Neither of the Orioles’ pitching coaches will be back on manager Brandon Hyde’s staff in 2024, though one will remain in the organization.

Chris Holt will focus on his duties as Baltimore’s director of pitching and no longer also serve as the club’s major league pitching coach, while assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes is the lone other member of the staff not expected to be back next season, a source with direct knowledge of the team’s plans confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.

Holt, 44, was one of Mike Elias’ first hires after the latter became the Orioles’ executive vice president and general manager in November 2018, with Holt having served as a minor league pitching coach and coordinator in the Houston Astros’ system while Elias was in their front office. Holt has since played a major role in both Baltimore’s pitching program overall and the growth of individual pitchers, notably helping left-hander John Means in the spring of 2019 to fine-tune the changeup that has become his signature pitch.

Holt was Baltimore’s minor league pitching coordinator in 2019 before becoming the organization’s director of pitching in 2020; in that role, he oversees pitching development throughout the organization. His return to that role as his sole focus comes after three seasons as Hyde’s pitching coach.

In 2021, the first of those campaigns, the Orioles’ pitching staff ranked last in the majors in ERA, but their performance in 2022 marked the sport’s biggest year-to-year improvement in more than 90 years. Several young starters, such as Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells, took steps forward in 2023.

Holmes, 57, was also involved in that progression. He has been with the Orioles since 2020, serving as their bullpen coach that season before spending the previous three years as assistant pitching coach.

Before joining the Orioles, Holmes was the Colorado Rockies’ bullpen coach from 2015 to 2019. After his 13-year pitching career — which included a stint with Baltimore in 2000 — Holmes spent nearly a decade as the Director of Sports Performance at Acceleration Sports Institute, with his background in biomechanics eventually leading to a consulting job with the Atlanta Braves.

It’s not yet clear whether the Orioles intend to replace both Holt and Holmes on the major league coaching staff, though the organization does have at least two notable internal candidates for any opening.

Justin Ramsey, Triple-A Norfolk’s pitching coach and Baltimore’s upper-level pitching coordinator, joined Holt as one of the first coaching hires of Elias’ front office. He has worked closely with Holt and Holmes in his efforts with the Tides’ pitchers, with Rodriguez, the club’s top pitching prospect at the time, often crediting Ramsey for his improvements after a return to the minors.

Pitching strategy coach Ryan Klimek has played a significant role in the Orioles’ game planning for opponents over the past two seasons, drawing praise from the club’s pitchers and Hyde; 2023 was Klimek’s seventh year with the Orioles, beginning as a player development intern in 2017.

Hyde, 50, is set to manage the Orioles for a sixth season in 2024, a season he could spend as the reigning American League Manager of the Year after guiding Baltimore to 101 wins and the AL East crown this year. His coaching staff also includes bench coach Fredi González, major league field coordinator/catching instructor Tim Cossins, major league coach José Hernández, hitting coaches Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller, offensive strategy coach Cody Asche, first base/outfield coach Anthony Sanders and third base/infield coach Tony Mansolino.

MASNSports.com first reported the changes to the Orioles’ coaching staff.

Around the horn

The Orioles claimed left-hander Tucker Davidson from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. Davidson, 27, has a 5.98 ERA in 55 career appearances (17 starts) with the Braves, Los Angeles Angels and Royals. Baltimore’s 40-man roster is full.
Earlier this week, the Orioles signed right-hander Nate Webb to a two-year minor league contract. Webb, 26, missed 2023 after undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction in the spring. Yet to appear in the majors, Webb reached Triple-A in the Royals’ system in 2022.

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LOS ANGELES — Matthew Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing in the hit series “Friends,” has died. He was 54.

The Emmy-nominated actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ, which was the first to report the news. Both outlets cited unnamed sources confirming Perry’s death.

His publicists and other representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Asked by AP to confirm police response to what was listed as Perry’s home address LAPD Officer Drake Madison told The Associated Press that officers had gone to that block “for a death investigation of a male in his 50s.”

Perry’s 10 seasons on “Friends” made him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York.

As Chandler, he played a sarcastic yet insecure and neurotic roommate of Joey and Ross, played by LeBlanc and Schwimmer respectively. By the series’ end, Chandler is married to Cox’s Monica and they have a family, reflecting the journey of the core cast from single New Yorkers to married and starting families.

The series was one of television’s biggest hits and has taken on a new life — and found surprising popularity with younger fans — in recent years on streaming services.

The series ran from 1994 until 2004. A reunion special in 2021 was hosted by James Corden and fed into huge interest in seeing the cast together again, although the HBO Max reunion was the actors discussing the show and not a continuation of their characters’ storylines.

Perry received one Emmy nomination for his “Friends” role and two more for appearances as an associate White House counsel on “The West Wing.”

Perry also had several notable film roles, starring opposite Salma Hayek in the rom-com “Fools Rush In” and opposite Bruce Willis in the the crime comedy “The Whole Nine Yards.”

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Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith was absent from practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury as the Ravens began preparations to play the Arizona Cardinals.

Coach John Harbaugh declined to comment on Smith’s status, deferring to the injury report. “No, he just wasn’t out there,” he said after practice.

Smith leads the Ravens with 71 tackles and has emerged as the vocal leader of a defense that has allowed the fewest points and second fewest yards in the league.

The 26-year-old two-time All-Pro has been one of the league’s most durable players in recent years, starting 57 games in a row since he finished the 2019 season with the Chicago Bears on injured reserve because of a torn pectoral muscle. He has played 97% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps this season.

