Blue Jays vs Orioles

Barger was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels due to right elbow soreness, which is a brutal development after he returned from the injured list Saturday following a month-long absence. The exact cause of the injury isn't known, but it's worth noting that the 26-year-old outfielder fired a 101.2-mph missile to throw out a runner at the plate Saturday. Barger seems unlikely to be available for Monday's series opener versus Tampa Bay, with his availability beyond that also in question.

The backstop has been sidelined since April 3 due to a fractured thumb that required surgery, but Kirk's recovery is proceeding without setbacks and the Blue Jays remain optimistic he'll be back before the end of May. In his absence, Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman will continue to split catching duties.

Ponce sprained his right ACL in late March, which was a severe enough injury to require season-ending surgery, but he should be available for the start of spring training. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays in December after spending three seasons in Japan. Ponce's start against the Rockies on March 30 -- when he suffered his injury -- was his first appearance in an MLB game since 2021, when he played with the Pirates.

Berrios had previously been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his elbow. He will visit Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday for an additional exam before the next steps are determined. Berrios had been closing in on a return before his recent setback, but his status now is very much up in the air.

Estrada was originally optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, but the team later discovered a shoulder issue that he suffered while playing in the big leagues, so he'll land on the major-league IL. He'll be eligible to return to action Monday, at which point the Blue Jays will likely send him back down to Buffalo.

Scherzer battled a nagging thumb issue last season and the injury has reared its ugly head again. The 41-year-old hurler had already been in the midst of a shutdown period after being administered a cortisone shot in his right forearm last Thursday. Scherzer has been shelved since late April, and his absence could be further extended following a second injection.

Lukes has been ramping up his running progression and could be cleared for a rehab assignment at Single-A Dunedin later this week. He's been sidelined since late April with a left hamstring strain.

Povich had to depart Thursday's game in Miami with the injury, and it's not a surprise it led to an IL stint. It's unclear whether the southpaw needs additional testing or if he's already been cleared of any structural damage in his pitching elbow. Trey Gibson has taken Povich's spot on the Baltimore roster.

While Albernaz noted that Kremer's strained right quad hasn't fully healed, the right-hander is "trending in the right direction" and has made enough progress in his recovery to at least start playing catch again. Kremer will gradually stretch out his throwing distance off flat ground before graduating to pitching off a mound. A clearer target date for Kremer's return from the 15-day injured list won't be established until he reaches the point in his rehab that he's facing live hitters in simulated games or minor-league starts.

After being scratched from the lineup ahead of Tuesday's 6-2 loss due to right oblique discomfort, Beavers will remain on the bench for the series finale. The left-handed-hitting Beavers likely would have been held out of the lineup Wednesday regardless with southpaw Max Fried on the hill for the Yankees, making it unclear whether the injury is still affecting him. In any case, he'll essentially get two more days of recovery, as the Orioles are off Thursday before kicking off a three-game set in Washington on Friday.

Wolfram hasn't pitched since he gave up one run in two-thirds of an inning against the Marlins last Wednesday, and it appears his absence has been due to a back injury. His move to the injured list will rule him out until at least May 24, and the O's will recall Tyler Wells from Triple-A Norfolk to fill the vacancy in their bullpen.

Kjerstad was cleared to embark on a rehab assignment with Double-A Chesapeake on Saturday. His move to the 60-day IL means that he won't be available to make his 2026 season debut until late May, but Kjerstad's rehab stint will likely be lengthy given that he's recovering from a strained right hamstring that he suffered during spring training.

According to Jake Rill of MLB.com, Helsley was spotted taking part in running drills at Camden Yards over the weekend, but the right-hander is still waiting to receive the green light to begin throwing again after landing on the injured list May 1 due to elbow inflammation. Though he's eligible to come off the IL later this week, Helsley's return to the active roster shouldn't be viewed as imminent until he resumes facing hitters. Since Helsley hit the shelf, Rico Garcia has collected both of the Orioles' save chances.

Mountcastle was diagnosed with a fractured fourth metacarpal in his left foot following his exit from Saturday's game against the Giants. His placement on the 60-day IL means the earliest he can return to major-league action is mid-to-late June, though it wouldn't be surprising to see Mountcastle on the shelf until the All-Star break in mid-July. With Mountcastle sidelined for an extended period of time, the Orioles acquired Christian Encarnacion-Strand from the Reds and assigned him to Triple-A Norfolk.

Monday will mark the first day that Rogers is eligible to return from the IL after being placed on the shelf April 29 upon falling ill with the flu. Rogers indicated that he doesn't expect to require a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated, noting that he thinks the throwing session he completed Saturday will be sufficient. The Orioles' coaching staff is still finalizing rotation plans for the three-game set with the Yankees, but even if Rogers isn't deemed ready to pitch during that upcoming series, he'll have a good chance at making it back from the IL by the end of the week.

Placed on the injured list April 5 due to right shoulder inflammation, Hiraldo met with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on April 20 to receive a second opinion on his injury. Hiraldo apparently received a favorable prognosis, given that the Orioles have signed off on him starting up a throwing program just a few weeks later. Baltimore transferred Hiraldo to the 60-day IL shortly shortly after initially deactivating him, so the right-hander will likely be built up slowly during his throwing program. He'll be eligible to return from the shelf in early June.

The Orioles moved Eflin to the 60-day injured list Tuesday after he received a second opinion on his injured elbow, and he'll now be out until midway through the 2027 campaign after going under the knife. The 32-year-old righty will finish 2026 having made just 15 starts over the past two seasons, during which he's posted a 5.76 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 75 innings.

An X-ray confirmed the thumb fracture, which Vazquez suffered when he was hit by a pitch in Sunday's game against the Nationals. Vazquez also required stitches to seal a wound on his hand. A timeline for Vazquez's return will likely depend on whether or not he requires surgery, but regardless, the thumb injury removes the 26-year-old from consideration for a reserve infield role on the Orioles' Opening Day roster. Vazquez is expected to open the season on Triple-A Norfolk's injured list.

Basallo was a late scratch from Monday's lineup due to left knee discomfort. However, it seems he's managed to avoid a significant injury. Assuming all goes according to plan, Basallo should be back in the starting lineup within the next day or so.