SARASOTA, Fla. – Heston Kjerstad stood in the batter’s box and twisted his waist as if trying to guide his fly ball inside the left field foul pole.

Two home runs were nice, but he wanted a third.

He came so close.

The ball hooked foul to keep Kjerstad at the plate in the eighth inning. No problem. He lined a single into right field to go 3-for-3 in his first major league spring training game in the Orioles’ 10-5 victory over the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium.

“Definitely a good day,” he said later while sitting at his locker. “First day at the yard. There’s a lot more to come, so definitely a good little start, but I’ve got to remain focused. It’s a long year, and just keep showing up to the park and try to have good ABs and execute my plan.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander led off the bottom of the fourth inning today by committing the Orioles’ first rules violation in their exhibition opener.

Santander smiled about it later, in his usual manner, but didn’t agree with the call.

Plate umpire Chad Fairfield ruled that Santander wasn’t ready to hit by the required eight seconds and hung a strike on him. Santander, who had to sprint from right field to the dugout and put on his equipment prior to batting, was down 0-1 before Twins reliever Randy Dobnak threw a pitch.

Welcome to the 2023 major leagues.

The call isn’t reviewable and Santander couldn’t be denied a base, drawing a walk before Heston Kjerstad ran for him.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles reliever Dillon Tate is able to detect the improvement in his right forearm, the lessening of the discomfort that he began to notice three months ago.

“Especially where I was in the middle of the offseason,” he said today.

There’s little else that he can state with confidence. The stages of recovery and rehabilitation are deliberate and unpredictable.

“It’s still a little bit of time to go before I get to where I’m looking to be, but hopefully it’s not too much longer,” he said. “All I can really do is just wait it out. There’s nothing, really, that I can do to speed up the process. It’s just ready when it’s ready.”

Tate is playing catch but not every day. He’ll flip the ball underhand or not use one during pitching drills.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde hopes to get two innings from left-hander Drew Rom in today’s exhibition opener against the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium.

The lineup is stacked with left-handed hitters, including Ryan O’Hearn at first base and Nomar Mazara in left field.

Cedric Mullins is leading off and Anthony Santander is the cleanup hitter, their starts coming early as they prepare for the World Baseball Classic.

Coby Mayo gets the start at third base. Anthony Bemboom is catching.

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Adam Frazier 2B
Adley Rutschman DH
Anthony Santander RF
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Nomar Mazara LF
Joey Ortiz SS
Coby Mayo 3B
Anthony Bemboom C

SARASOTA, Fla. - Another spring training page has turned.

Report dates are behind us. First workouts are in the past tense. Photo day is done. Exhibition games are here, beginning with today’s 1:05 p.m. matchup with the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium.

The first road game is Sunday against the Tigers in Lakeland, a journey that will be repeated Thursday for whatever reason.

The media hasn’t been informed of any new injuries. Dillon Tate’s strained flexor/forearm was revealed on the first day of media access on Feb. 16, and his health has improved significantly. Closer Félix Bautista says his right shoulder and left knee feel good, with no setbacks during his bullpen sessions that resume this morning. DL Hall’s lower back soreness is gone.

The positive vibes remain. This is camp happy, with lots of talk about chemistry, the perfect mix, and the playoffs. Contending into September and falling short again would be a tremendous disappointment. Simply being competitive isn’t good enough in 2023.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles completed their final workout day before beginning exhibition games on Saturday with the Twins traveling to Ed Smith Stadium.

“I think we’re ready,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I think guys are kind of itching to get out there. We’ve had a lot of guys who have been here quite a while. You’ll see a lot of those guys the first couple games. Looking forward to getting going.”

The new rules will take hold, including a pitch clock that the Orioles have used in live batting practice and bullpen sessions.

“We’re trying to simulate it as much as we possibly can,” Hyde said. “We talked about it together as a team this morning again. We reviewed some more of the new rules and talked about the shift and bigger bases. Definitely the tempo of the game, obviously, will quicken. We’re just trying to make guys as alert as possible and try to get them as educated as we possibly can.

“I’ve never seen it, so we’ll see how it goes.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – The reasons were plentiful, the incentives as strong as the two men.

Tyler Wells’ fiancée is a native of Jacksonville. Mike Baumann attended the city's university. They’re teammates and friends, putting aside how they’re competing for jobs in Orioles camp and eager to help each other improve. To fix the glitches that might hold them back.

They’ve worked out together the past two winters at Tork Sports Performance in St. Augustine, with its scientific and data-informed approach to training that’s ideal for pitchers in the Orioles organization.

Their photos appear on the facility’s website, along with former Orioles outfielder and first-round draft pick DJ Stewart. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy also is a client.

The Orioles selected Baumann in the third round in 2017 and kept Wells on their roster as a Rule 5 pick from the Twins in 2020, using him first as a reliever, converted him back to a starter last year and unsure of role this season. The pair has developed a bond and maintain a closeness while convening in Florida’s largest city.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are two days away from playing their first exhibition game and they’ve chosen left-hander Drew Rom to make the start.

