SARASOTA, Fla. - José Iglesias has video stored in his phone of three at-bats in the same game that concluded in the same fashion.
Three outs that remind him of J.J. Hardy's mastery at shortstop.
Grounders in Hardy's vicinity that appear to be infield hits until Iglesias hears the popping sounds from the first baseman's mitt. The ball beats him to the bag by a fraction of a second.
So impressive that Iglesias can't get angry about it. The opposing shortstop instead tips his cap to Hardy,...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Alex Cobb was held back in camp this morning and assigned a simulated game on the Ed Smith Stadium field while left-hander John Means traveled to Clearwater.
The top two starters in the Orioles rotation got in their work on the same day.
Cobb threw a lengthy bullpen session prior to the sim game, with Austin Wynns catching him. The veteran right-hander has gotten over the illness that slowed him in camp and restricted him to one inning in his only exhibition start.
Whatever he...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Ryan Mountcastle is in left field today against the Phillies and Stevie Wilkerson is playing first base as the Orioles attempt to run their winning streak to five games in a row.
Dilson Herrera keeps moving around, with today's game putting him in right field. Hanser Alberto is leading off and Rio Ruiz is batting cleanup.
Mason Williams gets the start in center field.
Regulars who are staying back in Sarasota include Austin Hays, Trey Mancini, Anthony Santander, Chris Davis...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The shifting of players to various positions in camp bumped Rio Ruiz to the bench yesterday after he started at third base the previous afternoon in Bradenton.
He's also played first base in a game.
He hasn't stopped hitting.
Ruiz singled twice against the Pirates and is 7-for-12 with a double, RBI and run scored. He's driving the ball to the opposite field. Nothing cheap about his production.
"I like the way he's swinging the bat," said manager Brandon Hyde. "He's off...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Don't fall in love with spring training stats.
Pretty sound advice, but what about a crush?
Chris Davis is threatening to take back his old nickname. The first baseman with his 25 extra pounds of good weight hit his third home run this afternoon, a three-run shot to right-center field off former Orioles farmhand Stephen Tarpley.
Davis walked in the first inning and flexed in the second, this time pulling the ball after taking aim at left and left-center in previous starts. He...
SARASOTA, Fla. - As the pages of the calendar flip to a new month on Sunday, the chances of the Orioles bringing in a veteran starter could be moving further away from reality.
Time is running out to get a pitcher ready for opening day and the preferred scenario doesn't include innings and arms built up in extended spring training.
Manager Brandon Hyde must proceed as though he's got to choose from among the pitchers already in camp.
"I think you have to," he said. "We go on the mindset...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Davis is batting fifth today for a 1:05 p.m. game against the Marlins in Sarasota.
Davis has reached base in seven of his eight plate appearances, with two singles and two home runs.
Yusniel Diaz was the designated hitter yesterday and he's in left field this afternoon. Anthony Santander remains in the designated hitter role when he's in the lineup.
Pedro Severino is catching. Pat Valaika, a super-utility candidates, is starting at second base.
Left-hander Keegan Akin...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Richie Martin is blocked at shortstop and unsure whether he can claim second base or a utility job.
He's no longer hearing how he should focus only on his defense at short and not worry about what he offers at the plate. Hold the gravy.
Spring training 2020 certainly has a different feel and sound for Martin, the former Rule 5 pick who came within a home run yesterday of the cycle.
Martin was allowed back at his old position while José Iglesias stayed in Sarasota for...
BRADENTON, Fla. - Austin Hays didn't have a seat on the team bus this morning, his workout schedule keeping him back in Sarasota while the Orioles made the 20-minute trek to play the Pirates.
Ryan Mountcastle peeled away from his friend and handled first base and cleanup duties at LECOM Park.
They both cleaned up yesterday at Ed Smith Stadium. Hays doubled twice and had two RBIs, made two diving catches and was on the front end of an 8-4-2 putout. Mountcastle doubled twice, hit a long home...
BRADENTON, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde broke out a sheet of paper this morning with the list of players who are recovering from injuries and illnesses and the next stages of their individual progressions.
Too many names and tasks to memorize with so many other activities happening at the complex.
Hunter Harvey, who's been able to shake his flu-like symptoms, threw a simulated game today in Sarasota.
Kohl Stewart (biceps) and Alex Wells (oblique) are throwing in the bullpen Saturday....
