Hyde on Mancini, Harvey, Hernández, Jones, infield and more

Two days into spring training workouts and the Orioles have no complaints.

Players due to report have made it to Sarasota, Fla. Every pitcher in camp has thrown in the bullpen - half the group yesterday and half today. No one is being brought along slowly due to health concerns.

Outfielders Trey Mancini and DJ Stewart and super-utility player Stevie Wilkerson reported early and hit on the field today.

"(Mancini) looks really good," manager Brandon Hyde said in his Zoom conference call with the media. "Feels great. Driving the baseball today on the field. Took ground balls. Did that yesterday and today and he feels fantastic."

Matt Harvey is expected to begin workouts soon after the Orioles announced his minor league deal yesterday.

"He's still going through the process of taking his physical and that should be wrapped up any day now," Hyde said.

Harvey has made only eight relief appearances in his 152 games in the majors, including three last summer with the Royals. He isn't necessarily a starter-only candidate this spring.

"When he gets here from an on-the-field standpoint, I think we're just going to see what we have and see how he looks," Hyde said. "I think we're keeping our options open with him, whether it's rotation, bullpen. Nothing is set in stone and we're just going to give him an opportunity to make the team."

Félix Hernández has loftier goals, getting to 200 wins and 3,000 strikeouts and sealing his entrance into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

His speech might already be written.

Hyde remembers being with the Marlins in 2011 when they faced Hernández, who allowed one run and two hits with 10 strikeouts over eight innings.

"It was a different level when he was on the mound. A sold-out ballpark, the King's Court with the yellow signs ... One of the more dominating performances that I've seen," Hyde said.

"I don't know his career numbers. I know he's had a great career and he was so dominant, especially the first five or six years, and it was a show every time he was on the mound just because of his no-hit stuff.

"We're just going to give him an opportunity. A veteran guy, and see what he can do."

Providing leadership is an important component, especially with Alex Cobb traded to the Angels.

"I think when you've had that much success and had that many innings on the mound in the big leagues, we don't have guys that have a ton of service time," Hyde said. "Someone like him that's thrown a (perfect game) in the big leagues and has pitched in the environments that he's pitched in and just been a really dominant starter, especially in the first half of his career, I think there's always things to learn from if you're a younger player from a guy like that.

"So I'm excited that our younger guys can rub elbows with somebody that has had a lot of success in this game."

Jahmai Jones, acquired in the Cobb trade, is primarily a second baseman in camp but will get reps in the outfield.

"I think you're going to see him do a little bit of both," Hyde said. "I'd like to see him a lot at second. That's going to be the main focus. But we know he can play the outfield.

"Excited to have him. Talked to some Angels coaches, a lot of guys that I know over there. They rave about how athletic he is and how much better he got defensively, especially at second base last year. so excited to get him into camp. I've never seen him, so he's going to be a fun guy to watch."

Yolmer Sánchez is expected to start at second base, where he won a Gold Glove in 2019. Freddy Galvis is the shortstop and Rio Ruiz is likely to stay at third base.

The infield may not be set, but it seems pretty close.

"I think we brought Freddy in here to be our shortstop," Hyde said. "Yolmer's got a lot of experience at second base, won a Gold Glove, so we brought him in to play a lot. I can see him playing second base. And Rio has been part of our infield the past couple years and looking forward to him getting a lot of at-bats this season, also. So I think it's safe to assume the two guys we brought in, we'd like to see them play up the middle, and Rio's going to get every opportunity to win the third base job again."

Galvis is a former top Phillies prospect with good defensive skills and some pop. He signed a one-year deal for $1.5 million and his contract includes a $250,000 bonus if he's traded.

"Just really solid, really steady," Hyde said. "Saw him play in Philly when he first came up and then Toronto a couple years ago when he was in our division. Just a very, very solid, steady player. He's going to make the routine play, he's going to drive some balls out of the ballpark. He's got some raw power. A guy that's played in the middle of the field in a lot of games in the big leagues.

"I don't know him very well. Talked to him on the phone, looking forward to meeting him when he gets here, but Cincinnati people rave about him. Talked with people who have had him in the past and they think he's a really good clubhouse guy, a nice leader by example."

Hyde has bigger concerns than designating a closer, but the subject always comes up in spring training. No one has emerged as the favorite. It could be one guy or several.

"I think, ideally, you'd like to have roles defined," Hyde said.

"I think that we have guys who are able to pitch in the ninth inning. I'm looking for guys to be able to pitch the ninth inning and we'll go from there. But when you have an Aroldis Chapman or a Mariano Rivera, those types of guys, yeah, you want them to pitch the ninth inning. That's their role. We're just not there yet, so right now the ninth inning is wide open and we'll do the best we can and we'll see what we have. We'll see who can handle that situation and who we feel like is the best matchup, whoever we're going to face in the ninth.

"In an ideal world you have a lights-out closer that when you give him the ball to in the ninth inning, you've got a high percentage chance of winning the game."

Carrying a third catcher seems unlikely with a 26-man roster and the possibility of a three-man bench.

"I think a 28-man roster (last season) definitely helped with that," Hyde said. "I have no idea what our roster is going to look like this early. It's always a luxury to have three catchers on your roster. That's a huge thing, especially right, left and you're able to pinch-hit for a guy and have a third guy who can possibly can play other position, also, is very, very helpful.

"But with the limited roster this year, and let's see how our pitching lines up and how many guys we carry on the mound, etc., I think it's just too early to answer that."