Orioles vs Blue Jays

The left-hander landed on the shelf May 8 due to elbow inflammation, and it appears he's avoided a serious injury after being evaluated further. Povich will be eligible to be reinstated from the injured list this weekend, but his lack of official return timeline indicates that his absence is likely to extend into June.

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.

Barger dealt with bilateral discomfort in both ankles early in April before landing on the IL with a left ankle sprain April 7. He returned May 9, but then on May 10, right elbow soreness required an MRI and he was placed on the IL with inflammation May 11. If he gets the green light to resume baseball activities, it might not be long before he embarks on another rehab assignment, but so far this has been a lost season for Barger.

The backstop has been catching bullpens and taking live BP at the team's spring training complex in Dunedin. Assuming Kirk's surgically repaired thumb checks out OK, he could be cleared for a rehab assignment. The 27-year-old has been sidelined since April 3, and his return to the big-league lineup appears to be drawing close. Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman will continue to split duties behind the plate until Kirk is activated from the IL.

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.

Mantiply presumably picked up the injury during his last appearance Sunday in Detroit, where he allowed a hit and a walk over a scoreless two-thirds of an inning. The left-hander is without an official timeline for his return but will be eligible to be reinstated in early June.

The Blue Jays and Berrios went into the operation unsure whether the pitcher would require a ligament repair, and as it turns out he required a full UCL procedure. Berrios has been sidelined all season with elbow problems and will now likely be shelved until at least the second half of the 2027 campaign.

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.

The Blue Jays are still working through his next steps -- he could throw another bullpen session or throw live batting practice in Toronto. Once he throws to live hitters, he'll go on a rehab assignment, per Zwelling.

Lukes will be in the lineup for Single-A Dunedin over the weekend, and if he's progressed enough in his recovery from a left hamstring strain, then he could be reinstated from the IL for the start of Monday's home series against the Marlins. Yohendrick Pinango and Davis Schneider could be optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room on the Blue Jays' 26-man roster if Lukes is cleared to return.

Nance can begin throwing again later in the week to work through his forearm discomfort. The right-hander has been a valuable piece for the Toronto bullpen with a 1.99 ERA in 30 regular-season appearances in 2025 and a 3.86 across 20 appearances in 2026.

Sanchez was lifted from Wednesday's contest after getting the wind knocked out of him. The left-handed hitter likely wasn't going to start Thursday, anyway, with the Yankees sending southpaw Carlos Rodon to the bump, but it's unclear whether he'll be available off the bench. Davis Schneider will cover left field for Toronto in Sanchez's stead.