BALTIMORE-Jonathan Villar is in the starting lineup for Saturday night’s game, and he has played in each of the Orioles’ 109 games this season. Villar has started 106 games and entered in the late innings three times.
Villar would like for the record to show that he played in all 162 games for the Orioles in 2019.
“That’s very important for me,” Villar said. “Play the whole year, every game, that’s unbelievable. One-hundred sixty-two games, it’s not like everybody’s doing that.”
The Orioles are a franchise known for durable players. Cal Ripken’s unassailable consecutive game record of 2,632 won’t be approached, but in recent years, three Orioles have played in every game.
Adam Jones (2012), Manny Machado (2015) and Jonathan Schoop (2016) each have played 162 games. Villar’s best came in 2016, when he played 156 games for Milwaukee.
“Now, I want to play the whole year,” Villar said.
Manager Brandon Hyde says he’s not trying to create an ironman.
“It’s not my goal,” Hyde said. “It’s not important to me, but Jonny Villar plays with energy and never wants to come out.
“He never wants a day off. There’s a lot of days where I feel like I probably should have given him one. I’ll talk to him about that, and we’ll go from there. I love having guys that want to play every day. That’s a luxury to have is guys that are like that. You also have to make sure they are taken care of.”
Villar isn’t interested in a day off.
“I don’t want it,” Villar said. “I prepared my body to play every day.”
Deep bullpen, short bench: The Orioles recalled right-handed pitcher Branden Kline from Triple-A Norfolk and designated infielder Jose Rondon for assignment.
The move gives them 14 pitchers and two bench players.
Hyde said that Miguel Castro has been sick and unavailable, and the Orioles needed to cover themselves. It’s Kline’s fifth stint with the Orioles this season.
“It comes with the business,” Kline said about the multiple moves. “We all understand what’s going on. The mindset that we have down there is to be ready … any time you can come up here and showcase what you can do. Whether you go back or you don’t, it leaves a positive impression on everybody.”
Kline is 1-4 with a 6.18 ERA in 21 games with the Orioles He’s 1-1 with a 7.80 ERA in 13 games with Norfolk.
The Orioles also acquired left-hander pitcher Ty Blach on waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
Rondon, who was claimed on waivers on Monday from the Chicago White Sox, played one game and didn’t get a hit in his only at-bat.
Blach is 15-19 with a 4.56 ERA in 87 games with the Giants over the last four seasons. He’s made 39 starts.
Looking ahead: Hyde probably will use a bullpen game against the New York Yankees on Monday. He limited Gabriel Ynoa to two innings on Friday night to make sure he could be extended in Monday’s game.
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Rich, I'd like to ask a favor if I may. Could you please drop a note for me in the Orioles' proverbial suggestion box?
I'm a fan of MiLB.TV and it would be great if the Orioles' organization would upgrade the camera coverage of their minor league affiliates. Since we're in full rebuild mode, I would love to be able to watch the Grayson Rodriguezes and the Adley Rutschmanns move through the system.
At the moment, the video in Norfolk is fine. Bowie is barely adequate. There is little to no coverage below AA ball. There is precedent for quality TV in the low minors. I recently watched Delmarva play in Greenville (the Red Sox affiliate) and they have a nice setup there. With today's technology, all you really need is a single wide screen camera behind home plate high enough in the stands to cover most of the field. This is similar but, better than the TV currenly in Bowie.
Stay cool in August, and I thank you,
Butch
Hello Butch Bird. Thank you for your comment, but I'm afraid that MILB TV is out of my area of expertise. I would try contacting the Orioles about this issue because it's really nothing I can help you with. I appreciate your comments on the site, and hope you'll keep reading.
OK. Will do! Thank you!
Interesting that you mention this. Since the team is in "full rebuild" mode, you would think that they would want to showcase the minor league teams and players. Yet this is the first year in a long time that management did not have the Birdland Passport program. Sometimes the decisions this team makes has me shaking my head in disbelief....
I'm so happy for Branden Kline. He deserves to be here after all he's been through and he has pitched excellent in the minors. I hope he has mastered the change up and sticks with the Orioles going forward, Frederick, Md. native and all. I hope he graduates to the closer role eventually. Wouldn't that be a awesome story for the 2021 World Series Champion Orioles!!!
I too am happy for Branden, I like Branden, I too hope he does well, but I have a bit of trouble understanding the "he has pitched excellent in the minors " comment.
7.80 ERA in 13 games at Norfolk?
Talking last years 2018 stats - 1.64 combined ERA. With Bowie 1.80 ERA and Frederick 1.31 ERA. Not the 'Hey, where am I', 2019 roller-coaster 5 times up and down nonsense!
I’m guessing Villar has a contractural bonus if he plays in all games...go O’s...
Incorrect guess, Raymond. Villar is under club control, and there are only performance bonuses for those under club control unless they're longer-term contracts.
Like I said, it was just a guess...he gave no other reason for playing them all other than he wanted to, unfortunately today the biggest reason is money, with all the crazy contract stuff, ie, all the talk about Cashner’s inning bonus it made sense...go O’s...
Thanks for the clarification...go O’s...