Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

It is the time of year when baseball sites, including Gaslamp Ball, try to predict or look ahead at what could be in store for various teams around MLB. The San Diego Padres have had a confounding 100-plus games this season. At times, the starting pitching appeared to be carrying the team, while at other times it, albeit on fewer occasions, it seemed the offense was carrying the team. This inconsistent play has led the Padres to a game below .500 with a record of 50-51. That is not exactly the position the Friar Faithful hoped to find their favorite team at this point in the season, but it still has San Diego within striking distance of a Wild Card berth.

With that being said, the MLB Trade Deadline is just around the corner on Aug. 3 and the path for the Padres is anything but clear. One thing is for certain; president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller is not one to sit idly by at the deadline. He is always in conversations with various teams around the league about any number of players. Of course, he also listens to offers on his own player, but recent seasons have seen Preller focus on adding to his club.

The 2026 season and deadline may be one of the rare occasions where Preller is forced to sell. It is not something he seems to want to do no matter the situation, but it is something a prudent front office executive will have to do from time to time. Preller may have to part with pieces to build up his minor league system. It has been rumored he could look to move a major player like Mason Miller in hopes that he could attach an albatross contract like Xander Bogaerts in an effort to get some salary relief. However, he also has his top minor league prospect in Ethan Salas who could fetch a fair trade should the Padres convince Preller to go all-in at the deadline.

The Padres Reacts Survey poll question this week on Gaslamp Ball focuses on those two players. Miller is arguably the best player on the San Diego roster and is already rumored to be the crown jewel of the trade season and Salas could be a unicorn as a switch-hitting catcher who is better on defense with his offensive skills steadily improving. It is not hard to imagine Miller or Salas being moved in a trade and they could be moved for very different reasons. Who has the most value? Miller or Salas. Which player, if traded, would be more difficult to lose? There is nothing set in terms of how Preller will approach the deadline but these questions may become very real very fast depending on the remaining games before the deadline.

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Don’t look now, but the Red Sox are 1.5 games away from having the third-best record in the American League. That mark is currently held by the co-leaders in the AL Central, with the Chicago White Sox (53-47) and Cleveland Guardians (54-48) in a virtual tie for first place.

The problem with having the third-best record in the American League is, of course, being in the same division as the two teams with the best records in the American League. That would leave you with the #5 seed in the American League playoffs, which would send Boston on the road for all three games of the Wild Card series. That is the exact spot that the Red Sox found themselves a year ago — on the road playing at Yankee Stadium (currently the #4 seed). While some might argue that being on the road isn’t a bad thing, given the Red Sox road vs. home splits (away: 29-21, home: 22-27), the playoffs are a whole different animal.

Therefore, I’ve shifted away from focusing on the wild card for the time being and started looking above us in the American League East. Going 7-0 against the Yankees and the Rays over this recent stretch of 19 wins in 21 games will do that to a person.

In the loss column, the Red Sox are six behind the Rays and four behind the Yankees, as we enter this pivotal doubleheader against the Orioles on Wednesday. Catch one team and the #4 seed, and a home series is yours. Catch both, and you’ve got a bye and home field throughout the playoffs. Is that too lofty of a goal?

In terms of head-to-head remaining, Boston plays three games at Tampa (Sep 18-20) and four games at New York (Aug 28-30). The Yankees notably postponed a game on June 6th and rescheduled it as a doubleheader in late August, presumably when they’d have Aaron Judge (and others) back on the active roster. Be careful what you wish for.

What is a reasonable goal for the rest of the season, with 63 games to go? Discuss in the comments and be good to each other.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Philadelphia Phillies once again tonight, with Eric Lauer looking to add to Philly's struggles against left-handed pitchers. 

My Dodgers vs. Phillies predictions are eyeing the visitors, who are slight -116 favorites, to give Aaron Nola some trouble, while Lauer will keep the host bats at bay. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Wednesday, July 22. 

Who will win Dodgers vs Phillies today: Dodgers (-116)

Eric Lauer takes the mound this evening for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he owns a 3.60 xERA over his last three outings while allowing just 1.00 HR/9.

