Wednesday Bird Droppings: All-Star Game hangover edition

Happy Wednesday, Camden Chatters! We now face two days with no baseball of any sort, which is rough. If you missed last night's All-Star Game and want to read an O's-centric review, check out Mark's recap. When you're finished with that, check out these links:

Roster undergoing changes to start second half - School of Roch
Who will be in the rotation? How is Hyun-Soo Kim's hamstring? Will they bring up a lefty for the bullpen?

First-Place Orioles Obviously Aren't Sellers, But Should They Buy? | Camden Depot
Matt Kremnitzer does a good job summing up what I think a lot of people are feeling about the Orioles and the trade deadline. They obviously could use some help, but does that really mean they should trade for someone?

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred: Fewer games means less pay - Baltimore Sun
Rob Manfred says that if major league players want a handful less games, they will have to take a pay cut. He also says rude things about minor league pay. He's a swell guy.

Cubs Activate LHP Brian Matusz And Send Him To Double-A - TKB
When Matusz was pitching in rookie ball he was technically on the disabled list. Now he is apparently healthy and ready to prove himself in double-A.

Sedlock settling in as a pro | qconline.com
Local boy does good! Cody Sedlock is currently pitching for Aberdeen.

Home Runs Are Way, Way Up. So Are the Theories Why. - The New York Times
A few players, including Matt Wieters, give their theories on why home runs are being hit more frequently than they used to.

How Do the 2016 Orioles Stack Up to Past O's Playoff Teams? | Roar From 34
Here’s a teaser: The 2016 O’s have a better record after 87 games than one World Series winner in Baltimore as well as one of the franchise’s 100-win teams.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have three unremarkable Orioles birthday buddies. They are: Pat Rapp, who had one bad season for the O's in 2000; Fritz Dorish, who pitched in 13 games for the 1956 Orioles; and Mark Brown! No, not our Mark Brown. The Orioles had a Mark Brown who spent two years in the major leagues, one of them with the Orioles. He pitched to a 3.91 ERA in nine games in relief in 1984. It's sad that happened before our Mark was able to appreciate it.