Santander cleared for workouts at Camden Yards

Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander has reported to Camden Yards and is participating in this afternoon's workout.

Manager Brandon Hyde didn't provide any details on Santander's prolonged absence from summer training camp, which likely has been related to COVID-19 testing. Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. remains absent.

The club is rushing to get Santander ready for the July 24 opener against the Red Sox in Boston, with a multitude of factors in play.

"We're going to try our best," Hyde said. "We're going to watch him on the field here for a couple days. I talked to him this afternoon. I'm going to try to have him face as much live pitching as possible. I have concerns about soft tissue stuff. We've got to get him on the bases, we need to get him reps in the outfield, I need to get him as many live at-bats as possible here in the next nine days or so.

"It's really going to be depending on how he recovers daily and how physically healthy he is going into the 24th. It's going to just be a lot of communication between the training staff, strength staff, our coaching staff and him on how he feels daily.

Santander is engaged in a light workout today and the Orioles will check his physical condition in the morning "and just continue to try to ramp things up," Hyde said.

Santander was projected to play left or right field after appearing in 93 games last summer and slashing .261/.297/.476 with 20 doubles and 20 home runs. His bat is needed with Trey Mancini unable to play until 2021.

The Orioles could attempt to slow-play Santander now that they have some extra outfielders in camp, but the goal remains to have him in the opening day lineup or available off the bench.

"I'd prefer to get him going, to be honest with you," Hyde said. "I think Tony's a big part of our team, he's a middle-of-the-order hitter for us. We're going to try to get him ready as quickly as possible."

Cedric Mullins remains on the Camden Yards side of camp and might have a shot at traveling to Boston later this month.

"I think anybody's a candidate to make the team just because of the health concerns over the next nine days. You just never know what's going to happen," Hyde said.

"We would have liked to see Cedric get Triple-A at-bats. Obviously, that's not going to happen because of this season, so you never know what could happen. I have no idea. But I like the way he's played the last couple of days. I think he's become a really good outfielder and he's taking some good at-bats. We think highly of Cedric, we really believe in continuing his development, whether that's here or in the secondary site with no Triple-A season right now. I think he's somebody you could possibly see at some point this year, also."

The Orioles pushed up the opening of their alternate camp to this morning at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie. The group that reported consists of pitchers Dean Kremer, Michael Baumann, Keegan Akin, Chandler Shepherd, Isaac Mattson and Hector Velázquez and catchers Adley Rutschman and Taylor Davis.

"We'll be in communication with them daily from a scheduling standpoint," Hyde said. "Buck Britton and Gary (Kendall) and those guys are running that camp down there. So we're in constant communication from a scheduling standpoint. I think we'll try to get over there a little bit, but it's going to be kind of challenging.

"We're here quite a bit and we still have 40-some guys here, so our days are pretty full here. But we're very aware of what's happening down there. We'll obviously see video, we'll see guys throw, et cetera. But I'm not sure how much we can physically get down there."

Hyde said outfielder Yusniel Diaz is a "definite" candidate to join players at the alternate site. The pool has seven openings.

Could Kremer pitch for the Orioles later this summer?

That's the plan if he's healthy.

"Yeah," Hyde said. "I was really impressed with him in spring training. He's only had a few Triple-A starts. This year is obviously a lot different. There's no Triple-A season. We would have loved to see him get some experience there. But I think there's a chance he could pitch up here sometime this summer."

Tonight's intrasquad game features John Means versus relievers Hunter Harvey, Miguel Castro, Eric Hanhold and Branden Kline. It will be shortened to allow the Orioles to use relievers in an extra-innings setting, with a runner placed on second base with no outs.

"Make it kind of real game-like, end-of-the-game-situation-type," Hyde said.

"I think we're going to continue doing that."

The intrasquad games beginning Thursday night will become more "meaningful," Hyde said, with white versus orange and the scoreboard in use and players staying on the field for longer periods.

"We're going to try to make it as game-like as possible," Hyde said.

And finally, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand is reporting that outfielder Yasiel Puig is signing with the Braves. The Orioles reportedly made Puig an offer.

The news breaks on the same day that Santander began working out at Camden Yards.