Lauer has also held opponents to a mere 24.6% hard-hit rate during that span, and he’ll face a Philadelphia Phillies lineup that has struggled against lefties, posting a .150 ISO and 87 wRC+.

On the other side, Aaron Nola has a 5.85 FIP over his last five appearances while giving up 2.63 HR/9.

Neither offense is thriving, but Nola’s recent home run issues give the Dodgers a clear path to generate enough offense.

I’ll play this pick to -130.

COVERS INTEL: Nola has allowed 2.23 HR/9 at home this season compared to a 1.84 mark on the road.

Dodgers vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 runs (-107)

There may be stars on both teams, but neither club is swinging it particularly well. The Phillies have an 86 wRC+ across the last two weeks, while Los Angeles has posted just 67 wRC+ during that span. 

While both bullpens also have FIPs right around 5.00, it's hard to overlook the clear offensive struggles.

Philadelphia also has a .169 ISO over its last 10 games, while Los Angeles sits at a .126 ISO in its previous nine. 

Power is a path to more runs, and it simply isn't there right now. 

I'll play this pick to -130. 

Dodgers vs Phillies weather

Conditions should be warm and mostly dry at Citizens Bank Park tonight, with temperatures around 83 degrees early before falling into the upper 70s. Winds will be light, dropping from roughly 9 mph to 3–5 mph later, while rain chances stay low. Weather should have minimal impact, though the warm air could slightly help carry.

Dodgers vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -113 | Phillies +108
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+138) | Phillies +1.5 (-144)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-104) | Under 9.5 (-100)

Dodgers vs Phillies trend

The Dodgers are 6-0 in Lauer's last six starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Phillies.

How to watch Dodgers vs Phillies and game info

Dodgers vs Phillies latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

As we continue our series we get to the most difficult position to profile. It is difficult because we entered into this series with some established rules. Players need to play a considerable amount at the position (you’ve seen some players qualify at more than one position) and they need to record at least 120 outs. Yordan Alvarez is the only player on the Astros to qualify in left field, but he does not play a ton of left field. So, later in the article we will create a player we will name Joey Dezenfido Jr. to tally up essentially what the Astros have been getting in left field.

We could have included Taylor Trammel, but he is playing more center these days and that will become important in the next piece. There can be no doubt that Yordan Alvarez is the best offensive player in the American League. Whether that makes him an MVP is certainly open to debate. Usually MVPs contribute with both the bat and the glove and there are certainly worthy candidates on other teams that do that. However, today we are looking only at offense.

Looking at the triumverate of Lamont Wade Jr, Joey Loperfido, and Zach Dezenzo becomes important because it will be the benchmark we measure any possible outfield acquisitions with. Obviously, both left field and center field are open possibilities and these next two articles will hopefully settle which position the Astros should target in a perfect world.

We use bases per out because they are much more accurate and all encompassing than cruder stats like OPS and OPS+. They are probably most similar to wOBA and rOBA, but since the formula is more transparent (because it is mine) it will hopefully be more meaningful. This is a gentle reminder that the MLB average for BPO is .676, but as we have seen, each position is different and brings with it different expectations. Otherwise, this article will serve as the lime wedge for the tequila shot that will be the other outfield positions.

We should start with the number of left fielders. There are 19 here. More designated hitters are classified as left fielders than any other outfield position. They include Alvarez, George Springer, Jorge Soler, and Masataka Yoshida. We can continue with the notion that pegging numbers during a baseball season is always a moving target. These were the numbers prior to Sunday’s game before the all-star break. A few hot games or a few 0 fers can change the numbers a little, but when you are 90 games into the season we begin to see some crystallization of numbers.

Simply put, Yordan’s numbers are stupid. Only Taylor Ward has more walks and Alvarez laps the field in total bases. One of the markers of an MVP is how much better a player is than the rest of the players at his position. It isn’t even close. If Randy Arozorena wasn’t a human target at the plate the gap would even be more significant. The question isn’t so much of what to do with Yordan or how great he is then what is happening at the rest of the position.

