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Colton Cowser is not in the Orioles’ starting lineup for Friday night’s showdown against the Reds.

Advice: After lighting the world on fire at the plate for a while after joining the Orioles’ starting lineup, Cowser has struggled recently — hitting just .107/.265/.143 with zero homers, one RBI and a 14/5 K/BB ratio over 34 plate appearances in his last nine games. Heston Hjerstad will start in his place on Friday night and will bat eighth against Hunter Greene and the Reds. Rotoworld 12 minutes ago

Carter started in center field and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's 6-0 win over Washington.

Advice: Carter got the rare start against a left-hander and produced his second hit in 16 at-bats against a southpaw. Texas manager Bruce Bochy has shied away from using Carter in these situations but gave him a shot Thursday with Leody Taveras getting the night off. Rangers general manager Chris Young explained to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that at this point in his MLB career, Carter has not faced the quality of stuff that major-league lefties possess, suggesting the team is bringing the 21-year-old along slowly in that regard. "I think [Bochy] is doing a very good job of giving him his fair share of at-bats against lefties knowing that there's only one way to develop, and that's to go through it," the GM said. Young also noted Carter's advanced aptitude and is confident he'll eventually succeed against all pitchers. Rotowire.com Today, 3:33 am

Hicks (side) is listed as the Giants' probable starting pitcher for Friday's game against the Phillies in Philadelphia.

Advice: Hicks contended with side tightness during his most recent outing against the Pirates last Saturday, when he struck out a season-high nine over six innings while allowing one earned run on five hits and no walks. The injury apparently didn't hinder him during his between-starts bullpen session, so he's on track to take the hill for the seventh time this season Friday. After pitching exclusively in relief between stops with St. Louis and Toronto in 2023, Hicks has performed even better than the Giants could have imagined after signing him to a four-year, $44 million deal this winter with the plan of converting him to a full-time starting role. Through his first six turns through the rotation, Hicks has delivered two wins to go with a 1.59 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 27:10 K:BB in 34 innings. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 3:31 pm

Luzardo (elbow) threw a successful bullpen session Thursday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Advice: Luzardo will make a rehab start sometime during the Marlins' upcoming road trip. The left-hander is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list on May 10, and he could be a realistic candidate to start against the Phillies that day, if all goes well in his throwing program. Luzardo has been working his way back from a mild left flexor strain. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:57 am

Castro went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 10-5 win over the White Sox.

Advice: Castro wound up a homer shy of a cycle Wednesday while recording his fifth multi-hit game during his current eight-game hitting streak. He's gone 16-for-35 (.457) over the course of the streak, boosting his slash line to .270/.339/.450 through 30 games this year. The 27-year-old Castro added two homers, 13 runs scored, 12 RBI and three stolen bases while serving as the Twins' primary third baseman in the absence of Royce Lewis (quadriceps). Rotowire.com Wednesday, 7:59 pm