Smith played 67 of the Ravens’ 75 defensive snaps in their 38-6 win last Sunday over the Detroit Lions. He made a team-high eight tackles but received his second lowest game grade of the season from Pro Football Focus.

Smith spoke to reporters after the game and gave no indication he was dealing with an injury. He was also seen briefly in the locker room Wedneday.

“Like we said all week, we just came out and did what we had to do, and just played our style of defense,” he said Sunday of the team’s dominant performance. “We just know they haven’t faced a defense yet like ours.”

Safety Marcus Williams (hamstring) and running back Keaton Mitchell (hamstring) were the only other Ravens who did not practice Wednesday. Cornerback Kevon Seymour (ankle) was limited, while wide receiver Tylan Wallace (hamstring) was a full participant after being designated to return from injured reserve. Wallace has 21 days to return to the active roster or will revert to season-ending IR.

Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser, who remains on the non-football injury list with what Harbaugh described in August as an agitated knee, declined to speak with several reporters who approached to ask about his status.

For the Cardinals, defensive end Kevin Strong (shoulder) and guard Elijah Wilkinson (neck) did not practice Wednesday while cornerback Antonio Hamilton (groin) and safety Jalen Thompson (hamstring) were limited participants. Quarterback Kyler Murray was a full participant but is expected to be out a few more weeks as he prepares to return from a torn ACL suffered in December.

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The nerves are still there for Tyson Bagent this week.

But that’s a normal part of the process for the Chicago Bears undrafted rookie, not an exception as he prepares to make his second NFL start Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

Bagent always has what he calls “nerved-up” energy flowing through him during game weeks when he’s off the field, a product of homing in on the details of what he needs to learn ahead of a practice or a game. When he gets on the field, that melts away into the confidence that has impressed teammates.

“On my way home from the facility, I’m just kind of thinking about what I need to study tonight,” Bagent said. “And I just am kind of eager to get it done and learned and my mind wrapped around it, so I’m able to go the next day.”

It’s understandable if Bagent is charged up this week as he transitions from earning a win in his first NFL start against the Las Vegas Raiders to preparing to play on national television Sunday night against the Chargers.

Bagent garnered a lot of attention with his story of playing at Division II Shepherd in West Virginia to starting in place of injured quarterback Justin Fields on Sunday. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown, no turnovers and one sack to help the Bears earn just their fifth victory in the last two seasons.

He was on the phone with someone from Huntington, W.Va., on Tuesday, who informed him that according to research, Bagent is the first born-and-bred West Virginia quarterback to start in the NFL. Bagent called it “amazing.”

“You just think about how long they’ve been playing in the NFL, how many people have gone through the NFL,” Bagent said. “So when you can still be the first to do something in this league that’s been around so long and had so many people come through it, it’s definitely an honor and something that’s really crazy and wild to think about.”

The attention is about to get bigger this week.

Fields is expected to be sidelined again as he recovers from his right thumb injury. That leaves the Bears to try to build on what Bagent did against the Raiders facing a Chargers defense that boasts what Bagent called “generational players” in outside linebacker Khalil Mack and safety Derwin James.

The Bears asked Bagent to execute a conservative game plan against the Raiders, relying on the running game and short passes. But Bagent doesn’t feel like he is boxed into such a plan, saying he’d be confident in whatever the Bears called, including more vertical passes.

“Whatever I’m asked to do from the coaches is what we’ll get done and what will happen,” he said. “So I don’t want to put any limits anywhere.”

His Bears teammates expect to see that confidence again from him this week.

“He’s just got this cool kind of swagger about him,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “When he comes in the huddle, he’s confident, loud and makes everybody feel like, ‘OK, we’ve got a chance to go execute on this play.’ And he does that every time he steps in the huddle. Every play was pretty good last week with him, and I’m looking forward to seeing him do it again this week.”

D’Onta Foreman wins awards

Running back D’Onta Foreman carried a scepter into the Bears locker room Wednesday afternoon after winning the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” award for “Angry Runs” for his performance against the Raiders.

Foreman was also voted by fans as the FedEx Ground NFL player of the week for his performance, which included 16 carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns and three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown.

“I definitely do think my physicality brings energy to the team,” he said. “They kind of feed off my energy when I’m going out there and doing what I do. I just want to focus on getting better each week.”

The awards came after Foreman was inactive for four weeks earlier this season because Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson pushed him out of the game-day roster mix. Johnson returned to practice in full Wednesday after he was out for two weeks with a concussion. But Herbert is still out with an ankle injury.

“There are a lot of other great running backs and a lot of good competition,” Foreman said. “I take nothing away from those guys. They push me each and every day to continue to excel and get better and better. It’s part of how it goes. I’ve been on three different teams, so I’ve had to prove myself to three different organizations. When I get my opportunity to do so, I feel like I handle myself and carry myself in a way that they believe and trust in me. I just want to continue to grow and build on that.”

Injury report

The Bears designated left tackle Braxton Jones to return from injured reserve after he missed five games with a neck injury. Jones was limited in practice and has 21 days to return to the active roster.

Coach Matt Eberflus said the Bears are looking at Jones’ functionality and conditioning as they determine whether he can return this week.

The Bears also designated defensive lineman Khalid Kareem (hip) to return.

Fields, right tackle Darnell Wright (shoulder/toe), safety Jaquan Brisker (illness), cornerback Terell Smith (mononucleosis) and guard Nate Davis (ankle) didn’t practice Wednesday.

Safety Eddie Jackson (foot) and offensive lineman Dan Feeney (knee) were limited.

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