Welcome back, Adley! Rutschman, O's rout division rival Blue Jays

BALTIMORE -- Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino could feel the jolt of excitement from his team as Adley Rutschman returned to Camden Yards on Monday afternoon.

“It’s a big piece, man,” Mansolino said. “He walked in, brought a lot of energy into the room right away in the kitchen. I was sitting there when he came in and a lot of smiles, a lot of hugs.”

Then, Mansolino penciled Rutschman -- fresh off a month-plus stint on the injured list due to a left oblique strain -- into the cleanup spot of Baltimore’s lineup for the opener against Toronto.

“I’m fascinated by sticking him in that four-hole, sitting behind Gunnar [Henderson], switch-hitter sitting right there,” Mansolino said. “The effect of that on Gunnar and just trying to navigate our lineup if all four of those guys at the top are cooking and fulfilling and reaching their potential, it’s an absolute dynamic four hitters -- and then, the guys behind them are pretty good, too.”

Rutschman has been at the heart of the O’s offensive success throughout his four-year MLB career, and the 27-year-old catcher again served as a catalyst immediately upon his return.

With a 3-for-5 performance featuring two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored, Rutschman helped power the Orioles to an 11-4 win over the AL-best Blue Jays. It served as a reminder of how important the 2019 No. 1 overall Draft pick and former top prospect is to the O’s offense.

“It’s awesome. I missed these guys so much,” said Rutschman, who experienced his first big league action since June 19 following a four-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk. “To be able to get back out there again today, it was just the best.”

In the 68 games prior to his first MLB IL stint, Rutschman was hitting .227 with nine doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 20 RBIs and a .691 OPS. However, he was heating up before he got hurt, hitting .309 with two doubles, three homers, five RBIs and an .890 OPS over 15 games in June.

But Rutschman’s value has always gone beyond his offensive production. He serves as a leader and is a core member of the team’s nucleus, while also being among the most popular personalities in the dugout.

“It's huge,” right-hander Zach Eflin said. “Just his presence alone, he's an amazing teammate, amazing person. To have his bat back in the lineup, to have him back behind the dish, it just means the world to these guys. And you can tell how much he means to these guys, just with the reactions of him being back in the clubhouse.”

Jordan Westburg added three hits on his bobblehead night and Coby Mayo also collected a career-high three hits. Cedric Mullins and Mayo hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning, while Ramón Laureano and Colton Cowser also went deep during the 16-hit attack.

It was the healthiest Baltimore’s lineup has been during its 48-58 season, with first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (right hamstring strain) being the only key piece still on the IL. However, the recent breakout by Mayo is helping offset that loss.

“All the guys in this locker room have a lot of confidence in each other,” Rutschman said. “Tonight, we were able to string together a lot of good stuff.”

This look at the Orioles’ near-full-strength lineup may be brief, though. Ryan O’Hearn (two hits, one RBI and two runs scored), Mullins (two hits, two RBIs, one run scored and a homer-robbing catch) and Laureano (two hits, three RBIs and one run scored) could all be moved prior to Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.

Other trade chips among pitchers include starters Eflin, Charlie Morton (whose start in Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader could be his last for Baltimore) and Tomoyuki Sugano, along with relievers Seranthony Domínguez and Andrew Kittredge. The O’s have already dealt a pair of bullpen arms -- righty Bryan Baker to the Rays and lefty Gregory Soto to the Mets.

Has Rutschman started to think about how different the clubhouse he just rejoined could look by the time the team reconvenes following Thursday’s off-day?

“Try not to. Try and just focus on the game as much as possible,” Rutschman said. “A lot of that stuff is not in our control, and so, you never know what’s going to happen, and whatever happens, we’ll roll with it. But I love the guys in this clubhouse.”