Ryan O’Hearn isn’t pretending that he’s unaffected by a possible All-Star selection. He’s excited about the support and the likelihood that he represents the Orioles in Atlanta on July 15.
O’Hearn received the most votes among American League designated hitters with 1,762,125 and advanced to Phase 2 opposite the Yankees’ Ben Rice, who received 674,120.
“I was blown away by the amount of votes when I saw it yesterday, so very humbling, awesome,” he said today at his locker. “We’ve still got to get through Phase 2, but very cool. I was blown away by seeing by seeing that number, 1.6-something or 1.7, whatever it was. And the fact that that many people voted for me, it blows my mind.”
O’Hearn has gone through too much on his journey to become an established major leaguer to downplay the balloting. The Royals trading him for cash, the Orioles outrighting him, the dip in his career followed by an ascension that should get him introduced at Truist Park.
“It would mean everything,” he said. “I’ve been the last guy on the worst team in baseball, I’ve been hitting in the middle of the lineup on a team that was considered one of the best teams in the American League. Seen a lot of angles in this game, and to be able to be an All-Star, it’s shocking to say. And humbling, amazing. Would be a huge blessing, an honor.
“My mom and her friends in their 55-plus community in Arizona have a massive campaign going. The ladies of Victory Verrado (in Buckeye). It seems like a lot of people in my life have been pulling for me, voting for me, trying to get their friends and everybody to vote for me, and it’s amazing. Makes me smile and love them and very fortunate to have them in my life.”
Second baseman Jackson Holliday also moved into Phase 2, going against the Tigers’ Gleyber Torres.
“I think he’s been incredible,” O’Hearn said. “Sometimes I forget how young he is cause he’s just so mature and plays the game the right way. Plays hard. He takes some swings sometimes and I’m like, ‘Oh wow.’ The way he can sink and stay through a changeup. He battles through his at-bats, playing great defense.
“I forget how old he is sometimes because he plays mature beyond his years, and I think he’s very deserving to be an All-Star.”
* Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells threw bullpen sessions again today. Bradish is heading down to Florida Sunday to face live hitters, and Wells is a week behind him.
The Orioles haven’t determined Wells’ role. They’re just trying to get him healthy and ready to pitch.
Grayson Rodriguez also had a bullpen session today and “it went really good, all indications,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. Rodriguez mixed in breaking balls.
Albert Suárez, on the 60-day injured list with a right subscapularis strain, played catch on the field today.
“I feel like kind of progressing as we expect in terms of the injury,” Mansolino said. “In terms of the exact timeline, I think I’ve talked about this before, it kind of hard to set expectations on when these guys are coming back. We don’t want to do that publicly and we don’t necessarily do that privately, either.”
* Cade Povich made his first injury rehab start yesterday with Triple-A Norfolk, allowing three earned runs and five total with seven hits, one walk and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Mansolino said it went “all right” and the Orioles are “very day-to-day” with the plan.
“There’s some moving pieces to that and I’m sure we’ll have more information later in the week,” Mansolino said.
* The Orioles optioned Brandon Young yesterday, after his third major league start, but they were impressed with his stuff. They just didn’t need a sixth starter.
“I liked him, I liked what I saw the other night,” Mansolino said. “I went back and watched the video of it this morning when I got in here. There’s a lot to like with that.
“You guys asked me about the split before that game, and it was good. I thought that wasn’t bad. I thought he could have got it to the floor a little bit more, left some balls in the middle that got hit, but I liked the command of the fastball.”
For the Rays
Yandy Díaz DH
Brandon Lowe 2B
Junior Caminero 3B
Jonathan Aranda 1B
Jake Mangum LF
Josh Lowe RF
José Caballero SS
Chandler Simpson CF
Danny Jansen C
Ryan Pepiot RHP
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