As you can see, the bar for being the mean or median AL left fielder is higher than any other position save first base. So, when we look at the numbers for the other left fielders on the roster we have to look at it in that context. It is one thing to get a league average hitter at any position but a league average hitter is not a league average left fielder.

We should start with some uncomfortable truths. Dezenzo and Loperfido have the bulk of the plate appearances and Denenzo sits at a .600 BPO at the break and Loperfido sits at a .585 BPO at the break. Wade just doesn’t have enough plate appearances to really peg where he is at this point. There is no way of telling whether he is another Breden Shewmake or Raymel Deglado or whether he can stick as a legitimate option from the left side of the plate.

Similarly, Trammel could be an option there as well and he is performing better than this, but putting him in left field means a steady diet of Brice Matthews in center field. As we have seen, the Astros are league median or better at every position on the diamond except for this one. Obviously, we haven’t looked at center field or right field yet.

You cannot have an all-star at every position. However, you also can’t have a batting order with three holes in it. That doesn’t even count that some other hitters have been wildly inconsistent throughout the season. Unless you plan on sewing some alternate jerseys and employing some funky fake facial hair, you cannot maximize Yordan more than what you are currently doing. Even a league average left and center fielder would do wonders for this lineup.

As people have pointed out in comments, there are other holes on the roster. There is at least one hole if not more in the rotation. There could probably be an argument made for a late inning leverage guy from the right side. We have now identified two outfield slots. That’s as many as five guys. So, which hole is the most pressing to fill? That is the question the Astros face as they approach the deadline.

Fernando Tatis Jr. put the exclamation point on an 8-3 win with a monster two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to lead the San Diego Padres over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday night. Tatis stepped to the plate in the top of the inning with Luis Rengifo on first base after a one-out walk. Tatis worked the count full against Atlanta reliever JR Ritchie, battling through seven pitches. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat Ritchie left a curveball over the middle of the plate and Tatis deposited it into the left-center field bleachers 474 feet away to give San Diego a six-run lead.

Tatis was not the only Padres player to homer in the game, but he was the last. Jackson Merrill started the slugfest with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning that tied the game, 2-2. Manny Machado added a solo home run in the top of the fifth to make the score, 5-2 and he hit his second home run of the game in the top of the sixth to push the score to 6-2.

Walker Buehler started on the mound for San Diego and turned in his best performance of July. Buehler work into and out of trouble in the second inning when two walks and a triple by Jim Jarvis gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Buehler then allowed a walk to Drake Baldwin to put runners on the corners for the Braves, but he got out of the jam with a strikeout of Ozzie Albies to keep the Padres within a run. Buehler settled in after the second and retired all three batters in the third, fourth and fifth innings. He pitched into the sixth where he was able to get two outs but left the game with runners on second and third. Yuki Matsui came in and allowed a walk to pinch-hitter Joey Bart to load the bases before he got Brewer Hicklen to strikeout on three pitches to end the frame.

Bradgley Rodriguez followed Matsui and Adrian Morejon handled the eighth inning before Mason Miller made his first appearance since striking out three consecutive batters against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Miller allowed a hit and walked one, but ultimately ended the inning and the game with three more strikeouts in a non-save situation.

For the second time in as many days, the Padres outhit the Braves. San Diego finished with 13 hits, while Atlanta managed just four hits. Tatis led the charge for the Padres finishing 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, with Machado finishing 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Merrill went 2-for-4 with a run an RBI and a walk and Ty France chipped in with a multi-hit night, finishing 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jake Cronenworth, Luis Campusano, Xander Bogaerts and Rengifo all finished with a hit in the game.

San Diego will look for a similar offensive output against Atlanta when Michael King takes the mound in the third game of the series this afternoon at 4:15 p.m.

Padres News:

• Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Balllooks at the various paths A.J. Preller and the Padres could take at the trade deadline.

• Xander Bogaerts found himself batting eighth in the lineup in the second game against the Braves and the Padres shortstop understands what he needs to do if he wants to regain his typical spot in the lineup.

• Padres second-round draft pick signs his deal and is ready to start his professional career with San Diego.

