Zimmermann and Urías making early impressions in camp

Zimmermann and Urías making early impressions in camp
Brandon Hyde won't overreact to individual production in early exhibition games. Like any manager, he'll place his judgments on hold until later. In the meantime, there are players assured of roster spots on opening day who just want to get ready. Players on the fringes who can get bumped in either direction. Important that they know the difference. The latter group can't be sluggish coming out of the gate, no matter how patient the manager is and how measured his reactions. Left-hander...
Continue reading

Urías homers as late substitute in 6-3 win

Urías homers as late substitute in 6-3 win
Freddy Galvis was going to play shortstop today. Ramon Urías was supposed to wait his next turn. Manager Brandon Hyde scratched Galvis from the lineup with a sore hip and inserted Urías, who belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Orioles a 6-3 win over the Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium. The Orioles improved their record to 2-2-1. Urías didn't hurt his chances of making the team, though a decision is pending on the length of the bench. Urías is...
Continue reading

Wells and Martin getting healthier in camp (Galvis scratched)

Wells and Martin getting healthier in camp (Galvis scratched)
The injury news in Orioles camp seems to be improving, with one notable exception. Pitcher Alexander Wells reported to the complex with a sore oblique, similar to his ailment last spring, but he's able to play catch as he inches closer to his first game. Wells was placed on the 40-man roster to protect him in the Rule 5 draft. He was throwing and facing hitters in Australia before traveling to the United States. The Orioles are intrigued by Wells' control - he's averaged only 1.4 walks per...
Continue reading

Orioles and Red Sox lineups

Orioles and Red Sox lineups
Ryan McKenna is starting in left field today as the Orioles host the Red Sox. Cedric Mullins is back in center field and atop the order, alternating with Austin Hays. Yusniel Diaz gets his first start in right field after twice playing left field. Trey Mancini is the first baseman. Rylan Bannon is at third base instead of Rio Ruiz. For the Orioles Cedric Mullins CF Trey Mancini 1B Anthony Santander DH Pedro Severino C Freddy Galvis SS Yusniel Diaz RF Yolmer Sánchez 2B Rylan Bannon 3B Ryan...
Continue reading

What comes next with Triple-A season pushed back?

What comes next with Triple-A season pushed back?
The Orioles knew that the Triple-A season could be pushed back at least a month, along with the other affiliates in baseball. The ESPN.com report Wednesday night didn't really blindside anyone in the organization. Only the timing enabled it to sneak up on some people. They were told that it could be announced by mid-March, but the news came a little bit earlier than that. How the Orioles deal with the latest changes due to COVID-19 and the need for more vaccinations is a work in progress....
Continue reading

Orioles outfielders keep shining in 8-1 win

Orioles outfielders keep shining in 8-1 win
The Orioles are flashing their outfield depth in spring training. Reports of its impressive nature weren't exaggerated. Same with the level of intensity in the competition. Austin Hays, trying to win the center field job, had a single, two-run homer and stolen base today in an 8-1, seven-inning victory over the Braves in North Port, Fla. DJ Stewart is at his best, he insists, when he's spraying line drives and concentrating on base hits instead of home runs. The power just seems to come...
Continue reading

Tyler Nevin on joining Orioles and relationship with father

Tyler Nevin on joining Orioles and relationship with father
Tyler Nevin finished a round of batting practice last month in Orioles camp and caught the eye of executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, who offered a hint at how the organization viewed him in the field. "I got here and I was hitting and Elias was behind the cage watching," Nevin recounted this morning in his Zoom conference call. "I got out and rolled around the cage and he goes, 'Hey, did you bring all your gloves?' I said, 'Yep,' and he goes, 'OK, you're going to need...
Continue reading

Orioles lineup vs. Braves

Orioles lineup vs. Braves
After catching knuckleballer Mickey Jannis yesterday, Orioles top prospect Adley Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter this afternoon against the Braves in North Port. The Orioles (0-2-1) also have Jahmai Jones in their lineup as the second baseman. Ryan Mountcastle is in left field. Austin Hays is leading off and playing center field. DJ Stewart is the right fielder and cleanup hitter. Chance Sisco is catching today, getting at least one at-bat against Braves left-hander Drew Smyly....
Continue reading

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The reduction in rosters to 26 players and the possibility of manager Brandon Hyde carrying 14 pitchers really has tightened the utility competition at spring training. A three-man bench with a backup catcher and extra outfielder probably would leave room only for Pat Valaika, who must be designated as the favorite after batting .277/.315/.475 with four doubles and eight home runs in 2020, playing six positions and signing for $875,000 in January to avoid arbitration. A fourth reserve would...
Continue reading

Hyde on Means, Mullins, Rutschman and more

Hyde on Means, Mullins, Rutschman and more
Orioles left-hander John Means was told that he'd pitch two innings today. He had no idea that he would come out of the first early and re-enter the game later. Manager Brandon Hyde had a plan with Means' pitch count rising against the Yankees. He pulled his ace and returned him to the mound in the second. "That's a new rule this year that we have a couple backup pitchers for every game in case a situation like that occurs," Hyde said on his Zoom call after a 4-2, seven-inning loss at Ed...
Continue reading

