The Tigers roll into Camden Yards at 20-32, riding a 7-game losing streak and hitting a combined .199 since May 3. The Orioles aren't exactly humming either at 22-29, but they at least snapped a 3-game skid on Friday before Saturday's washout forced this split doubleheader. Two desperate teams, one rainy weekend, first pitch at 11:35 AM local.
Framber Valdez gets the ball for Detroit and the vibes are mixed. His last outing against the Mets was actually solid — 7 strikeouts, into the seventh — but the start before that was the now-infamous 10-run meltdown in Boston that preceded his suspension. Across his last 5 starts he's 0-2 with a 6.12 ERA, so the 4.58 season mark is flattering relative to how he's actually thrown lately.
Brandon Young counters for Baltimore and he's quietly been one of the few rotation pieces holding up. The 3-1 record with a 4.25 ERA isn't sexy, but in a rotation that lost Eflin to Tommy John and is missing Kremer and Povich, Young going past 5 innings at a respectable clip is exactly what Craig Albernaz needs in a game where bullpen length matters.
- Day-To-DayDugan Darnell RP — The Tigers announced Sunday that Darnell (hip) has been playing catch five times a week and is also taking part in a running progression, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- Day-To-DayJosue Briceno C — Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 10-Day-ILGleyber Torres 2B — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday that Torres (oblique) is still unable to swing a bat at full effort, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJavier Baez SS — Baez (ankle) has been conducting his rehab at the Tigers' spring training facility in Florida and is taking part in full baseball activities, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 10-Day-ILKerry Carpenter RF — Carpenter (shoulder) has been doing light running and throwing since landing on the 10-day injured list and expects to resume swinging a bat this week, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- 15-Day-ILBurch Smith RP — Smith has been diagnosed with right shoulder soreness and received a cortisone injection Friday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 15-Day-ILTarik Skubal SP — Skubal (elbow) threw a successful 35-pitch bullpen session Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILTy Madden SP — Madden (forearm) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- Day-To-DayLevi Wells P — Triple-A Norfolk placed Wells on its 7-day injured list Wednesday due to right hip discomfort, 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.
- 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.
- 10-Day-ILDylan Beavers RF — Beavers (oblique) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.
- 15-Day-ILCade Povich SP — Povich (elbow) met with Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday and is without an official timetable for his return after receiving a cortisone injection, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 15-Day-ILRyan Helsley RP — Helsley (elbow) played catch Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILGrant Wolfram RP — The Orioles placed Wolfram on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a lower-back strain, retroactive to Saturday.
The injury page is genuinely brutal for both clubs. Detroit is without Skubal, Verlander, Jobe, Olson, Madden, plus bats in Torres, Baez, Carpenter and Meadows. Baltimore counters with Mountcastle, Westburg (TJ), Helsley, Bautista, Kjerstad and a rotation patched with duct tape. Whichever bullpen blinks first in a doubleheader probably loses the day.
Pinnacle has the Orioles as slight -117 home favorites with a total of 8. That feels about right. Baltimore's offense isn't scary, but Detroit's lineup is the one batting under .200 for three weeks, and Valdez's recent form doesn't suggest he's the equalizer. If the Tigers are going to salvage this trip, it probably starts with him going 6 strong and the bats finding a pulse — neither of which has happened lately.