TORONTO -- The Orioles activated relief pitcher Darren O'Day prior to Saturday afternoon's 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, after the right-hander missed over a month with a hyperextended right elbow.
O'Day made a pair of rehab appearances with the Class A Advanced Frederick Keys. In his most recent outing on Thursday, O'Day struck out the side in his lone inning of work.
Prior to hitting the disabled list, O'Day had a 3.77 ERA over 14 1/3 innings. His peripheral stats compared closely to his 2015 All-Star season, too, with 18 strikeouts and just two walks allowed.
In a corresponding move, the Orioles optioned reliever Tanner Scott to Triple-A Norfolk. The 23-year-old Scott has a 4.96 ERA at the Major League level this season with 23 strikeouts over 16 1/3 innings.
Britton nearing return
Zach Britton will soon join O'Day in Baltimore's bullpen as the Orioles get their relief corps back to full strength. Britton pitched one inning for Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, allowing one run on two hits and striking out one. He was originally scheduled to pitch back to back over the weekend, but the Orioles moved that date up to make Thursday and Friday his back-to-back games.
"[Britton is] in good shape physically. It's just a baseball decision now. Physically, he's ready to go," manager Buck Showalter said before Friday's game, after Britton's schedule had been adjusted.
Showalter said that Britton could be activated as early as Monday, when the Orioles return home for a series against the Red Sox.
"He's had a game where he pitched and then went back out for the second inning," Showalter said Friday. "He's had two-inning outings with the sim games. The back-to-back was the last hurdle we wanted to cross."
Davis out of the lineup again
Chris Davis did not start for the second straight day in Toronto.
Davis has hit Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez very well over his career, going 8-for-23 with two doubles, four home runs and 11 walks. He's struggled all season, though, hitting just .152 with a .464 OPS.