Rookie Keegan Akin hit hard as Orioles open second half of season with 9-2 loss to Royals

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Britton, a two-time All-Star closer with the Orioles who was traded to the Yankees at the 2018 deadline, has pitched just 4 1/3 innings this year while battling elbow and hamstring injuries. The 33-year-old left-hander was activated Thursday, helping reinforce the bullpen as New York tries to get back into the playoff race.

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The Orioles' Cedric Mullins (31) is out at second base as Royals second baseman Hanser Alberto, a former Oriole, throws to first for a double play in the first inning of a game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday.

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Walker, a fourth-round pick by the Orioles in 2012, hasn't been able to recapture his 2019 form, when he hit 29 home runs and finished with an .825 OPS. The 30-year-old is batting .223 with a .620 OPS, four home runs and 21 RBIs in 55 games this season.

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The 36-year-old Turner earned his second All-Star nod after batting .305 with 15 home runs, 50 RBIs and an .889 OPS in the first half of the season. Turner, who made his major league debut with the Orioles in 2009 but played just 17 games in Baltimore, is looking for his second straight World Series title in Los Angeles.

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Roe, who pitched two seasons in Baltimore, appeared in just one game for the Rays this season before experiencing shoulder discomfort. He had season-ending surgery at the end of June.

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Hill, who spent one season in Baltimore in 2009, is 6-4 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.128 WHIP while striking out 8.6 batters per nine innings for his 10th team in his 17-year career.

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It's been a disappointing season for the former Orioles top prospect after he earned Cy Young Award votes in 2020. In his second year with the Angels after being dealt ahead of the arbitration deadline in 2019, the 28-year-old is 1-7 with a 6.68 ERA, having allowed 16 home runs in 16 games. He's set to become a free agent after this season.

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After two seasons in Baltimore, Alberto wasn't tendered a contract ahead of December's arbitration deadline and ended up signing a minor league deal with the Royals. In 65 games, he's batting .265 with a .673 OPS, one home run and 11 RBIs while playing second, third and short and even pitching one-third of an inning for Kansas City.

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Rodriguez, the Orioles' top prospect traded to the Red Sox for left-handed reliever Andrew Miller in 2014, is 6-5 with a 5.52 ERA this year after missing all of 2020 with the heart condition myocarditis. He's striking out a career-high 10.4 batters per nine innings.

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LeBlanc, who pitched 12 games for the Orioles after signing a minor league deal before the 2020 season, spent time in the minors with the Brewers and Rangers before signing with the Cardinals in June and being added to the active roster. He has a 3.20 ERA in 19 ? innings, starting in three of his seven appearances.

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Schoop, who spent his first five seasons with the Orioles and was named an All-Star in 2017 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2018 deadline, has been one of the league's most productive hitters this season. The 29-year-old is batting .277 with a .787 OPS, 16 home runs and 52 RBIs, making him a likely trade candidate for the rebuilding Tigers.

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After an effective if injury-shortened 2020 season for the Orioles, Iglesias has been a solid contributor for the Angels this year. Traded to Los Angeles before the arbitration deadline for a pair of pitching prospects, the 31-year-old is batting .275 with a .701 OPS, seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 75 games.

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He hasn't been able to replicate his stellar 2020 season with the Padres, but Davies has been solid for his third team in three seasons. A 26th-round pick by the Orioles in 2011 who was later traded to the Brewers, the 28-year-old is 5-6 with a 4.37 ERA in a league-high 19 starts.

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Back with the Cubs, who acquired him from the Orioles in 2013 before turning him into a Cy Young Award winner, Arrieta is still searching for his old form. He's 5-9 with a 6.30 ERA in 17 starts, having recorded an ERA over 9.00 in his past 12 starts as the slumping Cubs drop further in the standings.

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Castro, who was traded to the Mets at the 2020 deadline after three seasons in Baltimore, is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 35 appearances for New York this season, including two starts. He's struggled with his command, allowing six home runs while walking 23 batters, a rate of 5.9 walks per nine innings that would be a career high for the 26-year-old. He's still missing bats at a high rate, with 39 strikeouts in 35 innings.

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Crichton, a 23rd-round pick by the Orioles in 2013 who was traded to the Diamondbacks in 2018, is 0-4 with a 6.04 ERA and four saves in 29 appearances this season for Arizona, the only team with a worse record than Baltimore at the All-Star break.

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After turning into a surprising MVP candidate in 2020, Yastrzemski has experienced his share of ups and downs this season. The grandson of Hall of Famer and Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski -- who was taken in the 14th round by the Orioles in the 2013 draft but never debuted in Baltimore -- is batting .234 with an .803 OPS, 12 home runs and 34 RBIs but has dealt with injuries along the way. He's been hot of late, a welcome sight for the surprising NL West leaders.

