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...
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...
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...
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 UrÃas is the third baseman.
Chris Davis is on the bench today after serving as the designated hitter...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The first lineup of 2021 spring training will be posted later this morning, with Trey Mancini the only confirmed player in it. Manager Brandon Hyde said that Mancini will be the first baseman.
The rest can be speculated.
The Orioles are home, which usually puts more starters on the field. They had Hanser Alberto leading off and playing second base last year in the first game at Ed Smith Stadium. Mancini was in right field, Chris Davis at first base, Pedro Severino behind the plate, Dwight Smith...
The first exhibition lineup posted Sunday morning by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will include Trey Mancini at first base.
The comeback has reached another important stage.
Mancini missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy treatments for Stage 3 colon cancer. His final at-bats came on March 2 before he left the team. He went 4-for-14 with two RBIs in five games.
"I'm going to play him at first, DH him some, especially the first couple weeks," Hyde said. "I talk...
Through it all - the injuries, strikeouts, intense criticism from fans and media, reminders of a contract he couldn't live up to - Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has worked to maintain his perspective and count his blessings.
They begin at home with wife Jill and daughters Ella and twins Evie and Grace. They include the people on the professional side of his life. Who prop him up when he's at his lowest.
The pandemic and the isolation caused by it have tested everyone. Recent stories about...
Reluctant to make any real changes to his approach at the plate while his production tumbled and the criticism rose, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis decided to bring a different look to spring training in 2021. And it has nothing to do with muscle.
Exactly how drastic won't be known until the exhibition games begin, with the opener on Sunday against the Pirates in Sarasota, Fla.
Workouts are closed to the media and Davis remained coy today while talking about it with the media on a Zoom...
The reformatted 2021 spring training camp in Sarasota, Fla. has spread out some players to the Twin Lakes side in order for the Orioles to follow health and safety protocols. To avoid overcrowding at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.
This is a deviation from the usual minor league setup with the reduction in bodies.
Players at Twin Lakes can be summoned to the major league complex. The traffic moves in both directions, but proper spacing will remain the priority. Nothing that's...
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has chosen Thomas Eshelman to start Sunday afternoon's exhibition opener against the Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium.
Hyde wanted to get through a handful of full-squad workouts before making his decision.
Eshelman rejoined the Orioles on a minor league deal last month. He made 12 appearances in 2020, including four starts, and tied Travis Lakins Sr. for the team lead with three wins. He also registered a 3.89 ERA and 1.240 WHIP in 34 2/3 innings.
The Orioles...
Making it through spring training healthy is a priority for the Orioles, but so is keeping players away from the injured list through the regular season.
Breaking camp with them is important. So is avoiding shutdowns and extended absences later.
Reliever Hunter Harvey talks about it every spring. Outfielder Anthony Santander came to the Orioles as a Rule 5 pick recovering from shoulder surgery and his last two seasons have been cut short, most recently due to the oblique strain in September...
Jahmai Jones is getting most of his reps in Orioles camp at second base, with the occasional shifts coming to the outfield.
Jones, the former second-round draft pick acquired from the Angels in the Alex Cobb trade, brings a healthy level of experience at both positions and doesn't care where he settles. He isn't worried about the possibility of wearing a utility label.
Being a major leaguer is the identity that he craves. And like everything else in today's Zoom conference call, he can...