Orioles outfield a work in progress

CHICAGO - The depth that the Orioles possess in the outfield was trumpeted in spring training as if the club had its own horn section. How they sent down prospects Austin Hays, DJ Stewart and Yusniel Diaz in the name of development. How they didn't need to keep veteran Eric Young Jr. as insurance.

Opinions haven't necessarily undergone makeovers, but it's easy to forget as the Orioles head into May with utility infielders pressed into outfield duty and with various prospects down below struggling or injured.

Each time that there's a miscommunication in the outfield, the one real weakness in a defense that otherwise is showing improvement, the explanation isn't shrouded in mystery. It's more than crowd noise.

Hanser Alberto made his first major league appearance in right field Monday night after already debuting for an inning in left. Stevie Wilkerson has played all three spots, with center field the last to test him.

Versatility is a nice quality on a roster but it can be overdone.

There isn't much choice with a three-man bench, especially when the starting right fielder is down for a few days. But Trey Mancini should be back in the lineup today.

Joey Rickard wasn't supposed to become the everyday center fielder, but the Orioles optioned Cedric Mullins after he went 6-for-64. Drew Jackson was viewed as a potential backup in all three spots, along with handling utility duties in the infield, until the Orioles returned him to the Dodgers.

Dwight Smith Jr. wasn't in the organization until March, and now he's playing left field every day unless his quad tightens. Predictions and projections over the winter and in early spring were fed into a shredder.

(This is the part of the article where you're strictly forbidden from referencing Adam Jones, who wasn't deemed a fit for a club whittling down its payroll, continuing its roster teardown and embarking on a rebuild. Resist the temptation.)

The Orioles appear to be winging it at times. Manager Brandon Hyde is filling spots as best he can, knowing it won't always be this way. Getting the kind of offensive production that Smith and Alberto have supplied turned into a huge bonus.

Hays remains in Sarasota while recovering from a thumb injury, but his hitting progression has advanced to where he's taking batting practice on the field and will begin playing in games later this week.

A healthy Hays might be starting in center field. He's getting closer.

This is a strong dose of good news for a club that's fallen 10 games below .500 and has to play a doubleheader today while the forecast calls for more rain.

Diaz is on the Double-A Bowie injured list with a mild hamstring strain. The Orioles don't seem concerned about it.

The prospect jewel in the Manny Machado trade with the Dodgers, Diaz is hitting .225/.313/.338 with three doubles, one triple, one home run and seven RBIs in 20 games after going 11-for-36 (.306) in spring training. The Orioles weren't going to rush him to the majors, no matter what he did in Florida. Their blueprint for a rebuild doesn't include promoting every high-ceiling player and letting them sink or swim.

Anthony Santander homered yesterday in Durham and is batting .277/.306/.404 with six doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs in 23 games. He's 9-for-25 in his last five games and has multiple hits in five of the last eight.

Stewart was an early cut in camp, which came as a bit of a surprise, and he's batting .202 with a .701 OPS after going 1-for-5 yesterday. The 17 games he played in September didn't earn him credits with the new regime.

It's sort of like international signing bonus funds. There's a reset instead of a carryover.

Center fielder Ryan McKenna was named to the Arizona Fall League's Top Prospects Team after batting 344/.474/.590 with a 1.064 OPS for Glendale, but going 2-for-5 yesterday for Bowie only raised his average to .207 with a .596 OPS.

The Orioles are forced to play two games today if it ever stops raining, and there's a decent chance that utility infielders will be chasing fly balls. Erring on the side of development, and the patience required to let the process play out, makes anything possible.