• The Padres need to win games if they want to give the organization a reason to buy at the deadline, but their sluggish start to the second half may get the alternate approach.

• The sale of the Padres could finally be coming to an end with a vote expected soon.

Baseball News:

• The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies with a wild game-ending double play.

• The Miami Marlins turned a 5-4-3 triple play, but lost to the Houston Astros, 5-3.

• Framber Valdez allowed six first-inning runs to the Chicago Cubs who went on to beat the Detroit Tigers, 11-2.

• The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays on the strength of 21 hits.

• The Kansas City Royals earned their second consecutive win over the San Francisco Giants.

• Hunter Goodman hit his 31st home run of the season for the Colorado Rockies and helped them beat the Washington Nationals, 8-7.

The Mets are expected to be active sellers at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Here's the latest news and rumors...

July 22, 9:12 a.m.

There are multiple teams with "preliminary interest" in outfielder Luis Robert Jr., per Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The Mets hold a $20 million team option for the 2027 season on Robert, who recently returned after being out since April 27 due to a back injury.

With New York all but certain to decline that option if Robert remains on the team through the end of the year, trading him before the deadline makes sense.

Robert hit a mammoth 451-foot homer on Tuesday night against the Brewers in Milwaukee and played strong defense in center field, showcasing the upside that should be of interest to contending teams. 

Potentially complicating matters is that Robert still has a relatively significant amount owed to him this season, which could possibly make a deal tough unless the Mets eat a portion of that money.

July 20, 9:35 a.m.

White Sox special assistant Nick Hostelter has been sent to "keep tabs" on Mets right-hander Clay Holmes, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Holmes is working his way back from a freak injury to his fibula that he suffered when he was struck by a line drive on May 15.

There is mutual interest between Holmes and the Mets on a potential extension, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes recently reported.

However, if the two sides are unable to come to an agreement, it is very likely that Holmes will be dealt ahead of the deadline.

That's because Holmes holds a $12 million player option for the 2027 season that he is all but certain to decline.

Holmes, 33, has a 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 52.2 innings over nine starts this season. 

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The New York Yankees are heavy -170 favorites in the first leg of today's doubleheader.

Facing off against a struggling Mitch Keller, they're in a great spot to pile up the runs in a high-scoring victory.

Let's break it all down with my Pirates vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks for Wednesday, July 22. 

Who will win Pirates vs Yankees today: New York Yankees (-170)

Mitch Kellerowns a 6.0 ERA over the last month, and his 6.47 xERA suggests that is deserved.

He is giving up a ton of hard contact, fly balls, and struggling to keep it in the park. Keller has conceded 2.57 homers per nine innings during that stretch.

The New York Yankeesrank eighth in homers and seventh in ISO against righties in July. They are not a team Keller wants to see, especially at Yankee Stadium.

Gerrit Cole should get all the run support he needs as he works to find his footing.

Play to -185.

COVERS INTEL: Keller's contact profile is alarmingly bad, resulting in a fourth percentile ranking in xBA.

Pirates vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+100)

Keller has not held up against quality offenses.He owns an abysmal 8.72 ERA and has allowed at least three runs in eight of nine starts when facing teams that slot Top-11 in OPS vs. right-handed pitching.

The Yankees fit the criteria, and the power boost they’ll see playing at Yankee Stadium only makes matters worse.

Cole has not looked sharp, and that’s been problematic at home. He has allowed 1.91 homers per nine innings in New York.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have real power and will capitalize on any mistakes.

Bet to -115.

Pirates vs Yankees weather

Temperatures should approach the mid-80s with strong winds blowing out. Clear and noticeable boost to the bats.

Pirates vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Pirates +145 | Yankees -170
• Run line: Pirates +1.5 (-130) | Yankees -1.5 (+110)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-105) | Under 9.5 (-115)

Pirates vs Yankees trend

Pittsburgh has hit the Game Total Over in 30 of last 45 games (+14.95 units, 31% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Yankees.

How to watch Pirates vs Yankees and game info

Pirates vs Yankees latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are heading down the back half of the season in the midst of a playoff race, and they have a myriad of questions surrounding whether or not they will be buyers or sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline. Apparently, according to one source, the Bucs are listening to offers on outfielder Oneil Cruz.

