Orioles' offense could feature a few different looks against upcoming left-handed starters

TORONTO – The Orioles are four games into the 2025 season and manager Brandon Hyde has found rest days for Tyler O’Neill, Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg. Adley Rutschman received a partial one by serving as designated hitter.

Westburg apparently got his due to some sort of physical issue that made him available yesterday only in an emergency. He's expected in today's lineup.

The turf is staying at Rogers Centre, where it can put a strain on another opponent’s legs. The Orioles will welcome playing on their grass field and hope it remains dry for home Opening Day.

Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser were in the lineup each day of the Blue Jays series, but the Red Sox are starting left-handers Sean Newcomb and Garrett Crochet in the first two games. Hyde has a chance/excuse to rest them separately and get Ramón Laureano in the lineup.

Cowser is more likely now because his left thumb bent back yesterday in the seventh inning after he went head-first into the bag trying to beat out a ground ball. I don't know whether it's actually proven that diving slows you down, but it does put your hands at risk.

Four right-handed starters got Ryan O’Hearn into the lineup four times in Toronto and he was 6-for-15. He singled and doubled in his first two at-bats yesterday, poking a sinker outside the zone into left field and pulling a sweeper into right. He also drew a seven-pitch walk.

O’Hearn was robbed of two hits on diving catches in the outfield and lined out multiple times.

“He gives you a tough at-bat no matter the pitcher,” said hitting coach Cody Asche. “He’s a gritty hitter. He sticks his nose in there, he battles, works counts, puts the barrel on the ball. He can spray it all around line to line. It’s why we love him in the middle of the order.”

Mullins homered twice in the first game, went 5-for-16 in the series and had six RBIs to lead the team. He was 6-for-44 in spring training, but the Jays series looked more like the Mullins who posted a .374 on-base percentage in the second half last year and hit .286/.368/.488 with five homers in 23 September games.  

“I was really proud of Ced,” said Asche, who was promoted from offensive strategy coach to hitting coach. “Through the second half of last year, just kind of adopting this day-by-day mentality of just, it’s one day at a time. He’s gonna find himself in a spot numbers-wise where he didn’t want to be, and kind of took a veteran mindset of, I’m not gonna hit five home runs today, I’m not gonna change the board all that much today, but if I do this day by day by day by day, small incremental gains can lead to big results. And you saw that.

“After July his OPS was right around .800. He carried that success into the offseason, had a really good offseason. He came into camp and I told him many times, ‘It’s the best I’ve seen you early in the season in a long time.’ And it’s a big year for Ced, too. I think he knows what’s at stake going into a free agency year. He’s out to prove who he is and who he has been. It makes Ced really special.

“He plays the game hard, he’s really confident in himself, but also he shows up every day with something to prove, and I think he’s done that his whole life. Usually, the best baseball players kind of have that mentality.”

Westburg probably will play second or third base today after hitting three home runs in the series and going 6-for-13.

“We kind of saw Westy at his best last year before the hand injury,” Asche said, referring to the fracture that cost Westburg about two months. “I kind of see that being who he is. A really consistent guy, very even keel. Shows up same attitude every day. I think for a young player, just learning how to do that through 162 is probably the stat for him. I think that kind of comes natural to him. I think it’s kind of like a gift for Westy and what’s made him so good up to this point in his career. He’s just so consistent in who he is.

“But I think everybody and every hitter in general, the natural progression is just controlling the strike zone better. When you start slugging a lot and doing damage, you kind of become a marked man and you get pitched harder. It comes in waves. So as long as he can force them to throw where he does damage, I think he’ll be really good.”

The Orioles hit a club-record 10 homers in the first three games but were held to one run yesterday on two singles and a wild pitch in the first inning. The power displays figure to be showcased many times this season.

“I sure hope so,” Asche said. “I don’t mind a few homers every now and again. Maybe like six a day. That would be good. Maybe just keep doing that, if that’s what we tell them.

“It’s good. Put some good swings on some balls in the middle of the plate, and hopefully we keep forcing them to throw it down the middle.”