Liranzo optioned, Cashner nearing Grapefruit League debut

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Orioles extended their streak of removing players from their camp roster this morning by optioning right-hander Jesus Liranzo to Double-A Bowie.

The roster is down to 52 players and more cuts are coming over the next few days.

Liranzo, who turns 23 today, was slow-played this spring to protect his right shoulder. He was charged with five runs yesterday against the Twins in Fort Myers, the last three scoring after he left the game.

Meanwhile, Andrew Cashner may be ready to leave the back fields and pitch in a real fake game.

Cashner completed his second simulated game yesterday morning, expanding his workload from two to three innings. A normal schedule would put his next appearance on Sunday and the Orioles have split-squad games against the Red Sox in Fort Myers and the Phillies at home.

The latter makes sense for Cashner since the Phillies aren't a division or opening day opponent. MASN will carry it.

Cashner isn't stressing over the failure to appear in a Grapefruit League box score or worrying about the camp pace and the plan implemented to prepare him for the start of the season after signing on Feb. 15.

"No, because this is by design," he said. "I think this has been a thought-out schedule that I sat down with them and went over it. For me, it gives the opportunity to these young guys and lets me work on stuff that I need to work on for the season and let me get ready.

"I'll pitch in a game I think my next time out. I'm not really that worried about it."

Cashner is benefitting from his sessions at the complex while the team is on the road. He's facing major league hitters, including Mark Trumbo, Tim Beckham and Craig Gentry. And he's getting the necessary feedback, whether verbal or from bats that he's destroyed.

"It went really good," he said of yesterday's sim game. "I'm working on some stuff right now. I'm really working on my cutter. I think my sinker's been really good so far. My fastball command's been good.

"I'm just trying to work up and down, kind of work all over, kind of get comfortable with the catchers and keep moving forward."

The competitive side of Cashner's baseball personality isn't hidden. Neither is the smile that creases his face when told that players have commented on it.

"These are my teammates," he said. "For me, it's not just a respect thing, but it's a competitive competition. Who wants to just go get banged around by your teammates? For me, I like to let them know what's coming, get them ready and maybe just kind of play that game back and forth with them."

Cashner may have arrived late to spring training, but he didn't need much time to blend into his surroundings. The young pitchers, especially, have gravitated to him. His arrival at his locker each morning immediately touches off a group discussion.

"It couldn't be a better fit for me as a person and as an individual," he said. "I think there's a lot of like-minded players here, the same things I like to do and the same way I think as far as on a baseball field, and I think we have a lot of just true athletes on this team. I think it's going to be fun to kind of see how we pan out."

I reminded Cashner of how Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy watched his first bullpen session and talked to him as soon as he finished, walking to the edge of the mound with pitching coach Roger McDowell.

"I think it's kind of everywhere you go as far as your starters, you try to stick together," he said. "It's going to be a long season as a group of five and the guys that are going to come up and help us. I think it's important to have that chemistry early and kind of get that going and help each other out.

"I mean, that's the biggest thing, because they're going to help me and I'm going to help them. They're going to see things when they pitch or they're going to get a guy out that I can't get out and talk to them about it."

Cashner has no interest in rehashing the past, in living in a 2017 world where the rotation's 5.70 ERA was the worst in club history. He can't recite the numbers or the names of pitchers responsible for them.

"Honestly, I have no clue what guys did in the rotation here last year," he said. "To me, it's over with. It's a new year. I keep letting (Bundy) know that anytime he says last year, it's over with. This is a new slate, a new group of guys and it's a chance to kind of ride our own boat."