Jon Meoli is the Baltimore Banner's Orioles columnist. He covered the team for the Baltimore Sun from 2016-2021, and started his own Orioles newsletter, Maximizing Playoff Odds, in 2022. Prior to that, Jon covered the Ravens and community news at the Sun. A Connecticut native, lives in Riverside with his wife, two children and cat.
Tuesday marks a month since the day we can truly say the Orioles started to turn things around, perhaps for good — but not before sneaking in one more loss.
The July 31 deadline has become a de facto measuring stick for how much ground the Orioles can make up in the standings and how quickly they can do it.
There are seven names written in pen every night — Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Ryan O’Hearn, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg and Cedric Mullins.
After every win comes the moment when you check the standings and start doing the mental math of what it will take for this team to play meaningful baseball again.
This team and this problem are on my mind when I’m planting flowers with my family, at the playground, driving to work, grocery shopping, having a late-night beer or three, driving home from hockey, trying to enjoy my morning coffee.
Unfortunately for the Orioles, the pending returns of injured players are a meek balm for what are increasingly feeling like mortals wounds to this season.