Getting into the intrasquad game

SARASOTA, Fla. - If you woke up this morning and wondered why it felt like Christmas without all the decorations and wrapping paper, that's because I'm going to be posting my first lineups of 2015. Just don't put your eye out. The intrasquad game doesn't count today, but it beats bullpen sessions and bunt drills. Important stuff, of course, but not the same as pitchers facing hitters on the Ed Smith Stadium field. And as an added bonus, the Orioles are assured of winning. The only question is whether it will be the home or away team. Zach Britton, Ryan Webb, Mark Hendrickson, Tim Berry, Tyler Wilson and Chaz Roe are pitching for the home team. T.J. McFarland, Wesley Wright, Mike Wright, Jason Garcia, Logan Verrett and Hunter Harvey are pitching for the away team. Who's the favorite? Oh yeah, right, you still need the lineups. Matt Wieters will catch for the first time since May, though runners won't attempt to steal. He's just glad to don the equipment and set the target. Nolan Reimold figures to get plenty of at-bats this spring. He needs to keep the gray pants handy for the road trips. Showalter heaped praise on Reimold during yesterday's Q&A session with Sarasota season plan holders. He noted how Reimold is playing with the kind of recklessness that's been missing in past years while he recovered from injuries and surgeries. The kind that is necessary if he's going to make the team. He can't be tentative. Reimold's body language shows that he's healthy and no longer proceeding with caution. He's been a different player in camp, and that's exactly what the Orioles wanted to see. Showalter hoped that Reimold, signed to a minor league deal, would force the Orioles into a difficult decision. We've got a long way to go, but he's on that path. "It's going good," Reimold said. "I try to stay away from saying how I'm feeling. I'd rather just let it show on the field, but things are going well for me. I'm just going out there and having fun and getting my work in like everybody else." The Orioles have plenty of outfielders to present obstacles for Reimold, but one of them was removed a few days ago when the Athletics claimed Alex Hassan off waivers. "Honestly, in years past maybe I would have looked at that and maybe tried to read something into it, but I'm really not trying to read anything into anything," Reimold said. "I'm just really trying to cut down on all the distractions and focus on playing the game." Reimold and his teammates are glad to get the games started. Doesn't matter whether it's intrasquad or Grapefruit League. "Ease into it," he said. "It's always fun the first time you swing at a live pitch. It's a lot different than just taking BP. I just want to start getting in the game mode and doing game things like intrasquad and progressing into the games."