Orioles lineup vs. Braves and LeBlanc on his quick return

Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander is out of the lineup again tonight for their game against the Braves in North Port.

Santander is marked absent for the fourth game in a row. Manager Brandon Hyde said yesterday that Santander has been accumulating at-bats on the back fields.

Yusniel Diaz is in right field and Stevie Wilkerson is playing left. Ryan McKenna is in center.

Adley Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter.

Many of the projected regulars are staying back in Sarasota.

John Means is making his last spring start before opening day. He's allowed 10 runs and 16 hits in 15 1/3 innings - and only one home run.

Left-hander Max Fried has allowed two earned runs and six hits in 10 innings with no walks and eight strikeouts.

For the Orioles
Pat Valaika SS
Yolmer Sánchez 2B
Pedro Severino C
Rio Ruiz 3B
Adley Rutschman DH
Yusniel Diaz RF
Tyler Nevin 1B
Stevie Wilkerson LF
Ryan McKenna CF

John Means LHP

Matt Harvey starts Sunday against the Pirates in Sarasota.

Wade LeBlanc didn't want to leave the Orioles organization after becoming a free agent following the 2020 season. He didn't want to leave after exercising the opt-out clause in his contract earlier this week.

LeBlanc didn't storm into free agency. He tip-toed and circled back.

The veteran left-hander signed a major league deal yesterday, 24 hours after the Orioles granted his request to be released. He's out of options, on the 40-man roster and exactly where he wants to be in 2021.

"It's kind of hectic, to be honest with you, because you're using that opt-out to kind of scan the landscape, I guess, around the league and see what else is out there, but for me personally, I never really wanted to leave this organization," he said today on a Zoom call.

"That's just me being honest with you guys. I wanted to be here, I wanted to figure a way to work this out, and fortunately for us it did, so excited to move forward."

The Orioles haven't promised LeBlanc a spot in their rotation. He could work in long relief and a swingman role. He hasn't been told that he's definitely on the opening day roster.

"They said, 'We would have a roster spot,' so for somebody that's out of options, I think you come here and just blow up in the last three or four days of camp, I think that's usually a good sign. But for me, I'm not taking anything for granted," he said.

"Got one more outing, got to try to reward their faith and go from there."

LeBlanc apparently won't be going to the alternate site in Bowie. He'd have to grant permission to be optioned, but that clause wasn't discussed while hammering out a new deal.

Third baseman Maikel Franco agreed to it when he signed his one-year deal.

"There were no discussions about the alternate site," LeBlanc said. "For me, it's going to be here, give them everything I've got in Baltimore and if it doesn't work for whatever reason, then we kind of revisit things. But for now the focus is to go north with the team and give them everything I have."

LeBlanc had a lengthy conversation with manager Brandon Hyde about staying with the Orioles, who signed him to a minor league deal last winter, selected his contract and gave him six starts before a stress reaction in his left elbow ended a disappointing season.

"We sat down and talked for a while, it was a great talk," LeBlanc said. "He said he hoped it worked out here. I said the same thing, my feelings were the same, hope it worked out here. I didn't want to go anywhere else and I let him know that. It was a really good talk and excited to move forward."

Experience in the bullpen makes for a simple transition if LeBlanc isn't a starter in April. The Orioles want a healthy supply of bulk relievers to aid the staff in the transition from 60 to 162 games.

Means is the only confirmed starter, with Hyde suggesting yesterday that the rotation could be set by Sunday or Monday. Dean Kremer and Harvey are in it, barring a shocking turnaround, but Keegan Akin was optioned last night.

Jorge López, with five scoreless innings last night, and left-hander Bruce Zimmermann are jostling for position. Félix Hernández is at a disadvantage with a sore right elbow costing him valuable starts and limiting him to catch and side sessions.

"I've never had a preference with role," said LeBlanc, a starter in 120 of 240 major league games. "For me, getting to put on a uniform and it's always been about being in the big leagues and play in front of some fans. So, whether that's coming out of the bullpen, whether that's throwing the first pitch of the game, to me is irrelevant.

"When they give me the ball I'm going to throw it, when they tell me that's enough I give it back to them. Whether that's in the fifth inning, first inning, eighth inning, it doesn't matter."

What did matter was giving it another shot with the Orioles and knowing that they wanted the same outcome.

"It's a good feeling," he said. "It's a really good feeling to know that they value something that you bring to the table. For me, it's about keeping my head down, keeping my nose clean and try to be here for these young kids and be here for this organization like they were for me this offseason."