There was a hopeful update this week from O's righty Grayson Rodriguez
And how is skipper Tony Mansolino now settling into his job?
BALTIMORE – It seems there has been some mystery around Grayson Rodriguez and his injuries this year. Part of that might have been that it had been a while since the local reporters had talked with the 25-year-old righty.
But that changed Friday afternoon, when Grayson walked to his local and called reporters over for his first in-season interview.
Several positives came from that interview, but when it comes to injuries – and a pitcher we have not seen in the majors since July 31, 2024 – there are no guarantees.
But Rodriguez pledged he is “definitely going to pitch this year.” He also provided the news that his elbow issue from spring is no longer an issue and now it is just about rehabbing his lat injury.
Rodriguez told us that being away from the club and unable to help the club win games, was the hardest part right now. The mental side is tough.
But he also said, in that regard, he has several people he has been able to turn to.
“I mean I think there are a number of people. Pitchers on this staff like (Zach) Eflin and (Kyle) Bradish, you know, other guys that have been through similar things. Obviously, you know my family and pitches coaches that I look up to that aren’t with this organization that I spent some time with before I was in the big league. I think a lot of those people have helped me. It’s not just one person, but it’s a whole team.”
No surprise here, but Grayson is very confident in this team turning around the season.
“Absolutely. Without a doubt. This clubhouse hasn’t changed. It feels like the same clubhouse we had in ’23 or last year. There are no tensions or drama. This is probably one of the few clubhouses in baseball where there isn’t a guy that you don’t like or is causing issues.
“When you can have a good clubhouse like this, you expect to win games. Right now we have been playing a lot better, so I think we’re going to really get on a hot streak here and finish the season how we want to.”
Mansolino settles in
When the Orioles changed managers on May 17, the team lost four in a row after that and six of the first seven games under interim manager Tony Mansolino.
It seemed it would take the entire organization a few days to process all that happened. But then the club won the last two of a four-game series in Boston in late May. And now the Orioles are 12-6 since then.
Earlier this week, an out-of-town reporter asked Mansolino how he was feeling now about getting the manager job here?
“I have a lot of feelings and emotions,” he said. “It’s getting more, I don’t like the word comfortable in the big leagues, but more routine, you know, then it probably was the first couple of days when we threw up a touchdown in the first inning and felt like the place was burning down for a couple of days.
“We kind of got on the road and things settled down and players got comfortable with me and the environment and the staff. I feel like things settled down. You know there are probably some results on the field that look good on nights, that are looking better in some ways and more other ways the same. But, it feels like it is become more of a routine than the first couple of days.”
The magnitude of the job and task are noted by Mansolino.
“It effects a lot of people here, what my responsibility is. It’s not me, it’s not the players, it’s the staff, it’s the front office, the people that work in the stadium, the fans. What I have come to understand here over these weeks, is like, trying to get this thing on the tracks and moving in the right direction. It’s not about me, it’s not about those guys, really it’s about the whole organization and the people that come to the games.
“It’s a huge responsibility, I know that. Right now I am living that on a day-to-day basis and we take it very seriously.”
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O’s win again versus the Angels: The Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-5 on Saturday afternoon and they can sweep this series this afternoon. The Orioles (29-40) have won 10 of 14 and 13 of the last 19 games.
They are 4-1 against the Angels and 8-3 against AL West teams.
Cedric Mullins hit a two-run homer in the sixth that provided the O’s a 5-4 lead and a Gary Sanchez homer made it 6-4.
Closer Felix Bautista recorded another save while hitting 100 mph on the radar gun. He has recorded his last seven save chances and averaged 98.4 mph on his fastball yesterday, up 1.3 mph from usual. He is 14-for-15 on the year in save chances.
