[Baltimore Sun] Orioles’ Dean Kremer to come off injured list Wednesday, will start vs. Mariners

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SEATTLE — The Orioles’ rotation is about to get another shakeup.

After losing three starting pitchers to season-ending injuries, Wednesday will provide a rare instance of positive injury news. Right-hander Dean Kremer will be activated off the injured list to start Baltimore’s game Wednesday night against the Mariners, manager Brandon Hyde said before Tuesday’s series opener.

Kremer, a key member of Baltimore’s rotation the past three years, posted a 4.32 ERA in nine starts before suffering a triceps strain that landed him on the 15-day IL in late May. It was just the second time in the 28-year-old’s five-year MLB career that he missed time with an injury.

It’s unclear what the corresponding move will be to create room for Kremer on the Orioles’ 26-man roster; the club is expected to announce it before Wednesday’s game. With several days off and the All-Star break this month, it’s unlikely Hyde will go back to a six-man rotation, meaning a current member of the group will either be moved to the bullpen or sent to the minors.

Cole Irvin might be the top candidate to be shifted back into a relief role. After posting a 2.87 ERA through June 7 and recording eight straight starts of two earned runs or fewer, the left-hander has allowed 29 hits and 22 runs (17 earned) across 18 innings in his past four starts. Last week, he gave up 13 runs (nine earned) in his two starts, both losses, to see his ERA inflate to 4.13.

If Irvin, who is out of minor league options, is moved to the bullpen, it would likely result in a relief pitcher like southpaw Nick Vespi or right-hander Bryan Baker being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. It’s also possible Albert Suárez, who has a 4.91 ERA over his past three starts, is moved to the bullpen instead of Irvin.

With Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells out for the year after undergoing elbow surgeries in June, Kremer’s return will be a welcome one for a top-heavy rotation with ace Corbin Burnes and sophomore Grayson Rodriguez. Despite the injuries, the Orioles’ rotation entered Tuesday with a 3.36 ERA that ranks second in the majors.

Burnes’ doubleheader

With Kremer starting Wednesday, Burnes will take the ball Thursday. The Orioles landed in Seattle early Monday morning after a grueling June without knowing their rotation because Burnes was coming back from the paternity list.

MLB’s paternity list allows players to miss only three games. That number doesn’t double for twins.

Burnes and his wife, Brooke, welcomed twin girls Charlotte and Harper on Friday morning in Arizona. In addition to their son, Carter, the Burneses are now parents to three children under 3 years old.

“A little crazy. Got to go home after Thursday’s start and see the girls born early Friday morning,” Burnes said in the visiting clubhouse at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday. “Got them and momma home Sunday afternoon. Been crazy going from one kid to three kids now, but it’s awesome. My wife did great. For a twin pregnancy, it was unbelievable.”

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“Congratulations to Burnesy and his wife,” Hyde said. “Saw the pictures of the twins this morning. Really, really cute. … It’s quite a handful now. But it’s awesome and we’re happy to see him back.”

Burnes and his wife learned they were having twins 10 days before he was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Orioles this offseason.

“The two weeks surrounding that was a little bit crazy trying to figure out the logistics of it,” Burnes said. “We were definitely shocked, twins don’t run in the family.”

To Burnes, he joked, having twins was like a double play.

“I told her, ‘We’re lucky we get two out of the way at once versus spreading them out,’” Burnes quipped. “She didn’t think that was too funny.”

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Around the horn

• Ryan Mountcastle is out of the Orioles’ lineup for the third straight game Tuesday as he deals with an unidentified illness. He pinch hit Saturday but didn’t participate in any baseball activities during pregame Sunday, but he went through a full routine before Tuesday’s game, taking ground balls at first and hitting during batting practice. Infielder Ramón Urías and outfielder Anthony Santander, who both played first base last season, have taken part in defensive drills at the position in recent days. Hyde hopes Mountcastle is healthy enough to come off the bench Tuesday if needed.

• The Orioles announced they signed right-handed reliever Vinny Nittoli to a minor league contract. The 33-year-old pitched to a 2.25 ERA in eight innings with the Oakland Athletics this season and posted a 2.70 ERA in 23 1/3 frames with their Triple-A affiliate.

• Low-A Delmarva center fielder Thomas Sosa, who MLB Pipeline ranks as Baltimore’s 22nd-best prospect, was removed from the Shorebirds’ game Tuesday with a left shoulder injury, the Orioles said. Utilityplayer Billy Cook, the Orioles’ No. 30 prospect, was removed from Triple-A Norfolk’s game Monday with a right hamstring injury.

• MLB Pipeline updated its top 100 list on Monday. The Orioles still have four prospects inside the website’s top 20, and infielder Jackson Holliday remains at No. 1 because Pittsburgh Pirates flamethrower Paul Skenes is no longer prospect-eligible. Catcher Samuel Basallo and outfielder Heston Kjerstad remain at Nos. 12 and 20, respectively, while third baseman Coby Mayo moved up three spots to No. 15.