O'Day feeling better, plus notes with Rickard and Mancini

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day said he is ready to pitch tonight. After battling a severe bout with the flu bug, O'Day was pretty sure he was not going to pitch on opening day.

But he was also pretty certain he was not going to need to go on the disabled list.

"No, I didn't think so," he said this afternoon. "The other day, I didn't feel well, and opening day, I didn't feel well and felt like I wasn't going to pitch that day. But feeling a lot better today. I feel like myself.

Ever the quipster, O'Day joked, "My wife did tell me she liked me better when I had the flu. I guess my personality is a little bit abrasive and she liked me better when I was just sick and didn't have one. But, yeah, I'm feeling a lot better,"

Across the clubhouse, outfielder Joey Rickard talked about making his first start of the 2017 season. Rickard hit .268 in 85 games last year before his season ended with an injury to a right thumb ligament.

So tonight will be his first big league start since July 20 in Yankee Stadium.

"Oh, man, it feels great," said Rickard, who will bat leadoff and play in left field. "Very excited. Just will try to stay within myself to help the team win. In spring, I just tried not to do too much, worked hard and played hard every day."

Rickard hit .291/.451/.473 in spring training. He got into Monday's opener as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning. He lined into a 9-3 double play in the last of his ninth in his only at-bat in the Orioles' 11-inning walk-off victory.

Rickard provided an interesting perspective on playing outfield in a major league stadium, something he had never done until spring last year. It is something Trey Mancini is doing tonight when he gets the start in right field.

Manager Buck Showalter has talked often about how tough it can be for minor league players to play for the first time in a stadium with a third deck. Of course Mancini didn't even play in a two-deck stadium in the outfield on the farm. But Rickard feels Mancini is ready for tonight.

"He's aware of everything but that is probably the biggest adjustment, that third deck," Rickard said. "Balls can get lost in there and it's a different perspective. But he's put his time in and I think he'll be fine.

"But every fly ball looks like it's a mile high and the perception with that deck is definitely different. It is something you really can't prepare for until you are here."

Rickard estimated it took him about a week to really get comfortable with the extra deck when he made the Orioles roster last April.

Before the Orioles' workout Sunday, Mancini talked about what it might be like when he goes out into a big league outfield for the first time.

"Obviously, you have the third deck here and 30,000 more people in the crowd on average," he said. "A different wall. But we do have a practice field down in Florida with the same dimensions as Camden Yards and that helped having that. So I feel like I can adjust pretty well to it. I worked really hard in Florida and felt like I came on from even when I started in the beginning of March. Feel pretty confident."

From the farm: The Orioles have signed 24-year-old right-hander Karl Triana to a minor league contract. He is pitching at extended spring training for now. The Orioles' four full-season affiliates begin the new season on Thursday night.

From Cartagena, Colombia, Triana pitched for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic. He got into one game and threw well, with three scoreless innings, allowing four hits on March 12 against the Dominican Republic. He had one walk and one strikeout.

Originally signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks, he has spent time in his career pitching in the minors and also in independent ball. Last season for the Gary SouthShore Railcats of the independent American Association, he went 4-4 with a 3.50 ERA. Over 105 1/3 innings, he allowed 89 hits with 39 walks and 79 strikeouts.