Rio Ruiz on his move to second base

A player with just two career innings in the majors at second base - and none in the minors - was called on to make three big defensive plays on Friday.

The ball will always find you.

For inexperienced second sacker Rio Ruiz, it did on opening day in Boston. Two challenging popups running into the outfield that he had to chase down and a diving stop to his left to rob Alex Verdugo leading off in the last of the seventh.

All big in a close, low-scoring game.

"I think the first fly ball I had, pretty much no man's land between Tony (right fielder Anthony Santander) and I," Ruiz said this morning in a Zoom interview from Boston. "I had to go a long way to get that. And to kind of keep an eye on Tony and the ball was a little tough, but you know, luckily, we were able to make the play and get out of that inning.

"I hadn't thought about (playing at) second base at all. Lot of position players and even pitchers mess around at different positions. You know, second base and outfield, I power shag all the time. But second base is just something I do for fun. The question came up and it was an easy yes."

And that play to rob Rafael Devers came right after Xander Bogaerts reached on a leadoff error in the second inning. So in a 0-0 game, Boston was that close to a two-on, none-out rally.

To hear Orioles manager Brandon Hyde tell it, it was late in camp when he arrived at the decision to give Ruiz a shot at second.

"I thought about it about a week ago or so, week and a half ago," Hyde said postgame Friday. "And brought Rio into my office and asked him what he thought. And his reaction to my question, I felt like from his reaction, I felt like you know what, this is something I'm going to try. Because he was so excited to do it.

"However, he's only played, this is his third game playing second base. I'm not going to - you know, he played well today. I don't want to add more than that. He played very, very well today. He picked us up big-time and I'm really happy for him."

"It was just a quick yes," Ruiz said about that conversation with Hyde. "I don't think I let him finish his question. I was just more than happy to do it and more than happy to get to work."

Ruiz said third base is pretty much a quick-reaction spot, and at second you have a bit more time and room to work with. He'll also have to be in the middle of turning double plays over there.

"It's just something I have to continue to work on," he said. "Everything is kind of just, still got to make plays as usual. Double plays (are) gonna happen, they're going to turn themselves. Just got to continue to work on them."

Ruiz said new infield coach Tony Mansolino and coach Fredi González have provided him some help in working at second base.

What could help Ruiz become the everyday player at second?

"Just continue to work," he said. "I'm still going to work at third base as well. Because obviously, you saw I was there in the late innings. But definitely just more work, more work, more work, more work. That is really all you can do."

When the Orioles added third baseman Maikel Franco, it could have meant Ruiz might not have a place on this team right now. Not only did he have one, but every play he made was needed in the opener.

"I've still gotta do what I got to do," he said. "I still have to go out and work. It's no different from anybody else. If I'm in the lineup, then great. If not, then I have to be ready when my name is called. So, nothing changes. Franco is a big add to our team and he's got a great track record and he's going to help us win a lot of ballgames."

You just got robbed by second baseman Rio Ruiz. pic.twitter.com/35JmTE37v6

-- Baltimore Orioles 😷 (@Orioles) April 2, 2021