BALTIMORE—Manager Brandon Hyde got to watch four Orioles — catcher Adley Rutschman, outfielder Austin Hays and relief pitchers Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano — in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, and it was something he enjoyed.
“It was amazing. So happy for our guys,” Hyde said. “What Rutschman did in the Home Run Derby was incredible. So fun to see all four of those guys today.
“I was so proud they represented us so well and talking to all four, what a great experience they all had. Loved every minute of it. It was cool to watch our guys in the national spotlight. For fans around the world to see them, it was awesome.”
Despite surrendering the game-winning home run to Colorado’s Elias Díaz, Bautista had a great time.
“There were some incredible days and those are days and events that I dreamt of as a kid and I saw as a kid and they [exceeded] my expectations in every way,” Bautista said through a translator.
“I felt really good. My emotions were through the roof. I was just being super excited on the mound and to achieve the dream of mine to appear in the game was amazing. The results weren’t what I wanted, but I still really enjoyed that experience.”
Bautista enjoyed watching Rutschman hit 27 home runs in the Home Run Derby, though he lost in the first round to the Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert.
“It was a super fun and enjoyable experience. Getting to watch Adley and his dad out there was super exciting,” Bautista said. “I really enjoyed that moment for him and with him. It was a great experience going out there and watching him do what he did, even if he didn’t win.”
Cano would have been the winning pitcher had Bautista not given up the home run. He threw a scoreless inning.
“Of course, I was aware of the fact that if we won the game I would have been the winning pitcher,” Cano said through a translator. “Getting to enjoy those moments with all those Hispanic guys, Cuban guys that were there, being out there during the Home Run Derby, sharing all those moments with everyone that was a part of it was truly something special.”
The most important thing to Hyde was seeing his team and its players achieving a higher profile.
“I do like that our guys are recognized,” Hyde said. “I do like that our guys are liked. That’s a great feeling and it’s a bunch of likable guys. We have a bunch of guys that I would think that people want to pull for because they’re such great people. They play hard, and they play the game the right way and they’re really great personalities in that clubhouse and good stories, too.
“I like seeing our guys being popular and selling jerseys and have people want to watch them, and ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ coming up and all those things. I think it’s fantastic for everybody.”
Injury updates: Reliever Cionel Pérez, who’s on the 15-day injured list with forearm soreness, will pitch on Saturday at Double-A Bowie. Hyde said he threw a side session on Thursday and it went well.
Reliever Keegan Akin, who’s on the injured list because of lower-back discomfort, played catch on Friday. He’ll continue to build up and is progressing.
Reliever Mychal Givens, who’s on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, is in Sarasota. He’s starting to throw side sessions, and is a few weeks away from a return to action.
Starting pitcher John Means, who continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery, threw off the mound on Friday and is progressing well, Hyde said.
Reliever Dillon Tate, who’s on the 60-day injured list with an elbow injury, is in Sarasota but hasn’t started playing catch yet, Hyde said.
Reliever Austin Voth, who’s on the 15-day injured list because of right elbow discomfort, is also in Sarasota. He’s throwing side sessions and he’ll appear in games beginning next week if he continues to improve.
Setting the rotation: Tyler Wells isn’t scheduled to pitch in this series. Hyde acknowledged that the Orioles want to conserve his innings, and part of the reason is the possibility the team will play in the postseason.
“I think we factor in everything,” Hyde said. “Moving Tyler Wells back because he’s thrown so many innings…We factor in opponent, innings, a lot of things.”