BALTIMORE -- The Orioles continued to shuffle their pitching situation Saturday, this time changing the role of one of their struggling starters.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said the club is moving right-hander David Hess to the bullpen, effective immediately. Rookie southpaw Josh Rogers will assume the No. 5 slot in the Orioles’ rotation, at least temporarily, starting in Hess’ place Wednesday at Oakland.

Rogers logged 4 1/3 innings of long relief Friday after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, where he was 2-6 with an 8.51 ERA in 11 starts.

“We’re going to give Josh a look,” Hyde said. “I think we’re going to be playing with that last spot all year long.”

It marks the second time this season the Orioles have moved Hess to the bullpen. They also did so in late April but were forced to reverse those plans after just two days when Alex Cobb went back on the injured list with a lumbar strain. Baltimore’s lack of starting pitching depth has been plain to see without Cobb, who was scheduled to undergo season-ending hip surgery this week.

“At that time, we felt development-wise it would be the best thing for [Hess],” Hyde said. “Now we’re back to that. I think it’s going to be good for David. I think his stuff is going to tick up in short spurts rather than have to maintain it for four or five innings.”

Hyde made specific reference to Hess’ season debut in New York, when an uptick in velocity translated to two scoreless innings of relief. Nearly all of Hess’ 13 other outings this season -- all starts -- have gone differently. The right-hander has lost 9 consecutive decisions since firing 6 1/3 no-hit innings in his first start of the year in Toronto, pitching to a 7.20 ERA overall.

He is 4-19 with a 5.84 ERA in 32 starts dating back to last season and leads the Majors with 20 home runs allowed over 65 innings in 2019.

Alberto back in there

Back in the Orioles clubhouse Saturday morning, Hanser Alberto said he tried his hardest to play through the stomach cramping that forced him to exit Friday’s loss. He eventually exited in the fifth inning when the discomfort became too great, at which point the Orioles sent Alberto to a local hospital for further testing.

Alberto slept at the hospital overnight before being cleared and released Saturday morning, and was back in the lineup leading off against Chris Sale a few hours later.

“They know how much I love to play,” Alberto said.

He went 2-for-5 and scored a run in the 7-2 loss, but also committed an error in a crucial moment in the sixth, which allowed a run to score.

Roster move

The Orioles further rejiggered their bullpen by recalling right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis from Norfolk on Saturday, as a corresponding move for optioning Friday’s starter Luis Ortiz to Norfolk after his outing Friday night. This is the third stint in the Majors this season for Yacabonis, who owns a 6.11 ERA in 11 appearances. It also marked the Orioles’ sixth roster move on the pitching side in 24 hours.

Asked if Yacabonis was summoned to provide a fresh arm, Hyde provided a punchy retort.

“Is that the theme of 2019 so far?”