With new acquisition Nick Hundley unlikely to make his debut, the Baltimore Orioles may have trouble bouncing back offensively with possibly two All-Stars out of the lineup.
The Orioles could be without Chris Davis and Manny Machado as they try to deny the Cleveland Indians a sixth win in seven games in Sunday's series finale at Camden Yards.
Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters is uncertain to come back from a right elbow strain, and fill-ins Steve Clevenger and Caleb Joseph haven't provided much by going a combined 3 for 34 over the last nine games.
As a result, the Orioles (24-23) made a move Saturday to improve the spot, acquiring Hundley and cash considerations from San Diego in exchange for left-hander Troy Patton.
Hundley batted .271 with a homer for the Padres this season, but might not be able to join Baltimore in time for Sunday's game.
"Hundley is a proven veteran catcher," executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said in a text message with MLB.com. "(He) handles pitchers well and has power to stabilize (the) team."
After totaling 32 runs and hitting .327 with nine homers in their previous four games, the Orioles scattered eight hits while getting shut out for the fourth time in Saturday's 9-0 loss to last-place Cleveland (24-26). Baltimore has now dropped nine of 13 since a season-high five-game winning streak.
Making matters worse, Davis is expected to miss the next two games for the birth of his first child. He went 0 for 3 Saturday, but has gone 8 for 19 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his last five games.
Machado, batting .313 over a seven-game hitting streak, missed his second straight contest due to stiffness in his right groin and is day-to-day.
Those potential absences could make things much easier on Trevor Bauer (1-1, 2.25 ERA) as he looks to help the Indians take three of four in this series. He allowed two runs over six-plus innings Tuesday to beat visiting Detroit 6-2 in his first outing since getting recalled from the minors.
The right-hander may have to cool off Nelson Cruz, who is batting .359 with five homers and 13 RBIs in his last 10 games. Adam Jones has also been on a roll, hitting .370 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in his last 17 contests.
Baltimore's Miguel Gonzalez (2-3, 4.52) picked up his first win in more than a month Tuesday, allowing two runs while striking out seven over six-plus innings in a 9-2 victory at Pittsburgh.
The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA in his last six home starts dating to last season. He's also given up five runs with 14 strikeouts over 13 1-3 innings while winning both his career starts against the Indians.
Asdrubal Cabrera is 2 for 5 with a home run and Lonnie Chisenhall is 2 for 3 with a homer when facing Gonzalez, though Cabrera and Nick Swisher are uncertain to return after sitting Saturday to rest their sore knees.
Chisenhall has gone 8 for 17 with two homers in his last four games, while Michael Bourn is 11 for 23 in his previous five. Michael Brantley is batting .390 during a 10-game hitting streak.
"It's amazing what you see when guys get confident, when they start to understand what they're doing," manager Terry Francona, whose club is hitting .310 with eight homers during this 5-1 stretch, told the team's official website.
Baltimore will try to improve its major league-worst 5-12 record in day games.