Rom, 23, made a combined 26 appearances between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk and posted a 4.43 ERA and 1.475 WHIP with 144 strikeouts in 120 innings. He’s ticketed for the Tides after spring training but gets the assignment against the Twins in Sarasota.

Being the first starter in camp doesn’t provide a sneak preview of the team’s plans moving forward. Manager Brandon Hyde quipped, “not (Thomas) Eshelman” while announcing his choice.

“He’s a starting candidate and a guy, just kind of how things line up, honestly,” Hyde said.

“Some of the guys that were starters here last year will be a couple days after that. Drew’s going to get an opportunity to start our first Grapefruit League game.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – One row of lockers inside the Orioles’ spring training clubhouse starts with infielder Adam Frazier and ends with center fielder Cedric Mullins, prime locations that are a nod to their veteran status.

Austin Hays and Anthony Santander occupy the two lockers that lead to Mullins, the three starting outfielders bunched together under a roof and beneath a blue sky.

More toward the middle are the last three first-round draft choices: outfielders Heston Kjerstad (2020) and Colton Cowser (2021) and shortstop Jackson Holliday (2022), the 19-year-old who was selected first overall.

The row itself illustrates the balance between experienced major leaguers and highly rated prospects who comprise the camp roster. A blend as smooth as top-shelf Scotch.

Kjerstad probably will start out at Double-A Bowie after reaching High-A Aberdeen last summer and receiving the honor of Most Valuable Player in the Arizona Fall League. He’s moving at the exact pace anticipated before his professional career was halted because of the heart muscle inflammation known as myocarditis. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that he makes his major league debut later in the summer.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Grayson Rodriguez climbed the mound today at Ed Smith Stadium for his live batting practice session. Adley Rutschman crouched behind the plate. They were together again, and the interest level in the second full-squad workout of spring training soared like the temperature.

Rodriguez froze Jordan Westburg with a fastball, which Rutschman framed, and broke James McCann’s bat. The organization’s top pitching prospect brought some series heat, along with everything else in his arsenal.

“It felt great,” Rodriguez said afterward. “Obviously, anytime you can get out there, see hitters in the box, it’s a lot different from the offseason. Today, we’re just another step closer to spring games.”

A five-pitch repertoire was laid out to a group of hitters that also included outfielders Kyle Stowers and Colton Cowser and shortstop Joey Ortiz. So much young talent in camp.

“We wanted to throw everything today to see how it plays against the hitters,” Rodriguez said.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Left-hander Nick Vespi is certain that he can be ready for Opening Day. Nothing in camp has dented his confidence.

Vespi threw off a mound for the first time yesterday since undergoing hernia surgery Jan. 5 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He threw only fastballs, between 20 and 25 of them by his estimation, and was encouraged.

“Everything felt normal,” he said this morning. “I’ve got a couple more and then I’ll be in games.”

Vespi’s next bullpen session is Friday, one day before the Orioles play the Twins in their first exhibition game. They close out the Grapefruit League schedule on March 27.

Plenty of time for Vespi to get ready for Opening Day on the 30^th at Fenway Park.

SARASOTA, Fla. - The 12 pitchers on the Orioles’ 40-man roster competing for starting jobs remain in camp. The first cuts aren’t happening anytime soon. The first exhibition game isn’t until Saturday afternoon against the Twins in Sarasota.

Don’t rush it.

Kyle Bradish isn’t checking the calendar or crunching the numbers. He isn’t worried about his spot in the rotation. What good would that do?

“I’m not really thinking about that too much,” he said. “All the guys in the rotation, they’re all my friends, so just going out there and compete and whatever happens happens. I trust the work I put in this offseason and going off what I did the second half.”

He did plenty after the break, posting a 3.28 ERA and 1.164 WHIP in 13 starts. He had a 2.76 ERA in his last eight games and became the fourth rookie in club history to toss at least seven scoreless innings in back-to-back starts.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles moved to the next phase of spring training today with the first full-squad workout. Drills of every kind, with players grouped by position. Live batting practice sessions on multiple fields, including inside Ed Smith Stadium.

“I feel like we’ve been out here a couple weeks,” manager Brandon Hyde said with a laugh.

“Guys are really excited. Really love the talent here. It’s a great character group. Just walking around, talking to guys this morning, they’re excited to get going. Saturday’s going to come quick, so we’ve got to get ready to go.”

Hyde gathered everyone in the clubhouse before the workout began for the traditional talk, covering how the team exceeded expectations last summer and what he expects from it in 2023.

“Honestly, just want us to build off last year,” he said. “We have a (large) core group of guys, they got a lot of confidence from last year. It’s pretty much just building off a season where nobody expected us to do anything.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Lewin Díaz noticed that his friends stopped contacting him. The excitement shared over finding a new team was replaced by awkward silence.