MLB inside source Bob Nightengale had this to say about the situation:

“They do have outfield depth. Can they trade Oneil Cruz to get some bullpen help? They need bullpen help as much as any contender out there. They can use another starter too. So I think they’re going to listen to offers on Oneil Cruz to see if they get the other pieces.”

Cruz has been the topic of trade speculation before, as many people felt he wasn’t reaching his potential in Pittsburgh and could get some interest from teams chasing a pennant. The irony is that Cruz is having his best season at the plate.

Despite currently being on the 60-day injured list, Cruz is expected back sometime around the beginning of to middle August. He’s averaging .264 at the plate with 14 homers and 44 RBIs as well as 21 stolen bases. The average is the best of his career, as is his OBP of .350 and his slugging percentage of .472.

He still has some work to do in the field, with his .986 fielding percentage sitting in the 30s for centerfielders, but overall, Cruz is having his finest season as a pro, which would certainly drive his value higher. One potential issue is do we trust Ben Cherington to get the most out of a Cruz deal? He hasn’t exactly been crushing trades with the Bucs.

But with the team currently loaded on offense and the pitching staff struggling, dealing Cruz for an arm to help down the stretch run certainly isn’t the worst idea.

Tell us in the comments how you feel about a possible Cruz deal.

Don’t forget to vote in our poll in The Feed, and our Reacts poll will be up later today.

It’s Nola Day. He’ll be taking the mound tonight for the rubber match against the Dodgers. It’s not news to you that Nola has struggled this season and last. But he’s been solid over his past trio of starts, allowing three runs in two of them, and two in the other. Prior to that he had a seven-ER clunker, but before that, another trio of games with no more than three runs allowed. Of course, his old enemy, the long ball, has still been a problem: all three of the runs in his last start came on solo shots, and he’s only had one homer-free game in his last seven starts.

All of which is to ask: has Nola’s unspectacular but solid performance over his past few starts changed how you’re feeling about him?

The Braves lost to the Padres on Tuesday night. That in and of itself isn’t weird, especially considering that it came at home. Did you know that the Braves haven’t won a home series from the Padres since 2018? That’s a lot of really good years (including 2022 and 2023, where the team won 100-plus games), but… the Padres in Atlanta have been an issue. (The Braves have also lost a bunch of series to the Padres going back to mid-2024, including a playoff series… but they did actually win a road series against them in 2024.)

Anyway, here’s some random weird stuff about last night:

The Braves set a season-high in walk rate at 20.5 percent. They tied their season high in walks with eight. In the other three games they had eight walks, they scored eight, 10, and 17 runs. Yet, they scored just three runs.

Despite all the walks, the team had its second-worst quality of contact of the season (.224 xwOBACON). It was shut out in its only game with a worse xwOBACON on the season. In essence, the Braves did nothing on swings, but did a lot when not swinging.

Two of their runsscored on a not-that-well struck ball that perfectly split the defense and looked awesome. Jim Jarvis’ triple had a .163 xBA and .214 xwOBA, and came off the bat at 94 mph. Then, Jarvis had a nearly-perfect bloop single off Mason Miller of all people. Speaking of…

The Padres used Mason Miller in a five-run game for some reason. Talk about a bazooka to kill a fly. They had a five-run lead. Miller ended up having to throw a lot of pitches because of Jarvis’ bloop and a walk to Drake Baldwin, not that he had any real issues in the inning. Imagine using the best reliever in baseball in a situation where the other team could’ve been justified in pitching Elieser Hernandez in the top half of the inning.

The Braves scored a run on a balk. I don’t even have anything to add. I don’t know the last time the Braves scored a run on a balk. To add to the weirdness: when the home plate umpire spoke to the crowd about the balk, his words said that the batter at the time (Austin Riley) was to take first base, maybe because the pitch-on-which-there-was-a-balk was taken outside the zone. (The words were, “run scores, second and first” or something along those lines.) Yet, per the rules, Riley did not take first base, and actually struck out instead of making more of a game of it. So the umpire called a balk, and then goofed the verbal (not applied) explanation of what was to happen.

