Rays vs Orioles

Lux initially went on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement and was later delayed by a left ankle sprain. He's fully recovered now but has not done much on his rehab assignment, slashing .169/.329/.288 with one home run and a 14:20 BB:K over 17 contests. Lux is poised to be the Rays' primary second baseman against righties and will be making his team debut when he gets into a game.

It was Boyle's first game appearance in nearly a month, as he's working his way back from a right elbow strain. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times says Boyle's arm injury turned out to be more serious than the Rays initially thought, so the club will proceed slowly with his rehab. Boyle threw 31 pitches in Wednesday's outing and will continue to build up his stamina from there.

The right-hander landed on the injured list with hip inflammation late in spring training and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in mid-April after suffering a setback. Pepiot received an injection after the setback, but his hip felt "unstable" when playing catch a few days later, and he'll now end up missing the entirety of the 2026 campaign.

Matz was placed on the IL earlier Tuesday with left elbow inflammation. He felt soreness in the elbow after his last outing, but an MRI came back negative and the belief is the injury was caught early. It's unclear when Matz might be ready to throw again, but he could be ready to rejoin the Rays' rotation later this month if all goes well.

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.

The Orioles put Kremer on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a right quadriceps strain, and the team is preparing to be without him for more than just the minimum stay. The right-hander could be able to rejoin Baltimore's rotation at some point in the middle of May. Meanwhile, Brandon Young is taking Kremer's place in Baltimore's rotation for the time being.

Kjerstad has been on the shelf all season due to a hamstring strain he suffered late in spring training. Due to the extensive time he's missed, the 27-year-old could be in line for a lengthy rehab assignment, and there's a real chance that he'll be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk upon his activation from the 10-day injured list.

Helsley was placed on the 15-day injured list this past Friday with right elbow inflammation. Imaging on the closer's elbow came back clean, and he might be ready to throw in a few days after being reevaluated. Rico Garcia is the top candidate for saves in the Orioles' bullpen while Helsely is out, though Yennier Cano, Andrew Kittredge and Anthony Nunez could also be in the mix.

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.

Though the Orioles are still labeling Hiraldo's shoulder injury as inflammation, the team's decision to move him from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL last week would seem to suggest that he could be dealing with something more significant. After he receives a second opinion from Dr. ElAttrache, Hiraldo will decide on a treatment plan for his injury. The righty reliever made just three appearances for Baltimore before landing on the shelf.

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.

Following a stretch of six consecutive starts at four different positions, Alexander will head to the bench. Despite going 7-for-19 at the dish to begin May, Alexander is still slashing just .222/.276/.247 on the season. Alexander's defensive versatility could allow him to continue seeing semi-regular playing time, but he's not doing much yet to warrant attention outside of AL-only leagues.

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.