Iglesias and Blach make brief appearances in intrasquad game

Not only did José Iglesias make it into tonight's intrasquad game at Camden Yards, but he doubled off John Means into an empty right field in the top of the first inning and stroked another double into left-center in the third.

That's one way to remove the concerns about your back. Or at least get the media off the one belonging to manager Brandon Hyde, who provided updates the past two days.

However, Iglesias was hobbled as he ran the bases, twice came out for a pinch-runner and was removed from the field in the bottom of the third.

More questions are coming.

Andrew Velazquez ran for Iglesias in the first and scored on Renato Núñez's single against the shift. Núñez is an early candidate for summer training camp Most Valuable Player.

Ty Blach also could be a health concern. His second inning was halted early, pitching coach Doug Brocail left the stands to check on him and Hector Velázquez entered in the third.

The club also will provide an update on him prior to Friday night's intrasquad game.

Means worked five innings and allowed one run and five hits with four strikeouts. He struck out Austin Wynns in the second before Stevie Wilkerson doubled off the fence in right-center field. Velazquez struck out to end the frame.

Pedro Severino struck out against Means to close out the third and Dilson Herrera fanned to lead off the fourth.

Both teams used two outfielders early tonight - DJ Stewart in left and Austin Hays in center for the home side, and Velazquez in center and Wilkerson in right for the visitors.

One ghost defender per club until Velazquez moved to short.

"We're going to do the best we can with the numbers we have," Hyde said earlier today in his daily Zoom conference call. "That's not a big deal to me if we're missing a position or two out there in the outfield, because I'll just let them know if it's an out or a single or a double.

"Obviously, you'd like to have the full complement of guys out there, but I think we're doing the best with the numbers that we have right now. Yeah, if I pull somebody off the field, I don't want somebody to play as much, I'm really going to make it more individual, where if I don't want somebody to play defense for five innings and I don't have somebody else, then I'll just leave it open. I'm more concerned about the at-bat, pitcher on the mound, then I am about making sure we have all nine positions filled."

Richie Martin played second base for the hosts and was shaded to the left side of the infield on Núñez's single to right. Pat Valaika was the shortstop.

Hanser Alberto played second base again for the visitors. Núñez was the third baseman and Herrera returned to first base.

Outfielders Dwight Smith Jr. and Anthony Santander remain no-shows.

The host team might have tied the game against Blach in the bottom of the first on singles by Hays and Valaika and a fielder's choice grounder from Chris Davis. Herrera couldn't dig out the relay.

We couldn't come to a full agreement in the press box whether Hays crossed the plate. And because it's intrasquad, there won't be an investigation.

We do know that no one else scored over five innings. The rest was reserved again for live batting practice that included Paul Fry, Shawn Armstrong, Travis Lakins Sr. and Evan Phillips. Ryan Mountcastle and Mason Williams got to take some swings before eventually heading to Prince George's Stadium in Bowie.

Hays punched his single into left field, which was empty. He glanced toward the dugout to make certain that it counted as a hit.

Blach was done without working a full two innings.

Valaika had a single and double in his first two at-bats. He was 9-for-27 with a double and three home runs in Grapefruit League games and appears to be a lock for a roster spot on opening day.

Wilkerson also had two hits.

The relaxed rules allowed Stewart to bat against Means in the fifth. They were on the same side when the game began.

Mychal Givens wore a white jersey, but he pitched for the visitors in the bottom of the fifth after two scoreless innings from Velázquez. Givens retired the side in order and struck out Chance Sisco.

Núñez celebrated his long home run last night with phantom high-fives, chest bumps and elbow taps. No one was more animated on the field.

"We're having fun, we're playing the game we love," he said earlier today. "It doesn't matter what is happening in the game, we just want to play baseball. So that's why we're here. It's great."

Hyde approved of last night's effort - and the levity.

"I thought it was a good first day," he said. "I did like the way we played. I thought we ran the bases fairly well. We told our guys not to go 100 percent early on here on the bases and they stretched it a little bit at times. I thought we did some good things, I thought we took some good swings. Austin Hays swung the bat well, Noonie hit the long homer, took his time to get around the bases. I thought we took some good at-bats.

"I was pleased with Tommy Milone's command on the mound. I thought he threw the ball really well. I thought it was a good first intrasquad."

The Orioles are about two weeks away from opening day, the same distance in March before the shutdown.

"I think we've done the best we possibly can under the circumstances," Hyde said. "I feel like our guys came into this summer camp in shape. We had one pitcher (Milone) throw four innings yesterday and another one (Thomas Eshelman) threw three-plus and finished off in the bullpen and I'm really encouraged about that. So I'm encouraged about the shape that our pitchers are in.

"I don't think, from a baserunning, position player standpoint, you can never get fully prepared without playing the game, without your spikes being in the dirt, so that's why for me it takes some time. You can be in great physical shape, you can have done sprints, you can run on the track, you can do all sorts of things to stay in shape, but baseball shape position player wise is different. The standing around, the spikes in the dirt, the short sprints, those types of things you need some time.

"I think we that we are in good shape. We have two weeks to go. We're really going to utilize that time to get our legs in shape, which is going to be really important."

Hyde didn't have a set opening day roster in Florida. Many important decisions were pending.

"And I feel the same way right now," Hyde said.

"We have a 30-man roster instead of 26. A lot is going to depend on how our starters are built up, which I'm really pleased about that now so far. A lot's going to be health related, how healthy can we stay through the summer camp. And I'm really taking it day by day, to be honest with you. I just don't know what this is going to look like.

"Right now, I think we're off to a really good start. I'm just trying to keep these guys healthy and give them the opportunity to win a job and be one of the 30 guys. But there's still a lot of jobs open. We still have bullpen questions, we have questions around the field. So I'm hoping that these two weeks some guys can separate themselves and our guys play well to make it tough on us to trim it down to 30."