Baltimore at LA Angels, 6:38 PM PT first pitch at the Big A. Neither side has named a starter yet, which feels about right for a series where both clubs are mostly trying to figure out who's healthy enough to take the ball.
The Orioles roll in at 35-41, having dropped 4 of their last 5 with the lone win sandwiched in a Seattle doubleheader split. They've now scored 1 run or fewer in 2 of the last 3, and Adley Rutschman was out of the lineup over the weekend with a day-to-day note that nobody loves seeing. The rotation is duct tape at this point — Bassitt, Kremer, Povich all on the IL in some form, with Kremer and Povich starting rehab work but not back yet.
- Day-To-DayAdley Rutschman C — Rutschman isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Padres, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJhonkensy Noel RF — Noel was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Norfolk on Monday with left wrist inflammation, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- Day-To-DayLevi Wells P — Wells underwent successful core-muscle surgery Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- Day-To-DayRichard Guasch SP — no
- Day-To-DayWill Robertson LF — The Orioles reassigned Robertson to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 10-Day-ILDylan Beavers RF — Beavers (oblique) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Chesapeake on Thursday, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILChris Bassitt SP — Bassitt (back) received a facet injection to his lower back Friday, and he's set to begin his throwing progression, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCade Povich SP — Povich (elbow) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Chesapeake this week, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJose Soriano SP — Soriano (chest) will start Friday's contest on the mound against the Athletics, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMike Trout CF — Trout suffered his right hamstring injury in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Diamondbacks, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJorge Soler DH — Soler (oblique) ran on the field and did some light baseball activities Friday, per MLB.com.
- 10-Day-ILAdam Frazier 2B — Frazier (elbow) took part in light baseball activities Friday, per MLB.com.
- 10-Day-ILSebastian Rivero C — Rivero was removed from Tuesday's game against the Astros with an apparent left hand injury, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILGustavo Campero C — The Angels selected Campero's contract from Double-A Rocket City and placed him on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a fractured hand.
- 15-Day-ILGrayson Rodriguez SP — Rodriguez exited Sunday's contest against Tampa Bay in the third frame due to lower-back tightness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILTravis d'Arnaud C — D'Arnaud (foot) is no longer wearing a walking boot, and he played catch on the field Wednesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
The Angels are the rare team that can make Baltimore's medical report look manageable. Mike Trout strained his right hamstring grabbing for first base in Wednesday's 8-1 loss to Arizona and hit the 10-day IL, which is the entire ballgame for a lineup that already lost Jorge Soler, Adam Frazier, and Travis d'Arnaud for stretches. Grayson Rodriguez exited his last start with lower-back tightness and joins Yusei Kikuchi and Jack Kochanowicz on a starting-pitcher injury list that reads like a depth-chart subtraction problem.
LA is 30-46 and just got shut out 5-0 by the Athletics on Thursday. The one bright spot in their last 5 was a 7-0 win in Arizona — and then they immediately gave it all back the next night losing 8-1. Jose Soriano is the closest thing to stability they have, but he's pitching through a chest issue that has him listed day-to-day even as he keeps taking the ball.
Monday's series opener is two losing teams in mid-June with quiet stakes, but the Orioles really do need to start banking wins against the soft part of their schedule if they're going to crawl back toward .500 before the deadline conversations start getting ugly. The Angels, meanwhile, are trying to prove they can be functional without Trout — something they have not historically pulled off. Lineup cards on game day will tell you a lot more than the records do.