striking out 27 batters in 22 2/3 innings. Between the 2019 Detroit Tigers and 2022 Nationals, Garrett made 20 major league appearances with a 7.66 ERA. He signed a minor league deal with the Orioles this offseason.
Hyde said the Orioles felt a need for another right-handed reliever for the rest of their series with Toronto and their upcoming matchup with the Chicago Cubs. Veteran right-handers Mychal Givens (right shoulder inflammation) and Dillon Tate (right elbow flexor strain), who have combined for fewer than two weeks on the active roster all season, are each nearing their second rehabilitation assignments.
“He’s been throwing the ball well in Norfolk and got a little bit of major league experience,” Hyde said of Garrett. “We’re gonna give an opportunity up here.”
With Mountcastle’s IL placement coming just before Tuesday’s first pitch, the Orioles added Kolozsvary, who was already with the team as a member of the taxi squad, to the roster to avoid playing with a short bench. Ahead of Wednesday’s game, they brought back Ortiz, a 24-year-old who has gone 7-for-27 in the majors while batting .328 with a .944 OPS for Norfolk.
“Joey adds some versatility to us, like he has when he’s been up here before,” Hyde said. “Played extremely well. He’s gone back down, he’s swinging the bat well last few games. But Joey adds versatility to our defense. He’s swung the bat well against left-handed pitching so far when he’s been with us. And [he’s] a guy I can put anywhere in the infield, so good feeling to have him.”
Hyde praised how Ortiz has handled the transactional nature of his season, with Wednesday’s move marking his third call-up of his rookie season.
“I think everybody’s aware and understands where we are, and we have a lot of good players up here,” Hyde said. “That’s what happens when you have a good club. The depth is extremely important, and to have guys come here fill in, especially the way we have this year, I’m really impressed with all the guys that have kind of come up or come up and had to go back down. They’ve all taken it extremely well.”
Left-hander Cole Irvin will remain in the Orioles’ rotation after a solid return in Saturday’s 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. He is expected to start Friday at Wrigley Field, with Kyle Gibson and Dean Kremer following in the series against Chicago. That would line up Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells for the two-game series against the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Irvin, who was sent down to Triple-A after posting a 10.66 ERA in his first three starts, pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball to earn his first victory with Baltimore after being acquired in January for infield prospect Darell Hernaiz.
Infielder Luis Almeyda, the recipient of the largest signing bonus the Orioles have ever given to an international amateur, suffered a left ankle sprain and will miss the next several weeks of Dominican Summer League play.
Almeyda, 17, went 3-for-20 with two home runs, a double and eight RBIs in his first six games as a professional after signing with Baltimore for $2.3 million in January. He grew up in New Jersey but moved to the Dominican Republic about a year before he signed, making him eligible for this year’s international signing period.
Baseball America ranks Almeyda as the Orioles’ No. 23 prospect, third among their international signees behind Low-A catcher Samuel Basallo (No. 7) and Double-A infielder César Prieto (No. 16).
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