'We're back': Mancini returns to batting cage

Trey Mancini has returned to the cage.

A few days after Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that Mancini had resumed “baseball-ish activities,” the O’s slugger posted a video of himself taking batting practice. Mancini is taking full swings against front-toss flips in the video, which was posted to his Instagram story on Wednesday.

The video is captioned: “We’re back.”

It is the first public evidence of Mancini swinging a bat since being diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in March. He completed the last of 12 prescribed chemotherapy treatments in September.

“He’s slowly getting into baseball-ish type activities and it’s been incredible,” Elias said last week. “We’ve all got our fingers crossed. I think it’s going as well as it possibly could have gone since we got the horrible news in March. I think any of us would have traded anything to get to November and be where we’re at with him right now. He’s getting his strength back.”

Since Mancini had a malignant tumor removed from his colon in March, both he and the Orioles have consistently expressed confidence he would return to the field in 2021. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic complicates those goals, given that Mancini is considered immunocompromised. But his recovery has gone according to plan otherwise, with no setbacks and Mancini receiving support from figures throughout baseball and the state of Maryland. Mancini has also become an advocate for early colorectal cancer awareness, telling his story on various platforms to promote early screenings.

Mancini, 28, emerged as one of the American League’s top sluggers in 2019, hitting .291 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs and an .899 OPS.

Orioles finalize trade with Braves
The Orioles completed the Tommy Milone trade on Thursday, receiving infielders AJ Graffanino and Greg Cullen from the Braves. The O’s sent the veteran left-hander Milone to Atlanta at the Aug. 31 Trade Deadline for two players to be named later.

Both Graffanino and Cullen are 23-year-old alumni of the 2018 Draft -- Graffanino an eighth-round selection out of the University of Washington and Cullen a 15th-round pick from Niagara. Graffanino was Atlanta’s No. 23-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline.

Baltimore has one trade from the 2020 season left to complete. The club is owed one player to be named later from the Astros for sending righty Hector Velázquez to Houston on July 29.