TORONTO - Lefty Trevor Rogers (2-10, 4.76 ERA) will make his second O's start tonight as the Orioles look to even their series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run homer off lefty reliever Gregory Soto in the sixth inning last night as Toronto beat the Orioles 5-2.

Now 67-47, the Orioles are a half-game behind the Yankees for the division lead. They are not in first place - tied or alone - for the first time since June 26.

Rogers gave up six hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings on Thursday at Cleveland in his O's debut. He threw 94 pitches in that outing at Progressive Field.

In one career start against Toronto, he allowed five hits and three runs in five innings.

The O's were held to two runs and three hits in the series-opener at Rogers Centre after scoring 16 runs on 30 hits in the last two games at Cleveland. Over their previous 12 games heading into this series, the O's offense was scoring 6.4 runs per game, batting .291 and with an OPS of .859 as a team. But they went just 3-for-29 last night.

TORONTO - The Orioles rotation began play last night with a 3.83 ERA and that ranked as third-best rotation ERA in the American League. That is a solid placing but how long can a rotation stay there when it keeps taking hits?

Kyle Bradish made just eight starts this year. John Means made four and Tyler Wells made just three. Recent trades brought reinforcements with right-hander Zach Eflin and lefty Trevor Rogers. But then righty Grayson Rodriguez gets scratched last night minutes before the game and seems likely headed to the injured list for the second time this year.

Rodriguez is returning to Baltimore to get further evaluation and imaging on an issue the club announced as right lat/teres discomfort. No word yet on how long he may be out.

With that news as a backdrop, lefty Rogers makes his second O's start tonight. In 22 starts this season with 21 for Miami and one for Baltimore he is 2-10 with a 4.76 ERA.

In his last nine Marlins starts before the O's traded for him, he had an ERA of 3.17. But in his first O's outing on Thursday at Cleveland, he gave up five runs over 4 1/3 innings.

When the Orioles beat Toronto 10-4 on Wednesday and Jackson Holliday hit a grand slam, the high of that win got deflated postgame by the news that Jordan Westburg had fractured his right hand and would miss significant time.

When they got hammered 10-3 by Cleveland last night as lefty Trevor Rogers gave up five runs in his O’s debut, the gloom and doom of that loss was lifted by the news that Coby Mayo is joining the Orioles today in Cleveland.

The news was first reported here on MASNSports.com last night.

Mayo is ranked as baseball’s No. 12 prospect in the top 100 by Baseball America and No. 15 via MLBPipeline.com.

It seemed that when Westburg got hurt, that Mayo might replace him at third base. But Livan Soto was called up yesterday. However now, just like that, the team is turning to Mayo.

CLEVELAND – Trevor Rogers walked into the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field this afternoon with bags in hand and met his new teammates, manager and staff. The plan called for some small talk and heavy preparation for his first start with the Orioles. The time to get acclimated was scarce. Save it for later.

“Those things happen,” Brandon Hyde said this afternoon. “I’ve seen it many times before.”

Hyde watched as Rogers fell behind early, appeared to find his rhythm and lost the slim margin that separated the teams with the best records in the American League.

David Fry hit a three-run homer in the third inning, Rogers didn’t get out of the fifth and the bullpen didn’t get enough outs in the Orioles’ 10-3 loss to the Guardians before an announced crowd of 26,194.

Anthony Santander belted his 32^nd home run in the fourth inning, one short of his career high, to reduce the lead to 5-2. Ben Lively’s sinker traveled 416 feet to right field at 111.2 mph off the bat, moving Santander into a tie with Shohei Ohtani for second-most in the majors.

CLEVELAND – The Orioles made a series of roster moves this afternoon leading into their four-game series against the Guardians at Progressive Field.

Jordan Westburg was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right hand, and the Orioles recalled Livan Soto from Triple-A Norfolk. Westburg could return by late September. Soto is wearing No. 73.

Outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jiménez has joined the club after the Orioles acquired him from the White Sox at the deadline and he’s wearing No. 72. Heston Kjerstad was optioned again to Triple-A Norfolk.

Kjerstad is batting .301 with a .998 OPS, 14 doubles and 16 home runs and 58 RBIs in 56 games with Norfolk, but his opportunities remain limited in the majors.

Outfielder Austin Slater, acquired from the Reds, was activated and given No. 15. Reliever Keegan Akin was optioned.

The immediate takeaway from the Orioles’ work at the trade deadline is how they went hard after quantity and also feel like they improved the quality of their rotation and bullpen and the depth of their right-handed hitters.

They really didn't skimp on the quantity.

They were as busy adding players as the Marlins were subtracting them. The flurry over the last 15-20 minutes made the evening a blur. Blizzard conditions in 90-degree heat.

The Orioles didn’t get overly aggressive and go for the trade kill, keeping top prospects who would have netted an elite starter. And I’ll say again that they weren’t dealing those guys, no matter how many rumors swirled and reports surfaced about aggressive pursuits.

How aggressive are talks if they don’t include Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Samuel Basallo or Colton Cowser?

