The Baltimore Orioles have stunned the masses with their stellar performances this season. The unit, which was expected to go through a rebuilding phase and wasn't even kept in the wildcard discussions preseason, surprised the American League. They are currently seeded first in the AL and have just recently announced the promotion of RHP Tyler Wells from AAA Norfolk Tides.
"We have made the following roster moves:" - Orioles
Since the beginning of the month, Tyler Wells has spent all of his time pitching in relief for Triple-A Norfolk, and manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that the general effectiveness of his arsenal in that capacity has increased.
After battling his way out of the Orioles' major-league rotation in late July, the 29-year-old right-hander has now been added to the team as a new bullpen arm for the remaining regular-season games.
"Tyler Wells returns, and considering how overused the bullpen has become, he badly needs to bring with him his 1st half form. An ascending Wells provides huge stability, if he's throwing b.p. again, getting the division is even tougher" - WBALPete
"Tyler Wells Pitch Arsenal Overview. Primarily displays 4 pitches FB CH SL CTHere’s how each pitch’s movement looks on an X-Y plot" - BSBL_Connect
The Baltimore Orioles, in return, have optioned RHP Mike Baumann to the AAA Norfolk Tides. The Orioles' bullpen is powerful and has a number of options to attempt to fill Bautista's enormous shoes. This season, Yennier Cano has been quite successful and closed out a number of games. Danny Coulombe, who also had a successful debut season in Baltimore, finished the game in which Bautista was hurt.
Tyler Wells is back as the Baltimore Orioles look to take away the AL crown
After the Baltimore Orioles lost to the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, the Orioles now lead the Rays by 1 1/2 games in the American League East. Seven is Baltimore's "magic number" which can drop with any Orioles victory or Rays setback.
"It's on lock" - Orioles
In the event that they finish the season with an identical record, the Orioles hold the series tiebreaker. If the Baltimore Orioles win the division, the American League Division Series will serve as the opening round of the playoffs on October 7. They would take on the victor of the No. 4 seed against the No. 5 seed wild-card matchup.
"The Orioles' energy heading into the postseason has been on a different level" - MLBLife
When the MLB postseason starts on October 3, though, history may not be on the Orioles' side. However, since the Baltimore Orioles have long been among MLB's most endearing losers, it's certainly safe to say that the majority of supporters would like seeing them succeed at this level after years of residing in the cellar.