More thoughts, questions and curiosities from Orioles camp

SARASOTA, Fla. – The at-bats and innings are going away. Boxes will arrive in front of lockers to ship belongings to Baltimore or other destinations. Meetings that shape the Opening Day roster will continue.

The days are dwindling but the work that remains is stacked high.

As the team prepares today for split-squad games against the Braves in Sarasota and Tigers in Lakeland, the latter being one of the worst trips of the spring that’s avoidable because of the home action, here are some more thoughts, questions and curiosities:

* Will Ryan Mountcastle return to the lineup?

Mountcastle went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and run-scoring grounder Tuesday against the Rays in Sarasota, but he hasn’t played in the last four games.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Mountcastle woke up with some neck stiffness. Mountcastle was able to work out at first base yesterday on the Camden Yards replica field, joining infield drills, and headed to the half-field with his bats.

The scene suggested that Mountcastle should be fine. Playing today would quiet any concerns.

Mountcastle was scratched from an earlier lineup due to illness but played the next day. He said it wasn’t related to last year’s vertigo.

Anthony Santander started at first base yesterday for the first time this spring.

* Nick Vespi’s one-seam fastball is one big reason why he’s having a strong camp.

It also helps that he’s more than a year removed from his hernia surgery.

Vespi is throwing a pitch that reacts in similar fashion to a two-seamer, giving him arm-side run, and offers an important contrast from his other stuff. He’s comfortable with the grip and with using it more frequently in games.

Statcast identified it as a four-seamer Friday in Port Charlotte, but that’s wrong.

Two spots seem to remain open in the bullpen, perhaps three if the Orioles break camp with a four-man rotation due to the off-days, and Vespi is in the thick of the competition. He’s also able to go more than one inning, which increases his appeal.

* Kyle Stowers is getting aggressive with his reverse splits.

Stowers, who started in right field yesterday, is 7-for-15 with four home runs, nine RBIs and two strikeouts against left-handers and 1-for-16 with eight strikeouts versus right-handers.

The Red Sox started right-hander Cooper Criswell, and Stowers went 0-for-2 with a popup and ground ball. Stowers led off the sixth against right-handed reliever Justin Hagenman and struck out.

You could argue that Stowers allows the Orioles to carry an extra left-handed-hitting outfielder without being redundant if they go with five rather than four. There could be room for Stowers and Colton Cowser or Heston Kjerstad.

But it’s still weird, right?

* Spring training stats don’t matter until they do, which brings us to 20-year-old Jackson Holliday.

Holliday didn’t play yesterday. He’s 10-for-34 (.294) with a .873 OPS, two doubles, two triples, a home run, five RBIs, two stolen bases and three runs scored in 11 games. I think he’s also demonstrated that second base is in good hands.

But Holliday has drawn one walk and struck out 13 times.

Do those stats matter to the Orioles?

Holliday has 126 walks and 130 strikeouts in two minor league seasons covering 145 games. He was 16/17 in 18 games with Triple-A Norfolk, so what’s happening in Florida goes against his norm.

Could be waved off by the Orioles or cited as a reason to send him down.

* John Means is progressing nicely through his throwing program, completing a pair of one-inning live batting practice sessions. The arm feels good.

It’s supposed to, of course, because he isn’t injured. We tend to forget because Means is lumped with Kyle Bradish, but he won’t be ready on Opening Day because the Orioles delayed his offseason throwing to make sure the elbow soreness didn’t return.

Means will be stretched to two innings in his next live BP session. He really wants to pitch in an exhibition game, but we’re down to the final eight days of camp and the club is off Monday.

* Coby Mayo opened more eyes with his work at third base than by hitting the cover off the ball.

It’s worth revisiting the huge strides made by Mayo. He lowered his arm slot to three-quarters to improve accuracy. He’s charging ground balls and getting outs, including a runner at the plate.

“He’s been our, from a player from one year to the next, biggest improvement defensively, so I’ve been really impressed with his defense at third base, how far he’s come in a year,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“I’m playing him at first base a little bit, too. His bat is what’s going to get him to the big leagues, and the defense has really improved, so real excited about Coby.”

Mayo went a soft 4-for-4 yesterday, if such a thing exists. A few bloopers, but they count. And they showed how he’s working the count and going to the opposite field.

He’s much more than a masher.

* Ramón Urías tends to sneak up on you.

Urías had a run-scoring single and bases-loaded walk yesterday and is batting .296 with a 1.024 OPS. His nine RBIs are tied for second-most on the club behind Mayo’s 10.

Seriously. You can look it up.

The defense at third base remains stellar. He proved it again yesterday. And his ability to move around the infield makes him a slam-dunk utility guy heading north.

(Forget what I wrote earlier in the winter about Joey Ortiz perhaps assuming that role and being a cheaper alternative.)

“Great spring, Ramón’s playing great baseball,” Hyde said. “He’s made six or seven excellent plays defensively, taking good at-bats. He’s having a great spring.”

* The roster decisions aren’t getting any easier to make.

Reassigning catching prospect Samuel Basallo yesterday and optioning pitchers Kaleb Ort and Matt Krook didn’t make much of a dent. The Orioles have 47 players in camp and must get down to 26 before Opening Day.

Reaching 44 is easy without Means, Bradish and Félix Bautista. Reaching 41 is easy by reassigning catchers Maverick Handley, Michael Pérez and David Bañuelos.

Nick Maton, who’s on the 40-man roster, is 0-for-17 and buried in a crowd of talented infielders.

Connor Norby is expected to be reassigned due to a space crunch, but the guy can flat-out hit. He’s 6-for-16 with two doubles after side soreness delayed his spring debut.

Mayo also could be a victim of the crunch, but what else does he possibly need to do in order to stay?

“We have a lot of guys that are playing well, and that’s what you want,” Hyde said. “We’re having a lot of conversations right now about different scenarios. But it’s fun having the competition in camp that we’re having. You might lose guys or send guys down that you like. Hopefully, we can stay healthy the rest of the way and these decisions are really tough.”