The Pirates claimed Díaz off waivers in November. The Orioles claimed him less than two weeks later. And the insanity was building momentum.

A trade to the Braves, another claim by the Orioles, and a DFA six days later.

This time, it worked. Teams passed on Díaz and the Orioles outrighted him to Triple-A Norfolk.

It’s safe to congratulate him.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Outfielder Nomar Mazara is new to the Orioles, signing a minor league contract on Dec. 6. He knows catcher James McCann and non-roster outfielder Daz Cameron from previous stops, but it’s one of the team’s former hitting coaches who’s created the strongest ties.

Scott Coolbaugh, who held the job with the Orioles for the last four seasons of manager Buck Showalter’s tenure, has worked with Mazara in three organizations – the Rangers in various capacities after they signed him as an amateur free agent in July 2011, the White Sox in 2020 and Tigers in 2021.

Has to be some sort of record, or darn close to it.

Mazara appeared in 55 games with the Padres last summer and he just missed another reunion with Coolbaugh, who was hired in January to serve as an assistant hitting coach.

“Nomar Mazara is a great guy, good character and usually very quiet and goes about his business,” Coolbaugh wrote in a text message. “I’ve known him since he was 16. Offensively, he is very capable of being a threat versus right-handed pitching and is less versus left-handed pitching. His biggest issue is that he has slowed down defensively with range and speed. Very accurate with his arm but slow to transfer.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles held a light workout this morning leading into Tuesday’s first full-squad gathering. No bullpen sessions or live batting practice. Mostly some conditioning and fielding drills, followed by an early exit from the complex.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Anthony Santander will get some work at first base after returning from the World Baseball Classic, though it isn’t a priority. Santander took ground balls before games last season.

“A little bit maybe toward the end, maybe when he comes back. Probably not too much early,” Hyde said.

“Definitely want to keep it an option for him when he comes back.”

The backup first baseman could be a joint effort, with Santander, catchers Adley Rutschman and James McCann, and perhaps infielder Terrin Vavra if he’s on the club.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander is leaving camp on March 6 to join Team Venezuela in Miami for the World Baseball Classic. He’s jumping into a talent-heavy roster that includes Ronald Acuña Jr., Jose Altuve, Luis Arraez, Miguel Cabrera, Andrés Giménez, Gleyber Torres and Salvador Perez. He also can reunite with former Orioles catcher Robinson Chirinos, who remains a free agent.

Which team is better, the Orioles or Venezuela?

“Oh, that’s a tough question, man,” Santander said, smiling. “I think both are kind of the same. Yeah.”  

Santander mentioned an “MVP-caliber player” on his WBC team. Is Santander that guy?

“Could be, yeah,” he said, smiling again.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles re-signed catcher Anthony Bemboom to a split contract in October, removing him from minor league free agency and putting him on the 40-man roster, and outrighted him to Triple-A a few weeks later. Go ahead and compete for the backup job, but as a non-roster invite to spring training. We’re saying there’s still a chance.

The flurry of catcher activity in the offseason suddenly left the Orioles with six of them on the 40-man, but they whittled it to one before trading for veteran James McCann, who’s under team control for the next two seasons.

The hurdles for Bemboom became much taller. McCann is the overwhelming favorite to break camp with the team, and no one is replacing Adley Rutschman. Only an injury could disrupt the plan.

As if a catcher would ever get hurt in camp. Be real.

Bemboom wasn’t blindsided by the Orioles’ interest in keeping him in the organization. They were transparent about it.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles chairman and CEO John Angelos granted a rare and lengthy interview with beat writers this morning next to the bullpen area on the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

The session lasted 37 minutes and covered topics such as payroll, the work toward a new stadium lease, how Angelos, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde are here “for the long haul," how there's no intention of changing principal ownership, how the Orioles “are always going to be in Baltimore,” the conclusion of his family’s litigation, and a promise to share the financials with the media in spring training.

The workout became secondary.

The scrum was unplanned and just evolved. Angelos and wife Margaret Valentine were visiting the complex when approached by reporters. This was the fourth time that he spoke with a group of Baltimore media members since Elias’ introductory presser in November 2018.

Angelos declined a five-year extension on the current stadium lease that expires Dec. 31. He expressed confidence that a new and substantial deal will get done over the summer.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles spring training is entering its fourth day of workouts for pitchers, catchers and most of the position players who aren’t actually due until Monday.

The first day was hectic based on the injury news relayed by executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias – reliever Dillon Tate’s pending placement on the injured list with a strained flexor/forearm and possible absence through April qualifying as the biggie.

The second day was uneventful, as you’d expect under normal circumstances. And we’re back to normal for the first time since early 2020.

Can't help but notice it.

Adley Rutschman caught Grayson Rodriguez’s bullpen session, with photos and videos plastered all over social media. We know our audience.