Bonus: the Phillies didn’t gain a game in the standings because of an Eli White-level baserunning mistake. In case you missed it, they had the tying run on third with one out in the ninth, and the go-ahead run on second in the form of JT Realmuto. Brandon Marsh hit a sliced dribbler to third. The runner on third was cut down in a rundown, prolonged enough to allow Realmuto to reach third. But, for some reason, Realmuto started running back to second base, which allowed the Dodgers to easily throw in that direction and tag him out, ending the game.

So, how weird does all this rate?

The Orioles had won seven straight before traveling to Boston to face the only team in the league touting a better win streak. The Birds were set to play in their first series in over a year that carried a heightened sense of meaning. Playing the Red Sox—a division opponent in possession of a playoff spot—marked an opportunity for the club to measure itself against a contender.

How did the Orioles respond? They committed four errors and lost a one-run game.

It’s always tempting to over analyze after a bad loss, and yesterday’s rain out only helps the cause. We all know that every outcome counts as one win or loss in the standings, but that game was rich with symbolism. Baltimore pulled Shane Baz (6 IP, 2 ER) after 77 pitches, and both relievers allowed a run. The team left the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Craig Albernaz pinch hit for Christian Encarnacion-Strand despite his strong offensive night, and Sam Huff finished 0-for-3 with three strikeouts for the second consecutive game.

At the same time, Tyler O’Neill squared up a ball that could have kept the Birds alive. The Orioles scored in four different innings despite missing Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo. They got another solid start from the rotation, and the Red Sox are obviously a good team too. Winning teams lose all the time, and you shouldn’t make a mountain out of a one-run molehill. But those four errors… Those are the type of plays that make you wonder if this team is capable of playing winning baseball.

So what exactly is winning baseball? Did the Orioles play winning baseball when they won seven consecutive games? It’s kind of like that thing the Supreme Court spent some time discussing in the 1960s. You know it when you see it.

The Orioles have been a bad defensive team all season, but they made some winning plays over that recent stretch. O’Neill extended the game with an impressive catch and throw in Houston. The outfielders made several running grabs, and Brandon Young’s kick save was named MLB’s play of the week.

This team is capable of making the necessary plays, but defense will never be considered a true strength. One or two defensive miscues may be inevitable, but those four errors felt like something more. It felt like the Orioles crumbled in their first big game of the season.

The American League is bad enough that a flawed team is going to make the playoffs. The Orioles could be that team. The question is whether a team like that can do any damage once they get there. Flawed teams can go on a run if they—and stop me if you’re over it by now—play winning baseball.

Jim Palmer has spent enough time explaining the value of hitting the cutoff man, but those things make a difference. Gunnar Henderson is capable of making the “wow” type of plays, but can he remain engaged over nine innings? Baltimore’s shortstop made his 12th error of the season on Monday and could have been credited with another when he failed to catch an 82 MPH line drive in third inning.

The rotation has provided some real reason for hope, and the bullpen has been better than it should be on paper. At a minimum, it feels like the Orioles could hang around with any AL team in a three-game series. Unfortunately, Baltimore is 8-15 in one-run games. Their eight wins are the lowest number of one-run victories in all of baseball.

The Orioles can’t go back and win any of those 15 games, but they can learn from the outcome. The front office, if they plan on buying, must determine what this team really needs. The club probably doesn’t want to pay the premium for Tarik Skubal or Joe Ryan. If acquiring a true ace is off the table, the team doesn’t need another mid-rotation starter.

The bullpen is a different story. The Birds need to flip the script in one-run games, and a shutdown reliever or two would go a long way. Ryan Helsley will be out until at least September, and it’s far too early to expect anything from Félix Bautista.

Will the team address the defense? A steady third baseman that hits righties would work wonders for this team, but nobody is replacing Henderson at short. It feels like the Orioles have been “learning how to win” since 2022, but the sentiment still rings true. The team had an extra day to flush Monday’s loss and can take a big step in the right direction by playing 18 innings of winning baseball today.