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.

The primary focus of the procedure will be to repair the stress fracture in his elbow, though there is also concern about possible ligament damage. More will be known regarding his return timeline following the procedure, though ligament repair would likely rule him out for the remainder of the season.

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 sidelined since April 24 with a left hamstring strain, but he's been running the bases and will do so again this weekend before heading out on his rehab stint. Yohendrick Pinango has been seeing extensive playing time in the Toronto outfield with both Lukes and Addison Barger (elbow) missing action.

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.

It marked the first time Helsley has played catch since being placed on the injured list May 1. His elbow is progressing and feeling much better, according to Kubatko. Helsley will likely need a rehab assignment before rejoining Baltimore's bullpen, but it would appear he still has multiple boxes to check in his recovery before getting to that point.

Mountcastle landed on the 60-day injured list April 13 after suffering a fracture in his left foot, so the earliest he could return would be June 12. However, it appears the Orioles expect him to need a few weeks more than a minimum stint. A more precise timeline will likely emerge once he starts to ramp up his activity.

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.