SARASOTA, Fla. - As the Orioles' player representative, Chris Davis is ready to offer an opinion on the Astros cheating scandal, the punishments handed down and how opponents might deal with it.
"I think the discipline that the players are going to get this year is going to be very interesting, and I say that meaning that a lot of that is going to be handed out between the lines," Davis said.
"Obviously, what went on was awful for the game, for the fans, just for everybody involved. But it...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Rule 5 pick Brandon Bailey gets his first start today, as the Orioles travel to Bradenton to play the Pirates in a 1:05 p.m. game.
Bailey pitched in relief in Sunday's home opener against the Red Sox and allowed one run and three hits with no walks and two strikeouts over two innings.
Yusniel Diaz makes his spring debut today as the designated hitter. Dwight Smith Jr. is leading off, followed by Hanser Alberto.
Ryan Mountcastle moves to first base after playing left field in...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Yusniel Diaz arrived in Orioles camp with the other position players and had his mind set on making the opening day roster. Making the jump from Double-A and sticking the landing.
The sticking point, however, has been another health issue that's delayed his first appearance in an exhibition game.
Diaz noticed some discomfort in his left shoulder while taking batting practice a few days before the opener. Nothing to concern Diaz or the organization, but also nothing that a...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Tommy Milone is new to the Orioles after agreeing to a minor league deal earlier this month. He's learning about his teammates, and his comfort zone has been expanded in workouts and clubhouse conversations.
Today's start enabled Milone to confirm what he already knew about Austin Hays.
Anything hit in his general vicinity is likely to be caught. And the kid can hit, too.
Milone retired the Pirates in order in the top of the first inning because Hays raced into right-center...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Anthony Santander continues to be used as the Orioles' designated hitter until manager Brandon Hyde feels comfortable easing him into the outfield.
The spot waiting for him is becoming more clear.
Hyde confirmed this morning that Santander is likely to play left field at Camden Yards while Trey Mancini returns to right, but they could reverse positions at select road venues.
Mancini starts in left field at Fenway Park, entrusted to slay the Green Monster.
"I think similar to...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Kohl Stewart's bid to win a spot in the Orioles rotation should get underway within the next few days.
Stewart has been sidelined with a sore right biceps muscle, but he played catch yesterday and will repeat the activity this morning. He's scheduled for a bullpen session on Friday while the team is in Bradenton to play the Pirates.
The exhibition debut could happen by Sunday or Monday.
"I feel really good. They were just extra cautious, honestly," Stewart said.
"It...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Austin Hays is leading off again today and Ryan Mountcastle is back in left field as the Orioles host the Pirates in a 1:05 p.m. game.
Anthony Santander is the designated hitter again. He had a sore shoulder last September and manager Brandon Hyde remains cautious with him.
Renato Núñez gets another start at third base, Chris Davis returns to the lineup at first and Bryan Holaday is behind the plate for left-hander Tommy Milone.
Milone is scheduled to go two innings in...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles reliever Evan Phillips tossed a scoreless inning yesterday against the Braves at Ed Smith Stadium to lower his spring ERA to 16.20.
He didn't pass out cupcakes to celebrate it, but the outing was a vast improvement over Sunday's debut, when he recorded only two outs in the ninth inning and was charged with three runs. He kept going to three-ball counts and reached his pitch limit.
Phillips walked the leadoff batter yesterday but also recorded a strikeout and got away...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Bruce Zimmermann used to dream about slipping on an Orioles uniform while growing up in Baltimore.
The fantasy didn't include a first-pitch home run, but it's spring training and wouldn't kill the moment.
Zimmermann replaced starter Asher Wojciechowski today in the top of the third inning on an overcast and windy day at Ed Smith Stadium. Bryce Ball, sitting at the bottom of the Braves' lineup, greeted him with a shot to deep left-center field.
Baseball can be heart-warming...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Minor league left-hander Alex Wells hasn't been cleared to pitch this spring due to a sore right oblique muscle, according to manager Brandon Hyde. There's no timetable for getting him on the mound.
Wells is a non-roster invitee to camp who's likely to begin the 2020 season at Triple-A Norfolk. He posted a 2.95 ERA and 1.07 WHIP last summer in 24 starts with Double-A Bowie.
"We're just being cautious with him," Hyde said.
Kohl Stewart and Brady Rodgers, who are recovering...