Young is the storyline worth tracking. He turned in his first quality start of the year on May 6 against Miami, then followed it up by holding the Yankees to 2 runs over 5.1 on May 11. For a staff that's been hemorrhaging length, those two outings are basically a parade. He's at 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA and he looks like the steadiest arm Baltimore has trotted out in weeks.
Mikolas, on the other side, is the reason the Nats are giving home dog plus-money in a game they should otherwise be favored in. The 7.00 ERA is ugly, but it's actually been trending the right way — Washington dropped him into bulk-relief work after a 12.41 ERA through his first 3 starts, and he finally got back into the 6th inning for the first time this year in his most recent outing. He's allowed 2 or fewer runs in 4 of his last 6. Cautious progress, not a fixed pitcher.
The Orioles injury list reads like a depth chart. Mountcastle, Westburg (Tommy John), Kjerstad, Holliday, Beavers, Kremer, Povich, Eflin (Tommy John), Bautista, Helsley — that's most of an Opening Day roster sitting in street clothes. Washington isn't healthy either, with Trevor Williams, Josiah Gray, and DJ Herz all working back from elbow stuff, but at least the lineup is intact. James Wood and CJ Abrams have been carrying a top-5 slugging offense, per the Camden Chat series preview.
- Day-To-DayRichard Guasch (SP) — no05/08
- Day-To-DayWill Robertson (LF) — The Orioles reassigned Robertson to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayKeagan Gillies (P) — Gillies will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a quad injury, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayLuis Vazquez (SS) — Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday that Vazquez has been diagnosed with a broken right thumb, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILDylan Beavers (RF) — Beavers (oblique) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.05/13
- 10-Day-ILJackson Holliday (2B) — Holliday (hand) will play at third base in a rehab game with Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.05/09
- 15-Day-ILRyan Helsley (RP) — Helsley (elbow) played catch Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.05/15
- 15-Day-ILGrant Wolfram (RP) — The Orioles placed Wolfram on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a lower-back strain, retroactive to Saturday.05/12
- 15-Day-ILDean Kremer (SP) — Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday that Kremer (quadriceps) has begun a throwing program, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.05/11
- 15-Day-ILCade Povich (SP) — The Orioles placed Povich on the 15-day injured list Friday with left shoulder inflammation.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRyan Mountcastle (1B) — General manager Mike Elias said Friday that Mountcastle is expected to return sometime in late June or July, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.05/15
- 60-Day-ILJordan Westburg (3B) — Westburg (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Andrew Golden of TheBanner.com reports.05/15
- 60-Day-ILHeston Kjerstad (LF) — The Orioles transferred Kjerstad (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list Monday.05/11
- 60-Day-ILYaramil Hiraldo (RP) — The Orioles announced Monday that Hiraldo (shoulder) has resumed a throwing program, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.05/11
- 60-Day-ILColin Selby (RP) — The Orioles placed Selby on the 60-day injured list Saturday due to right shoulder inflammation, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILZach Eflin (SP) — Eflin underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILFelix Bautista (RP) — Bautista (shoulder) threw a baseball Tuesday for the first time since undergoing surgery last August, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayTyler Baum (DH) — Baum has not pitched this year due an undisclosed injury.05/08
- Day-To-DayTravis Sykora (SP) — Sykora will undergo a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow in two weeks, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayJarlin Susana (RP) — Susana underwent surgery last week to repair a right lat tear, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILCole Henry (RP) — Henry (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester this weekend, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.05/15
- 15-Day-ILClayton Beeter (RP) — Beeter (forearm) is ready to begin a rehab assignment, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.05/12
- 15-Day-ILMax Kranick (RP) — The Nationals signed Kranick (elbow) to a one-year, $800,000 contract Tuesday and placed him on the 15-day injured list.05/08
- OutTyler Stuart (SP) — Stuart underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this week, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILDJ Herz (SP) — Herz (elbow) will throw to live hitters Friday at the Nationals' spring training facility in Florida, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.05/15
- 60-Day-ILTrevor Williams (SP) — Williams (elbow) began pitching off a mound at the Nationals' spring training complex this weekend, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJosiah Gray (SP) — Gray (elbow) has resumed a throwing program, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILKen Waldichuk (RP) — The Nationals transferred Waldichuk (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
The market has the Nats as the live home dog at +114 and a total of 10, which feels about right for a game where one starter is rounding into form and the other is still figuring out if he belongs in a rotation. Baltimore needs Young to give them 6 innings because the bullpen — minus Helsley, minus Bautista, minus Wolfram — cannot be asked to cover much more than that. Take the over and hope Mikolas reverts. Or trust Young and lay the run and a half. Neither answer is comfortable, which tracks for both of these teams.