Notes on Davis, upcoming starters, Valdez and more

Notes on Davis, upcoming starters, Valdez and more
Chris Davis is day-to-day with a lower back strain, explaining his absence in today's lineup against the Yankees. Apparently, it's health-related rather than the Orioles facing left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Manager Brandon Hyde said Davis sustained the injury during his last at-bat in Sunday's exhibition opener against the Pirates. Davis struck out earlier and left the game after two plate appearances. "He felt it tug on him a little bit on the fly ball to right," Hyde said during his...
Continue reading

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees
Trey Mancini is the Orioles designated hitter for today's game against the Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium. Mancini is going to alternate between first base and DH, with day off in between. Cedric Mullins is back in center field and atop the order. Yusniel Diaz is back in left field after homering in Sunday's opener against the Pirates. Stevie Wilkerson gets the start at first base and Ramón Urías is the third baseman. Chris Davis is on the bench today after serving as the designated hitter...
Continue reading

Divvying up the players in camp

Divvying up the players in camp
The Orioles' spring training camp is divided into categories, and the lines between them aren't blurred. Outfielder DJ Stewart, who launched a two-run homer yesterday in Clearwater, Fla., is in the group of players likely to make the club and simply trying to avoid giving it reasons to resist. Starter Jorge López allowed two runs and five hits in two innings. The best part of his day was being able to come back out for the second. López is vying for a spot in the rotation, but he's out...
Continue reading

Stewart stands out in 4-4 tie with Phillies

Stewart stands out in 4-4 tie with Phillies
Yesterday's exhibition opener felt more like an orange carpet event marking the latest inspiring achievement in Trey Mancini's comeback from colon cancer surgery. Today's game against the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla., which ended in a 4-4 tie after seven innings, placed the spotlight on a former first-round draft pick and a couple of Rule 5 selections. Less emotion, for sure, but an important day for evaluating talent. DJ Stewart said he's more of a "line drive, base hit guy," but he...
Continue reading

Akin seeking consistency in 2021

Akin seeking consistency in 2021
Eight games into his major league career, Keegan Akin has become a go-to guy inside the Orioles clubhouse and on the back fields at their spring training complex. Eight games make him appear worldly in this environment. The camp is loaded with players waiting to make their debuts and seeking advice. They gravitate toward experience. Akin is willing to offer his assistance with just 25 2/3 innings of his own. Akin is paying it forward after John Means mentored him last year. "It's pretty cool...
Continue reading

Orioles and Phillies lineups

Orioles and Phillies lineups
Austin Hays is leading off today as the Orioles make their first spring road trip, traveling to Clearwater, Fla., to play the Phillies. Hays is in center field, Ryan Mountcastle is in left and DJ Stewart is in right. Rio Ruiz is the third baseman and cleanup hitter. Manager Brandon Hyde's lineup includes Tyler Nevin at first base and Brett Cumberland as the designated hitter. Chance Sisco is behind the plate. For the Orioles Austin Hays CF DJ Stewart RF Ryan Mountcastle LF Rio Ruiz 3B Chance...
Continue reading

Reflecting on yesterday's exhibition opener

Reflecting on yesterday's exhibition opener
The first exhibition game won't be remembered for the three errors and the five walks issued by Orioles pitching in the first five innings. The high pitch counts that prompted manager Brandon Hyde to pull his team off the field before the last out. Details, details. Hyde wasn't happy about any of it, but he didn't lose his perspective while the Orioles lost to the Pirates. Openers have a tendency to get ugly, and Trey Mancini's return from colon cancer and his first at-bats in a year - in...
Continue reading

Wrapping up Orioles' 6-4 loss in exhibition opener (updated)

Wrapping up Orioles' 6-4 loss in exhibition opener (updated)
The firsts are out of the way. The first Orioles exhibition game. The first standing ovation for Trey Mancini in his first at-bat since March 2, 2020. His first hit immediately after the emotional scene. The first defensive lapses. The first reminder in 2021 that Yusniel Diaz, who hit a two run homer off former Oriole Carson Fulmer in the sixth, is poised to make his debut later in the summer. The first loss and overreactions from fans. Mancini lined a single into center field and struck out...
Continue reading

Mullins abandons switch-hitting, Wells injured and more

Mullins abandons switch-hitting, Wells injured and more
The red ink used this morning to write Cedric Mullins' name on the lineup card, the designation for left-handed hitters, wasn't a mistake. Mullins has decided to abandon switch-hitting, a move he's contemplated in the past, and concentrate on batting from the left side. The splits drove him to it. Mullins slashed .171/.216/.286 from the right side and .305/.348/.448 from the left last year and is a career .251/.305/.394 hitter from the left and .147/.250/.189 from the right. "He's...
Continue reading

Orioles and Pirates lineups

Orioles and Pirates lineups
The Orioles begin their Grapefruit League schedule today with Chris Davis serving as the designated hitter and Yusniel Diaz playing left field. Cedric Mullins is leading off and playing center field. Anthony Santander is batting third and playing right. Trey Mancini is slotted one spot ahead of him in the order. Rylan Bannon gets the start at third base. Manager Brandon Hyde is starting his new double play combination of shortstop Freddy Galvis and second baseman Yolmer Sánchez. For the...
Continue reading