Mark Reynolds

I remember talking to an Orioles executive at the trade deadline in July. I asked him about whether they needed another bat, maybe some more power from the right side. He responded: “If we could get the Mark Reynolds we thought we had, we'd be fine. We just don't have him right now.” At the time, Reynolds had eight homers and his streak of three consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs wasn't just in jeopardy, it was on life support. He's hit 12 since, including eight in his last seven games.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds said it will take more than a painful foul ball off his left foot to keep him from playing in Friday's American League wild-card playoff game against the Texas Rangers. Reynolds fouled a ball off a bone in his left big toe in the fifth inning of the Orioles' 4-1 regular season finale loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, but he remained in the game. X-rays on Reynolds' foot were negative and he expects to play Friday. “No problem once you get under the lights and get a little adrenaline flowing,” Reynolds said.

As Kevin Cowherd pointed out over on the Toy Department blog, Orioles third baseman Mark Reynolds is one of 18 major-leaguers who this season are hitting below .215 -- the career average of Mario Mendoza. Mendoza, of course, is the standard bearer when comes to it ineptitude in the batter’s box. In five of his nine major-league seasons, Mendoza, now a bench coach for the Sultanes de Monterrey in the Mexican League, batted below .200 -- a mark that is now referred to as the “Mendoza line” in his dishonor.

With less than 12 hours before tonight's midnight tender deadline, Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds said he hasn't heard from the club regarding his future with the team. The Orioles have until midnight to tender the 29-year-old Reynolds a contract in his final year of arbitration eligibility. If they don't, he will become a free agent, open to negotiate with any team. The Orioles could still negotiate with him, but would risk losing him amid a weak first baseman free-agent market.

Now that the Orioles have declined the $11 million option for next year on Mark Reynolds, the club has two options to try to keep the 29-year-old first baseman. Since Reynolds has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining, the Orioles could tender a contract to Reynolds and hope to sign him for less through the arbitration process. Reynolds made $7.5 million last season, and it's very rare to see players take a pay cut going through arbitration. So even though Reynolds had a down year offensively, he would still figure to make in the $9 million range through the arbitration process.

First baseman Mark Reynolds, an integral part of the Orioles' best season in 15 years, said he wasn't surprised that the team declined its $11 million option on him for 2013, but he made it clear that he still wants to remain in Baltimore. In declining Reynolds' option - a move the team announced Wednesday - the Orioles must pay Reynolds a $500,000 buyout, but he still has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining. So the team can retain Reynolds for next season, provided it tenders him a contract by the Nov. 30 deadline.

The last time the Orioles took three series at Yankee Stadium in a single season, just two players on the team's current 25-man roster had even been born. The Orioles' struggles in the Bronx run deep. And their fortunes didn't change when the Yankees moved into a new home across East 161st Street. But these Orioles aren't fond of history lessons. They'd rather write their own. The newest chapter was written Sunday, when the Orioles' 8-3 win over the Yankees' gave them three series wins in the Bronx for the first time since 1976.

DETROIT -- Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds said Saturday he expects to receive a fine for his critical comment about the umpiring in Friday night's 5-3 loss to the Tigers, but he didn't really retreat from his statements. Reynolds was ejected in the fifth inning after first-base umpire Jeff Kellogg's out call on Jhonny Peralta at first base was overturned. After conferring with home-plate umpire Tim Timmons as the request of Tigers manager Jim Leyland, they reversed the call and ruled Peralta safe, saying that Reynolds' foot came off the bag. Reynolds slammed his glove on the ground and was immediately ejected by second-base umpire Vic Carapazza, then unloaded a postgame tirade on the umpires.

DETROIT - Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds offered no apologies after getting ejected from Friday night's 5-3 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, only a frustrated sermon on how he believed two controversial calls forced the O's to battle two difficult foes   - the Tigers and the umpires. Prince Fielder provided the offense for the Tigers, hitting a pair of two-run homers, but Reynolds had bigger issue with the performance of the umpiring crew. Reynolds and manager Buck Showalter were both ejected in the fifth inning after a close call at first base was overturned by home plate umpire Tim Timmons.

The dog days of August don't usually include three-hour, nine-minute rain delays, but a little more than 12 hours after their game against the Kansas City Royals ended early Sunday morning with a loss, the Orioles were back on the field at Camden Yards trying to salvage a series split. The Orioles' series finale against the Royals was the club's 30th game in 31 days since the All-Star break. Grinding through the yawns and tired eyes of Sunday would reward the Orioles with a much-welcomed off day Monday.