Wrapping up the second day of workouts (with photos)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

February 20, 2016, 10:08am

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SARASOTA, Fla. - Everyone scheduled to throw a bullpen session today took the mound to conclude the second official workout at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

Todd Redmond is expected back in camp on Sunday after leaving for a few days to attend to a family matter. Center fielder Adam Jones is expected to report on Sunday.

Hunter Harvey impressed this afternoon, displaying a smooth, repeatable delivery and popping the catcher's mitt. Manager Buck Showalter noted how Harvey's arm slot is higher this spring.

"It's a good sign," Showalter said. "His arm action's higher. He's one of those guys that when they warm up on the side, it's not the same deliver as when they get on a mound and throw downhill. I think Dom (Chiti) and I were talking about it. We both saw the same thing. He's going to be a little higher, which is a good indicator."

Harvey arrived with mechanics that didn't need much work.

"Pretty good. Not a whole lot to do there," Showalter said. "He had some tweaks along the way, for sure. I haven't heard any wholesale talk about it. That's not some of the issues he's had that were mechanically related. In our opinion anyway."

Showalter also was impressed yesterday with Dylan Bundy's breaking ball.

"That kind of tells you how he feels and how far along he is," Showalter said. "He's a go."

Jason Garcia no longer has Rule 5 status and can be optioned to the minors, but Showalter isn't eliminating him from the camp bullpen competition.

Asked whether he's noticed any changes in Garcia this spring, Showalter replied, "I saw it the last two months of the season. We all saw it. He knows he belongs, he can do this. He might even do it this year in April. Who knows?

"This guy's competing for a spot. It's just about gaining trust in him. He's got a good arm. We said 100 times last year, if we can get through the year we're going to like having this guy in our organization next year. Not that we didn't last year. He pitched like one of the guys for periods last year. I was glad where he ended up the end of the year. I would have signed up for that.

"He has a chance to be pretty good. I think a lot of the debate now is about him starting versus relieving. Whether you put him in as a reliever and he throws two to three innings every third day or do you start him with the four days and the work day? Then you run into some inning issues if you start him, which you can control. That's provided he doesn't make this club. I expect him to have a good spring. I never tell the guys I expect to have a bad spring."

Jeff Beliveau ended his session before Kevin Gausman, who threw in the same group, but only because he's recovering from April labrum surgery. He's on a full mound and continuing to open eyes in camp.

"That was a good first day," Showalter said. "He's going to go through his exercises and things they do up here with the shoulder and everything and see where he is when everybody else, his group, throws again. But so far, so good. It felt good. Just trying to make sure he's not going too fast."

The Orioles signed Beliveau to a minor league deal after he appeared in only five games with the Rays in 2015. He's made six career appearances against the Orioles and struck out seven batters over four scoreless innings. They were 3-for-15 against the Rhode Island native.

"He's got good stuff," Showalter said. "I remember he came in against us, and initially you look at the velocity and you kind of go, 'OK, what's this guy presenting?' And an inning or two later he had done well. So he's got a presentation that's different. You just don't see the ball off of him real well, so his fastball plays up higher than the velocity. And I think he was hurt a little bit, too.

"It's kind of interesting to see. It's always interesting when other guys come in (to see) how others guys do it in different organizations and how they've been handled, but I think he's got a chance to help us at some point."

So does Beliveau, 29, who's encouraged by the way his shoulder is responding to his sessions.

"I'm feeling good," he said. "Being out of that cold weather, been throwing in a warehouse all offseason. There are dirt mounds in there, so I got to throw three 'pens prior to getting out there. Being on the grass, throwing on a grass field feels really good, and, the throwing program's going well.

"I feel the more I throw the more I bounce back. My arm feels pretty good. Every step of the way, I've been on track. Haven't had a setback, knock on wood. Basically, I don't have any limitations, the training staff was telling me. Basically just going to take it day by day. They're stressing going slow, not trying to push anything. They'd rather have me in the second half than have me in the first half and not at the end.

"I think the biggest thing is when hitters get in there and you get that adrenaline. I'm still going to go as much as I can go, but I think they mean trying to throw back-to-back days off the mound. They're going to take it slow as far as appearances and back-to-back appearances. Once the hitters get in there, it's the extra five percent when you're gearing up and you get that adrenalin going. I think that will be the true test, once the games start."

Beliveau impressed Showalter and his coaches in minicamp, which surprised the left-hander, considering how he was tossing off a flat mound. He certainly was appreciative of the praise.

"I was throwing like 60 percent throwing off a flat mound. I was not going off a mound at that point," he said. "It's pretty cool how they have the flat mound and the half mound. That was really cool.

"I was kind of just going through working on my mechanics and working on spots. It was nice that (Showalter) could pick out anything because I was throwing 60 percent. Basically, I just want to come back to what I was and let these guys see me for what I am and what I can do."

And finally, Showalter was asked about Darren O'Day re-signing as a free agent and his importance to the organization.

"When you talk about people like that, it goes so far beyond his statistics and the contributions Darren makes," Showalter said. "He's got such a pure heart. He loves being a part of our team, and let's face it, we're down here to build a team and Darren's a part of that. He helps us build it by ways other than pitching, and that's been pretty good.

"I know he impacts this team and he makes other people better, and it's not any egotistical thing. Darren's the same guy who walked in here that day from Texas. You all know that. He doesn't change, but he also understands the weight his words carry and he doesn't get malicious about it. He's not coming here and saying, 'Now that I've got this X contract, I've got to do this more.'

"I think he has a lot of confidence in us and we do in him. He's going to have his moments, but he's going to fight through it. He sets a great example every day. This is how you get that type of commitment from us if you carry yourself like this. I haven't seen any signs of him trying to do something different more and that's what I've told him. I just want you to carry on, carry on."