Getting healthy: Friday night's game in Cleveland was the closest the Orioles have come all season to being at full strength. Catcher Matt Wieters returned from Tommy John elbow ligament reconstruction and shortstop J.J. Hardy was starting after four days of resting an injury to his left side.
The Orioles are still without second baseman Jonathan Schoop and have a different outfield mix after trading Alejandro De Aza to the Boston Red Sox.
But having Wieters and Hardy healthy essentially rounds out a batting order that executive vice president Dan Duquette said he believed could overcome the free-agent departures of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis.
That hasn't come to pass because it depended on a lot falling the right way at once: healthy returns for Wieters and third baseman Manny Machado, a return to form for Chris Davis, sustained production from mainstays, continued production from Steve Pearce, contributions from newcomers and no major health problems.
That's a lot of variables, and the Orioles were on the right side of many in winning 96 games last season — mostly without Wieters and Machado, and with Davis experiencing a severe drop-off before his amphetamines suspension in September.
The odds weren't on their side for the same kind of luck, and the club entered Friday 19th in the majors in runs one year after finishing eighth. The way the Orioles are built, they won't be able to win unless that changes. But with Wieters back and Hardy avoiding the disabled list for now, there's time to see what the intended lineup looks like before deadline decisions have to be made.
One man down: With Brian Matusz's eight-game suspension upheld, the Orioles will have to go that entire time a man short.
The Orioles are immediately affected, and the timing is bad with the division-rival Red Sox and New York Yankees at Camden Yards this week amid a tight American League East race.
The club initially stuck with seven in the bullpen, but might go with six when room is needed to activate Bud Norris to start Sunday. The biggest downside is the Orioles don't have the luxury of keeping three catchers as Wieters eases his way into game action. Steve Clevenger was optioned Friday.
The reality is, it's a disadvantage for the bullpen. But manager Buck Showalter has a reputation for handling his pitching staff well, and he'll do his best to figure out how to make the best of a tough situation with some must-win games ahead.
Macho Machado: Pretty quietly, perhaps because it's expected, Machado has gotten his defensive play in order. The Gold Glove third baseman entered Friday with a season-long streak of 15 consecutive errorless games and just one error in his last 22.
He went into the weekend with the second-most errors among major league third basemen (nine), but he has emerged from what seemed like quicksand — eight errors in 19 games from April 20 to May 12 — to provide the steady, often spectacular glove work Orioles pitchers have depended on since his arrival in 2012.