SARASOTA, Fla. – Spenser Watkins will make his spring training debut Thursday on the Orioles’ return trip to Lakeland. To face the organization again that drafted him in 2014 and released him six years later without serving a cup of coffee in the majors.

Watkins is in the same boat as so many other Orioles pitchers in camp, trying to impress and earn a spot in the rotation or bullpen.

“You hear the competition coming in, which is fantastic, and then you look at the numbers and how it plays out,” Watkins said. “It’s one of those things where you just kind of put your head down and go. If it works out and I’m the candidate for the job, then that’s great. If not and someone else gets it, that’s great for them and I’ll continue to work.

“But you see it and it kind of makes you hungrier because the past few years, every job’s been open except for (John) Means and things like that. But this year it’s like, ‘Oh, there’s not as many,’ and it makes you really want to get after it to get that job.”

Much of the preparation was done at Driveline Baseball, the data-driven training facility in Washington state.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Terrin Vavra didn’t have or need much time today to get comfortable at third base. He seemed right at home, as if roaming the corner put him on familiar ground.

Vavra made two diving stops to record outs against the Tigers and singled twice to stay hot at the plate.

In his first game at third beyond a rehab inning last summer with High-A Aberdeen.

Must be a natural.

Leadoff hitter Riley Greene was robbed twice by Vavra, first on a diving backhand stop and then a lunging grab to his left.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Terrin Vavra incorporated ground balls at first base into his winter workouts to increase his versatility and his chances of making the Orioles’ Opening Day roster. He has a new assignment this afternoon, playing third base against the Tigers.

Vavra’s experience at the position consists of one inning last summer with High-A Aberdeen. That’s it. Nothing in college or in the Rockies system.

“He’s going to play all over the place,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Might play the outfield in a couple days. Just continue to move him around.”

James McCann is catching Dean Kremer today in his first Orioles start since they acquired him from the Mets.

“Really impressed with how he goes about his business,” Hyde said. “This guy prepares in the morning, speaks up in meetings and has a great voice for our guys. He’s got a ton of experience.

LAKELAND, Fla. – DL Hall caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and did a double-take, hardly able to recognize himself. Fifteen inches of hair are gone. The face is familiar, but nothing else.

Noticed more in the past for an electric arm, Hall is getting lots of attention in Orioles camp for his buzz cut.

Hall had his reasons. The club’s No. 2-ranked pitching prospect is donating his hair to Wigs & Wishes, an organization that creates and grants wigs to people battling cancer.

“I have a family friend up in New Jersey that is close with the organization that I’m working with, and he mentioned it to me this offseason,” Hall said this morning. “I planned on doing it when we went up north for the season, but as you can tell, it’s really hot down here, so I was ready to go ahead and cut it off. So, I cut it off and I’m saving it to take up to the organization when we go up north.”

This is where the magnitude of Hall’s gesture continues to grow. He wants to present it to the child in person.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Kyle Stowers is batting cleanup today against the Tigers and Colton Cowser is starting in left field.

Connor Norby is the second baseman, Jordan Westburg is starting at shortstop, and Terrin Vavra is playing third base after his double and home run in yesterday’s exhibition opener.

Ryan McKenna is the leadoff hitter and center fielder. James McCann is catching.

Lewin Díaz continues his bid to make the club as a non-roster invite with today’s start at first base.

Dean Kremer gets the start in the Orioles’ first road game of the spring. Other pitchers include left-hander Cade Povich and right-handers Logan Gillaspie, Yennier Canó, Kyle Dowdy and Reed Garrett.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles eventually will reach the stage of spring training when prospects are sent to the minor league side at Twin Lakes Park to get ready for their season. They received the necessary camp exposure. They got the full experience. The major league coaches became more familiar with them. Zero downside to it.

In a spontaneous contest to create the loudest buzz at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, the young infielders ganged up on the competition.

I keep hearing how much the coaches are impressed with the group. The message has been passed along by many people. The level of talent, the polish and the maturity blow them away.

It’s hard to live up to the hype, with so many high draft choices, but they’re doing exactly that – proving worthy of their rankings in the top 100 lists.

Jackson Holliday is only 19, a year removed from high school, and observers can’t stop talking about him. The way he takes ground balls, his swings, his calm demeanor. No moment has been too big.

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.