Orioles bring back a familiar face 

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

After Jorge López was traded from the Orioles to the Twins on Aug. 2, 2022, he never allowed his mind to wander about where his baseball career may go from there. The Caguas, Puerto Rico, native never dreamed of a scenario in which he may end up back with Baltimore.

But that’s where the 30-year-old right-hander is now -- at the back end of an Orioles bullpen for which he had his greatest baseball success.

“I got excited, for sure,” López said of his reaction when the O’s claimed him off waivers from the Marlins on Saturday. “My mom was more excited than me.”

López is big on family, and Baltimore is where his son, Mikael (who is now 10), spent 2 1/2 years of his childhood. López also appreciated the family-like atmosphere in the Orioles’ clubhouse, which was one of the reasons he felt his pitching improved while he was there.

At the time Baltimore first acquired López on a waiver claim from Kansas City in August 2020, the right-hander had a 5.97 ERA in 60 career big league appearances (27 starts). The Orioles gave him an opportunity to mostly start for them, and he recorded a 6.13 ERA in 42 games (31 starts) between the ‘20 and ‘21 seasons.

Then, in 2022, López was converted to a full-time relief role and became Baltimore’s primary closer. He also became a first-time All-Star, as he had a 1.68 ERA and 19 saves in 44 appearances before getting dealt by the O’s just ahead of last year’s Trade Deadline.

That’s the version of López the Orioles are hoping to see this September. He may not be eligible for the club’s postseason roster, but he could be a useful bullpen piece for the stretch run.

“Hopefully, he can help us. We really believe in his stuff. For me, he was one of the more dominating relievers in that first half last year,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I was tough on him, too. I threw him into all kinds of tough situations -- bases loaded, eighth inning, have him go back out for the ninth. ... He seems real excited to be here.”

López made that obvious by wearing a smile on his face everywhere he went around Chase Field on Sunday morning. He went out on the field during warmups and began hugging some of the teammates he was reuniting with, such as shortstop Jorge Mateo and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle.

Later that day, López went out to the mound in the eighth inning and had a strong return outing for Baltimore. He gave up a leadoff double to Lourdes Gurriel Jr., before retiring the next three D-backs batters in order, which included a strikeout of Alek Thomas. López’s solid inning helped the Orioles win, 8-5, to secure a series victory in Arizona.

Like the last time López arrived in Baltimore, he’s trying to figure out how to have better success. Over the past 13 months, he struggled for both Minnesota (4.81 ERA in 60 outings) and Miami (9.26 ERA in 12 appearances).

“When I got here [in 2020], I was in the same spot,” López said. “I came here, and I was open to anything.”

The past year-plus has been a “roller coaster” for López, as he described it. He’s hopeful the mental fortitude he worked on during his recent lows will allow him to experience more highs.

“I’m a brand new guy. I’m going to try to do the best I can to be successful,” López said. “I’m really grateful to get this job and most excited to be with a team where I had success, and that’s what I’m looking for.”