Wells won't rule out making team as Rule 5, and other notes

Wells won't rule out making team as Rule 5, and other notes
The Orioles could announce their next round of cuts as early as this afternoon. Manager Brandon Hyde told the media on Monday that nothing was coming over the next few days. Maybe he meant Thursday or Friday. Soon but not imminent. Rule 5 pitchers Mac Sceroler and Tyler Wells are outlasting last year's Rule 5 pitchers, Brandon Bailey and Michael Rucker. Then again, the Orioles have 57 players in camp. They aren't in a roster cutting frenzy. Both right-handers impressed in their last outings,...
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Another rotation check, Franco's opening day vow and 4-3 win

Another rotation check, Franco's opening day vow and 4-3 win
The bullpen game today in Sarasota began with veteran changeup artist César Valdez retiring the last seven batters that he faced. He was done for the afternoon and ready to change clothes when Trey Mancini and Maikel Franco hit two-run homers in the bottom of the third inning. Dillon Tate followed Valdez to the mound and retired only two batters, three other relievers pitched and Adley Rutschman doubled in his first at-bat in the Orioles' 4-3 win over the Rays. Now, back to the...
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Orioles and Rays lineups

Orioles and Rays lineups
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is starting Adley Rutschman behind the plate this afternoon, probably no coincidence with the game versus Tampa Bay airing on MASN. Rutschman, the No. 2 prospect in baseball, is batting seventh ahead of left fielder Austin Hays. Cedric Mullins is leading off and playing center again. Trey Mancini is the first baseman, appearing in the lineup on back-to-back days. Maikel Franco returns to the lineup today for his second game after signing a one-year contract. The...
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Orioles unveil plans for new Dominican Republic academy

Orioles unveil plans for new Dominican Republic academy
The vision of a broad and impactful presence internationally, as outlined by Mike Elias after his hiring by the Orioles as executive vice president and general manager in November 2018, stretches beyond the players who are pursued and signed. The Orioles also are serious about the way they're trained and treated. The team announced today plans to develop a new state-of-the-art academy in Guerra, D.R. Construction is set to begin in the coming months and last 12-16 months before reaching...
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Mullins switching to left-handed side sends right message

Mullins switching to left-handed side sends right message
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde could be dropping hints about his opening day lineup with some of the recent versions posted for exhibition games. Though the usual warning is attached about never reading too much into a lineup. That warning softens as the weeks melt in the Florida heat. Hyde keeps finding ways to start Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays in the same outfield. Hays relocates to left or right, and the early narrative about a center field competition or platoon also turns into a...
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Wrapping up Orioles' 6-5 loss to Pirates

Wrapping up Orioles' 6-5 loss to Pirates
John Means got his work in today. His arm is healthy. The opening day assignment is waiting for him. The rest are just details. Means threw 82 pitches in 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates at LECOM Park in Bradenton. He walked the leadoff batter in each of the last three innings. He struck out the last two that he faced. He's ready. "I feel like I'm ready to go," he said in his Zoom call. "Feel like my body is there. I'm recovering well. Yeah, I feel pretty...
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Hyde on cuts, Davis, Ruiz and Franco in same lineup, and more

Hyde on cuts, Davis, Ruiz and Franco in same lineup, and more
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he doesn't anticipate making any roster cuts for the next few days. Then they should be spread out over the last few weeks, with opening day April 1 in Boston. Fifty-seven players remain in camp, including the batch at Twin Lakes Park. There's a lot of work to be done. Chris Davis remains out of the lineup and workouts since straining his lower back on Feb. 28. Is the 60-day injured list a possibility? Hyde was short with his answer on today's Zoom call,...
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Orioles lineup vs. Pirates

Orioles lineup vs. Pirates
Rio Ruiz is playing third base this afternoon and manager Brandon Hyde has put Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays in the same outfield again, as the Orioles head back to Bradenton to play the Pirates. Mullins is leading off and playing center field and Hays is in right. Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. Third baseman Maikel Franco gets the day off and returns to the lineup on Tuesday. Trey Mancini is the first baseman as he keeps proving that he'll be ready for opening day and an...
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Trying to understand roster, Wells' bad luck and Davis' bad back

Trying to understand roster, Wells' bad luck and Davis' bad back
Turning in a perfect NCAA basketball tournament bracket is easier than figuring out the Orioles' opening day roster. Not knowing whether the Orioles carry 13 or 14 pitches is a complication, but there are others. The confusion isn't subsiding. It's actually increasing daily. The growing possibility of DJ Stewart going on the 10-day injured list has created more roster turmoil. It's March madness. If the Orioles carry 13 position players, they can hold onto outfielders Ryan Mountcastle,...
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Franco begins ramping up with two-run double in 12-7 loss

Franco begins ramping up with two-run double in 12-7 loss
The recipe for ramping up a player in 2021 spring training includes a dash of hitting, a dash of fielding, a dash of baserunning. The exact amount depends on the individual and team. A later signing could require handfuls. The Orioles are going to keep Maikel Franco busy with less than two weeks remaining until opening day. Workouts on the back fields for a couple of days, an intrasquad game yesterday and his first exhibition game this afternoon. More starts at third base and maybe swings as...
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Stewart nearing exclusion from opening day roster