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The rookie sensation, who spent 10 years in the minors, including three seasons with Orioles affiliates at Low-A Delmarva, High-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, has cooled off considerably since his hot start to the season. He's batting .271 with a .732 OPS, seven home runs and 37 RBIs, but was sent to the minors two weeks ago and has yet to be recalled.

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O'Day, who spent seven seasons with the Orioles and was named an All-Star in 2015 before being traded to the Braves at the 2018 deadline, has a 3.38 ERA in 12 appearances this season. The 14-year veteran was recently placed on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain.

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Pop, one of the prospects the Orioles acquired in the Manny Machado trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018 who was later selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 draft and then dealt to the Marlins, has a 5.81 ERA in 27 appearances in his first big league season, striking out 32 in 31 innings.

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Fulmer barely qualifies for the exercise, having pitched in just three games for the Orioles in 2020 after being claimed off waivers. The 27-year-old had a 6.66 ERA in 20 appearances with the Reds before being designated for assignment, and he is currently pitching for Triple-A Louisville.

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In the final year of a $57 million deal he signed with the Orioles just before the 2018 season, Cobb, who was traded in February for heralded infield prospect Jahmai Jones, has been solid for the Angels. He's 6-3 with a 4.23 ERA while striking out a career-high 10.1 batters per nine innings, with a Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) -- a stat that measures a pitcher's effectiveness at limiting home runs and walks and causing strikeouts -- of 2.60 indicating he's been better than his ERA might suggest. His 13 starts through the first half equal the total he had with the Orioles the past two seasons.

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Givens, who was traded to Colorado at last season's deadline after six seasons in Baltimore, has been an effective reliever for the Rockies after a bumpy second half in 2020. He has a 2.92 ERA in 26 appearances this year, recording 26 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.

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Miller, who spent half a season in Baltimore after being acquired at the deadline by the 2014 AL East champions, is still effective in his 16th season at age 36. Miller has a 3.66 ERA in 22 appearances, with an 0.84 ERA and three holds over his past 10 2/3 innings since returning from the injured list in early June.

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Though he's been surpassed in popularity by superstar teammate Fernando Tatis Jr., Machado remains one of the game's best players, earning his fifth All-Star selection this season and first since 2018 -- his last year in Baltimore. The 28-year-old, in the third season of his 10-year, $300 million deal with San Diego, is batting .267 with 15 home runs, 60 RBIs and an .833 OPS.

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Cortes, who made his major league debut in 2018 with the Orioles, has become an effective reliever for the Yankees in his second stint in New York. The 26-year-old lefty has a 1.05 ERA in nine appearances this season, striking out 31 in 25 ? innings with 10 walks.

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Hader, a 19th-round pick by the Orioles in 2012 out of Old Mill who was later traded to the Houston Astros and then the Brewers, is putting together the best season of his young career, even though he's struggled of late. The 27-year-old has a 1.49 ERA in 37 appearances with 21 saves and 15.6 strikeouts per nine innings, earning his third All-Star selection. He entered the break in a slump, having blown his first save of the season against the Mets on July 7 before surrendering the lead in back-to-back games against the Reds to close the first half.

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Villar, who spent two productive seasons with the Orioles before being dealt ahead of the arbitration deadline in 2019, has carved out a regular spot in the lineup for the National League East-leading Mets. The 30-year-old, now with his sixth team, is batting .235 with a .735 OPS, nine home runs and 18 RBIs in 68 games and has eight steals in 12 attempts.

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It's been a winding road for the former Orioles All-Star since he was traded to the Braves at the 2018 deadline. After spending time with the Cubs and Mets, the 35-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Reds and has a 4.22 ERA in 23 appearances this season, striking out 25 and walking 12 in 21 ? innings.

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The 34-year-old lefty remains one of the most effective relievers in baseball after spending four seasons with the Orioles, posting a 2.43 ERA in 37 appearances while striking out a career-high 7.3 batters per nine innings. He's walked just two batters and has not allowed a run over his past 10 appearances and 10 innings, making him a potential trade candidate for a top contender looking for bullpen help.

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Miley, who struggled in his two seasons in Baltimore, is having a career year for the Reds. The 34-year-old journeyman is 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA, having thrown a no-hitter in May against Cleveland. Though he wasn't named an All-Star, he could be a sought-after free agent this offseason.

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Gausman's ascent this season has been just as surprising as his team's rise to the top of the National League. After rediscovering his form in 2020 with San Francisco, the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Orioles has become a bona fide star, going 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA in 18 starts to earn his first All-Star nod. There's a good chance the 30-year-old will be in the Cy Young conversation this year, which might also include a deep postseason run.

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Even at age 41, Cruz remains one of the league's best sluggers. A one-time Orioles Alll-Star in 2014, Cruz earned his seventh All-Star nod by batting .304 with a .930 OPS, 18 home runs and 46 RBIs in the season's first half. He might be a hot name as the trade deadline approaches for the disappointing Twins.