Major League Baseball has adjusted its playoff math and the Orioles could actually secure their spot tonight rather than Sunday.

The magic number remains three, but the Orioles would be back in the postseason with a win this afternoon against the Tigers and a loss by the Mariners tonight in Texas. In a complicated scenario, they would win the tiebreaker against Detroit.

The Mariners’ game starts at 7:05 p.m., so there’s a chance the Orioles won’t be celebrating in the locker room. That’s happened in the past when the team’s 2012 playoff berth was confirmed on a flight to Tampa.

Adding to the unusual circumstances of the day, the charter flight had to make an emergency landing in Jacksonville after smoke billowed from a stove in the galley area. The players boarded the plane and enjoyed their first postseason berth since 1997. Seats and windows were not covered with plastic.

The Orioles have not made the playoffs in consecutive years since 1996-97. They qualified in 2012, 2014 and 2016 under former coach Buck Showalter and won the division last season.

Manager Brandon Hyde said he hasn’t named his starters for the postseason, but Corbin Burnes would pitch the first game of the Wild Card Series on Oct. 1 when the Orioles are in. Burnes is on track to play.

Rookie Cade Povich will be on the mound tonight against the Tigers. Albert Suárez will start in the final game of the series on Sunday afternoon and Dean Kremer will start Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

“We don’t take anything for granted and just try to win,” Hyde said.

“We’ll just stay in the curve now.”

The Orioles today acquired outfielder Daniel Johnson from Triple-A Norfolk in case Cedric Mullins goes on the injured list with a neck problem. Mullins is in today’s lineup.

“Ced has done a lot here in the last couple of hours,” Hyde said. “He’s been hitting, he’s been running, he’s been doing some stuff in the outfield. He’s had a lot of work yesterday and last night, and he’s feeling a lot better today. He’s feeling great.”

Infielder Terrin Vavra is on the 24-hour taxi squad. The Orioles wanted him in the ballpark in case Mullins goes on the injured list. They optioned Coby Mayo earlier today.

“He honestly wanted to give us some options if we needed to take any steps,” Hyde said.

Vavra has been on the injured list several times this year, was placed on waivers by the Mariners in August, became a free agent earlier this month and re-signed with the Orioles.

“It’s been a crazy year, a crazy last month, to say the least,” he said.

“Just being back in this clubhouse is a blessing and I am grateful for every opportunity.”

Players tend to return to their old teams. That’s part of baseball life.

“Yeah, thankfully,” he said. “I can only say good things about the Orioles organization and hope they say the same about me. I know how this game works. You have to take it one game at a time. There’s a business side to it and you just have to be ready to play no matter where that is.”

Mayo has played in 17 games with the Orioles, going 4-for-41 with four walks and 22 strikeouts. He is the top prospect in the system and is ranked No. 8 in baseball by MLB Pipeline.

“I think it’s difficult to judge young players, especially from a short sample size and especially when they’re only 22 years old,” Hyde said.

“It’s normal to have ups and downs, and even in the second and third years, there are times when it’s difficult. Coby hasn’t had that many at-bats. It’s been nice to see him settle in. I thought he played great at first base last night. This looks more relaxed, so I thought there were some positives.”

Infielders Ramón Urías, Jordan Westburg and Ryan Mountcastle remain in Norfolk for their rehab duties.

“We’re still evaluating these guys,” Hyde said. “I’ll talk to them again today. We want to see how they feel first, but it sounds like they’re getting closer.”

Hyde congratulated Gunnar Henderson on his two consecutive Most Valuable Oriole awards and admired the shortstop’s talent and his room for further development.

“A couple of times, (Ryan) O’Hearn was standing next to me and Gunnar hit a home run opening a game or doing something else, and he looked at me and we both thought, ‘This is ridiculous,'” Hyde said. “It’s not that easy, and there were a lot of moments this year where he made it look easy. He’s just so incredibly talented. So much so that nothing really surprises you anymore. Some of the best left-handed pitchers in the game, some of the best pitchers in the game, and he just has great at-bats or hits a home run.

“He’s just had a lot of great moments and he’s a really special person who’s incredibly motivated. I said to somebody last night during the game – I can’t remember who it was – that the guy never feels like he needs to go out. When he’s out, he never feels like the pitcher took him out. He should never go out. And that’s just the way he is. He’s got an incredible amount of talent for someone his age.”

What’s even more amazing is that Henderson still has a lot more to offer. At 23, he’s far from finished.

“He’s so young and this is his first year playing shortstop every day,” Hyde said. “Right now, there’s room for improvement in every single area. It’s hard to believe, but he’s going to continue to get better.”