Tuesday night game thread: at Royals, 7:40

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 4: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on an RBI single by Leody Taveras #30 (not pictured) in the fourth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Adley Rutschman is back in the Orioles lineup. His stay on the IL was the minimum of 10 days, dating back to April 10, when he began dealing with left ankle inflammation. It sounds like his recovery was quite smooth, and he stayed in shape. So no rehab games were needed, and instead he is right back in the mix.

In order to make room for Rutschman on the big league roster, Sam Huff was designated for assignment. Huff had gone 2-for-9 at the plate, with a double, one RBI, zero walks, and five strikeouts during Rutschman’s absence. One would imagine that the O’s will hope to keep Huff in the organization since they clearly preferred him over Maverick Handley in the first place. We shall see. The Orioles 40-man roster is now at 39. Mike Elias is surely scouring the waiver wire today.

Shane Baz will be on the bump. His last time out was his longest as an Oriole. He lasted six innings and allowed four runs on six hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. To this point, the righty has been…fine. But the Orioles probably expect a bit more from him. Specifically, he needs to get more whiffs. Pair that with what has been a better walk rate for him so far and he will be cooking. This Royals team, which has scored the third-fewest runs in MLB to this point, is a good opportunity to show what he can do.

Orioles lineup