The calendar has turned to September, and the Orioles are down to the final stretch of the 162-game regular season.
Everything is at stake, and these next four weeks will determine what seed the Orioles get in the playoffs — if they make it at all. Chances are good they will. Even though Baltimore had a losing record in July and August, the division and a postseason berth are still very much in reach.
Here’s a breakdown of what September looks like for the Orioles.
How they can win the division
Well, put simply, they can take the American League East for the second year in a row by winning more games than the Yankees. The division race will probably come down to the wire, and the two teams are set to play a three-game series Sept. 24-26.
The Orioles are a half a game behind the Yankees and currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker if they end the season with the same record. Baltimore is 6-4 against New York this season, so they will maintain the tiebreaker if they win at least one game in that final series.
Luckily for the Orioles, they have an easier final month on paper. Their remaining competitors have a combined winning percentage of .482, while the Yankees’ opponents have a .503 mark, with just nine games left against teams with losing records.
Baltimore should get a nice breather this week, too, as they play the 107-loss White Sox.
How they can get a playoff berth
The Orioles should clinch their playoff berth well before the division title is decided. They currently hold the top wild card spot, four games ahead of the Twins and the Royals.
In order to get a playoff berth, they just need to secure at least the third wild card spot. Their magic number to do so is under 20, and that number can go down with a combination of wins for the Orioles and losses for other teams in the running.
Who might return this month
It’s no secret that the Orioles have been hit hard by injuries. But they could get some reinforcements back this month.
Starting pitcher Zach Eflin (right shoulder inflammation) returned on Sunday and pitched seven innings of one-run ball. Reliever Jacob Webb (right elbow inflammation) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday and, if all goes as planned, will be back in the first half of the month.
Starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (right lat/teres discomfort) and lefty reliever Danny Coulombe (left elbow surgery) are both throwing again and hopeful they can return before the end of the regular season, but neither has a timeline. Infielder Jordan Westburg (fractured hand) is also doing baseball activities, but only with his non-injured hand.
The statuses of Ryan Mountcastle (sprained wrist) and Ramon Urías (sprained ankle) are unknown. The same goes for Dean Kremer, who was hit in the wrist by a 103.1 mph comebacker Saturday. He has not been put on the injured list, but still could be added later or miss a start.
What about Heston Kjerstad?
Heston Kjerstad was hit in the helmet by a fastball in July and suffered a concussion, but he returned to action seven days later. Upon his return, Kjerstad’s performance at the plate wavered, and on Aug. 1 he was placed back on the concussion list because his symptoms returned. In the time since, Kjerstad hasn’t played.
But a source with direct knowledge of Kjerstad’s condition said the outfielder expects to begin a rehab assignment on Sept. 10 or soon after. Kjerstad will likely go through a series of progressions as he builds back up to nine innings of baseball, but the source expects Kjerstad to be ready to return to the majors — if he doesn’t suffer any setbacks and the Orioles deem him required — toward the end of September.
When they would start a playoff series
If the Orioles win the division, they would skip the first round of the playoffs and host the first game of the American League Division Series on Oct. 5.
If they do not win the division, they would play in the wild card round beginning on Oct. 1. They can host that series by securing the top wild card spot, otherwise they would play the entire three-game set on the road.
