With set-up man Darren O'Day on the disabled list for the second time this season, the Orioles bullpen will again have to overcome his absence.
The Orioles expect O'Day to be ready to return from a right rotator cuff strain _ he received a cortisone injection in his shoulder Saturday to help accelerate the recovery process _ when he is eligible to be activated from the disabled list on Aug. 27.
When O'Day missed seven weeks with a right hamstring strain, rookie right-hander Mychal Givens was thrust into more late-inning opportunities, and he likely will face an even bigger role in O'Day's absence now.
"It's still tough either way you put it, Darren going back on the DL," Givens said. "But hopefully we can get him back and ready for September because that's going to be a really important stretch. We're really going to need him. We want him to just get healthy and ready to go so he can help us get to the playoffs. We're going to take it day by day and everybody in the bullpen is going to step up."
This season has been a learning experience for Givens, a converted infielder who just began pitching at the profession level three years ago. He's been forced to learn that hitters make adjustments and it's the pitcher's responsibility to stay a step ahead.
After holding left-handed hitters to a .205 batting average last season, Givens has struggled against lefties this season. Orioles manager Buck Showalter has chosen his spots with Givens, sometimes pitching him earlier in the game when he can avoid a stack of left-handed hitters.
Left-handers opened the season hitting .550 (11-for-20) against Givens over the first six weeks, but since then he's held lefties to a .262 average (11-for-42), lowering his season mark against lefties to .355.
"He's gotten better," Showalter said. "There are some things that him and [pitching coach Dave Wallace] and [bullpen coach Dom Chiti] have done to help him against left-handers. He's always going to have some issues because of the arm angle. It's the same reason he has some success against right-handers, but sometimes batting orders don't cooperate with you. That's why it's important to have a left-handed reliever, and I think sometimes not having one creates more stress on a guy like Darren because they're asked to get some people out that they probably shouldn't have to."
Because of Givens' quirky side-arm delivery, people have tried to change his mechanics at every turn, but that is what's gotten him to the majors. Givens said he didn't make a huge adjustment to help get left-handers out. He worked with Wallace and Chiti to make a slight tweak so that lefties don't see him as well. The purpose was to get him downhill quicker and help his command, and it's worked.
"I felt for a few months now I've been a lot better against lefties," Givens said. "This is a game of adjustments. People may want to freak out, but it's about adjustments. They made an adjustment on me earlier in the year and they got their hits, and I've made the adjustments now. So to me, it's not a big worry about lefties. It's just going there and compete and get guys out."
Closer Zach Britton has been perfect on the year, converting 37 of 37 save opportunities. And even though Brad Brach has struggled of late, he tossed a perfect inning Sunday. But it's Givens who might be the most important person to fill in for O'Day.
"I'm a competitor," Givens said. "It doesn't matter what kind of situation you put me in. I'm going to compete and try to find a way to help our team win the ballgame. It's really exciting that they have that confidence in me with this being my first year and being a young guy.
"It's an honor to be one of those guys who is able to step into that role. And being able to be around Darren and Zach and Brad and see the success they have is great. It's not what I do individually, it's me getting to see them and them helping me through some struggles. It makes me a better pitcher."