Trade deadlines are supposed to address questions and deficiencies with the roster for a team in buyer mode. There are always questions, however. The work gets done and explanations are sought. Why do this and that? Is the club actually better than the previous model?

And about those rumors.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias met with the media for about 23 minutes today in the home dugout. He’s pleased with the results, which netted starter Zach Eflin from the Rays for minor league pitcher Jackson Baumeister, infielder Mac Horvath and outfielder Matthew Etzel, reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache from the Phillies for outfielder Austin Hays, starter Trevor Rogers from the Marlins for second baseman Connor Norby – who was optioned to Triple-A this morning – and outfielder Kyle Stowers, outfielder Eloy Jiménez and cash from the White Sox for Triple-A Norfolk left-hander Trey McGough, outfielder Austin Slater, infielder Livan Soto and cash considerations from the Reds for cash considerations, and left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Phillies for Double-A pitching prospect Seth Johnson and High-A Aberdeen pitcher Moisés Chance.

According to a source, there won’t be a player-to-be-named later in the deal with Cincinnati. Straight cash.

“Trade deadline’s always tough,” Elias said. “It’s always bittersweet trading players for other players. It’s not a one-way street. You’re losing talent but you’re getting different talent that’s a different fit and more of a short-term concentration for the needs of the team. We added two starting pitchers that are going right in our rotation, we added two really hard throwers with success in the major leagues for a long time – one from the left side, one from the right side. And we added a couple of right-handed bats which were especially necessary in the outfield with Austin Hays being gone. So I think that the roster is very fortified.

In the end Garrett Crochet was not traded to the Orioles or anybody. Neither were Tarik Skubal or Blake Snell.

The O’s added four pitchers – two starters and two relievers – one each throwing left and right. But they didn't get any of the big three.

There were no blockbuster deals and no elite prospects were moved. The highest-rated prospect they traded was infielder Connor Norby, ranked No. 5 by MLBPipeline.com.

The O’s rotation, in some order, now likely consists of Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer and lefty Trevor Rogers.

The O’s added Rogers yesterday for Norby and Kyle Stowers who went to Miami where reportedly Stowers will get a lot of playing time and Norby went back to the farm to work on playing third base.

The Orioles and Blue Jays play the third game of their four-game series tonight after splitting a doubleheader Monday. The Orioles won the opener 11-5 and lost the nightcap 8-4.

The Orioles (63-44) lead the American League East, but now just by a half-game over the Yankees, who have won their past three games. The Orioles have not been in second place since June 26. They would be tonight with a loss and another Yankees win.

While the Orioles are 3-3 their past six games, in longer stretches they have lost six of their past nine, 12 of 19 and 13 of the last 21 games.

Since June 21 when they began a series where they would be swept in Houston, the Orioles are 14-19 with a -42 run differential. In those 33 games, they have a team ERA of 5.37 allowing a team batting average to opponents of .270 with an .800 OPS in that span. Opponents are scoring 4.5 runs per game with 48 home runs in this stretch.

After the doubleheader, the O’s have now allowed five or more runs in eight straight games, seven times allowing six or more. In the eight games, they have allowed 91 hits with a 5.45 team ERA.

The Orioles announced today’s trade, with second baseman Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers going to the Marlins for starting pitcher Trevor Rogers.

Rogers posted a 4.53 ERA and 1.528 WHIP this season in 21 games but has a 3.32 ERA in his last eight starts. He's under team control through 2026.

“It’s a left-handed starter,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I haven’t talked with Mike (Elias) much about it at this point just because he’s still working really hard and it happened not that long ago, but from what I do know, he’s a guy that’s had nine or 10 really good starts his last times out, and always looking for starting pitching and hopefully he can help us down the stretch.”

Hyde isn’t ready to discuss his rotation or bullpen until the 6 p.m. deadline. He kept reminding the media about it.

Albert Suárez could shift to the 'pen with the rotation filled by Rogers, Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer. Triple-A Norfolk pitchers Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott could be used in relief down the road.

The Orioles found another starting pitcher before this evening’s trade deadline. It cost them a pair of major league-caliber players, including their No. 5 prospect.

Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers, 26, was acquired from the Marlins for second baseman Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers, according to multiple sources. Norby will be removed from the major league roster after appearing in five of the last six lineups. He sat for Game 1 of yesterday’s doubleheader and had a double in the nightcap for his first hit at Camden Yards.

Rogers was the 13^th-overall pick in the 2017 draft who’s gone 15-32 with a 4.23 ERA and 1.385 WHIP in 80 starts on some pretty bad teams. He’s posted a 4.53 ERA and 1.528 WHIP this season in 21 games but has a 3.32 ERA in his last eight starts.

Rogers appeared in only four games last season due to biceps, lat and shoulder injuries. He was an All-Star in 2021 and finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting with a 2.64 ERA and 1.150 WHIP in 25 outings, striking out 157 batters in 133 innings.

The Orioles can field a rotation with Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer and Rogers, however the last two are aligned. They didn’t show a willingness to part with the top prospects in their system despite rumors tying them to Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet and Blake Snell.