Orioles notes: Sisco still unavailable with cut on chin, possible concussion

Orioles catcher Chance Sisco wasn’t available in Monday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays because of a cut on his chin and possible concussion suffered when a foul tip hit him in the mask Sunday.

“Chance is still in the concussion consideration,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He saw a doctor today. I’m not going to get into that. He’s unavailable tonight for both reasons, the chin and the concussion. I still can’t figure out exactly [what happened]. Is there such thing as a compression cut where it presses so hard it tears the skin? That’s the only thing I can figure.”

Sisco, who also left the team’s May 1 game against the Los Angeles Angels with a possible concussion after colliding with third baseman Pedro Álvarez, was making just his third start since rejoining the team Sept. 3 from his second stint at Triple-A Norfolk.

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Their 106 losses put them one short of the team record set in 1988. (Stephen Brashear / Getty Images)

Despite making the team out of spring training as one of two catchers along with Caleb Joseph, Sisco hasn’t had much success in either the majors or in Norfolk this year. He hit .242 with a .696 OPS with eight extra-base hits for the Tides, and was down to .181 with a .557 OPS in the majors when he left Sunday’s game.

The Orioles will go forward, at least temporarily, with two catchers on the roster — Joseph and Austin Wynns. Showalter didn’t know whether they’d add another catcher for the final two weeks.

Lineup in flux

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The Orioles put out three lineups Monday in the span of about an hour, each one tweaking a veteran player’s status. The initial lineup, among other things, featured Tim Beckham at designated hitter and Breyvic Valera at second base, with Adam Jones in right field.

But with the field wet and the possibility of more rain in the forecast, Jones was moved to designated hitter, with Valera coming out of the lineup, Beckham going to shortstop, Jonathan Villar going to second base and Joey Rickard playing right field.

Rickard was only in the lineup for a short time, though. A third lineup brought Chris Davis, who sat Sunday, off the bench against Toronto’s left-handed starter Ryan Borucki. That pushed Trey Mancini to left field and Rickard back among the reserves.

“I’ve only got nine positions — that’s one of the things we’ve run into today, just trying to satisfy so many things on one night, then you’ve got some other things that you’ve got to deal with, too,” Showalter said. “More than just that, that you’ve got to massage into it. I do the batting order. There’s a lot of things that come in where you’re taking the roster that we have and trying to do a batting order.”

Wilkerson’s return looming

Showalter still expects utility man Steve Wilkerson to be available to play Tuesday or Wednesday, though it’s unclear what the team will get from him given the lack of playing time he’s had since his hamstring injury in mid-August at Norfolk.

Wilkerson has played seven major league games for the Orioles, but suffered an oblique injury that kept him out a month and a hamstring injury that hampered him once he returned to the Norfolk lineup.

Braille uniforms

The Orioles will become the first American sports team to wear Braille-themed uniforms Tuesday at Camden Yards for National Federation for the Blind Night.

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The Orioles' Adam Jones waits to bat against the Houston Astros in the seventh inning at Camden Yards on Sept. 30, 2018. (Rob Carr / Getty Images)