Stewart nearing exclusion from opening day roster
Orioles outfielder DJ Stewart hasn't played since March 5 due to a hamstring injury. He isn't in today's lineup and could remain out at least during the early portion of the week. A "mild tweak," as it was described, is taking a significant amount of time to heal. Stewart is cleared to bat in intrasquad games. However, the Orioles don't want to turn him loose on the bases and risk a setback. Hamstrings require patience. Opening day is less than two weeks away and Stewart has appeared in...
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Orioles lineup vs. Twins

Orioles lineup vs. Twins
Third baseman Maikel Franco is making his Orioles debut this afternoon, batting second against the Twins in Sarasota. Franco played in yesterday's intrasquad game and is ready to move up to the next spring level. Richie Martin also is in the lineup, as expected. He's playing second base in his debut while Yolmer Sánchez leads off and starts at shortstop. Pat Valaika is the first baseman, Stevie Wilkerson is in right field and Ryan McKenna is in center. Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays and...
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This, that and the other

This, that and the other
While evaluating reliever Fernando Abad's spring training, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde must separate bad pitches from bad luck. Abad, trying to make the club as a non-roster invite, has appeared in five games and allowed five earned runs (eight total) and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings for a 10.38 ERA. He's walked two batters and struck out five. The defense behind him has been brutal in at least two of those games. Abad replaced Dean Kremer on Friday night after two errors were committed in the...
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Harvey's strong outing strengthens bid for rotation spot

Harvey's strong outing strengthens bid for rotation spot
Matt Harvey looks like he's moving away from his uncertain status and toward a locker in the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park. Harvey was signed by the Orioles to a minor league deal in order to compete for a job, not simply to get ready for opening day. A disastrous spring would have put him back on the market. The results keep getting better. Harvey held the Yankees to one run and hit - Gio Urshela's solo home run - over four innings in a 2-1 win at Ed Smith Stadium. Rule 5 pick Mac...
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Means: "It feels like such a blessing and just so humbling"

Means: "It feels like such a blessing and just so humbling"
John Means used to be a fringe prospect in the Orioles' minor league system or completely ignored by outside evaluators, an anonymity that he relished. A status that no longer applies to him. You can't be chosen as your team's opening day starter two years in a row and fly under the radar. "It definitely did (motivate), but it was also kind of nice, too, to be honest," Means said today on his Zoom call. "You're not the face, you're not getting interviewed from low A all the way to the...
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Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
Trey Mancini is in the lineup again tonight at first base against the Yankees after hitting his first home run of the spring last night. Richie Martin and DJ Stewart are marked absent again. Ramón Urias is starting at second base and Freddy Galvis at shortstop. Cedric Mullins is in center field, Austin Hays in left and Anthony Santander in right. Manager Brandon Hyde wants to start playing his regulars in consecutive games. Rio Ruiz is the designated hitter and Pat Valaika is the third...
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Lingering questions about the lineup

Lingering questions about the lineup
If it's too early to make final calls on the Orioles' 26-man roster, the same rule should apply to the opening day lineup. The mind starts to work on it with the announcement that the Red Sox are starting left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez on April 1 at Fenway Park. Begin building the right-handed order. The Orioles could go left-on-left from the leadoff spot with center fielder Cedric Mullins abandoning switch-hitting. He homered off a southpaw last night, but also was batting ninth. They...
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Mancini hits first home run in 11-9 win

Mancini hits first home run in 11-9 win
Trey Mancini wasn't going to become a singles hitter in 2021. He's getting back into baseball shape and still trying to tap into the power that was so prevalent two years ago. Mancini collected his first extra-base hit tonight and it was a long home run to left-center field off the Pirates' Edgar Santana in the fourth inning in the Orioles' sloppy 11-9 win in Bradenton. Santana threw six consecutive sliders to Mancini and the last hung over the plate and was tattooed. It sounded loud on the...
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Means named Orioles' opening day starter

Means named Orioles' opening day starter
The anticipated became official this afternoon. The Orioles are starting left-hander John Means on opening day against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Means has been expected to take the ball on April 1, but manager Brandon Hyde waited until today to announce it. If at first you don't succeed ... Means was supposed to start the 2020 opener in Boston, but had to work through some shoulder fatigue. Veteran Tommy Milone was named the surprise starter. Hyde gave Means the news a couple of days...
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Orioles and Pirates lineups

Orioles and Pirates lineups
Austin Hays is in right field and batting first tonight and Cedric Mullins is in center and at the bottom of the order, as the Orioles head to Bradenton again to play the Pirates. Ryan Mountcastle is the left fielder and Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. DJ Stewart is at least a day away from getting back in the lineup as he recovers from a hamstring injury and gets at-bats on the back fields. Infielder Richie Martin also isn't in the lineup. Maybe on Saturday. Rio Ruiz is the third...
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