A leading question regarding the lineup

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will play their second home spring training game this afternoon, with the Yankees making the trip from Tampa, and I have no idea which lineup will be posted. I can only assume that we'll be warned not to read too much into it.

That's fine and all, but what about yesterday's lineup?

With the exception of Ryan Flaherty playing third base and Manny Machado sliding over to shortstop, we may have gotten a glimpse of the opening day order. This is assuming that J.J. Hardy's back allows him to play short and bat ninth, where Flaherty was slotted.

Let's take another look at it, beginning with Hyun Soo Kim in the leadoff spot. Adam Jones batted second, Machado third, Chris Davis fourth, Mark Trumbo fifth, Seth Smith sixth, Jonathan Schoop seventh, Welington Castillo eighth and Flaherty ninth.

Jones isn't your prototypical No. 2 hitter, but Kim isn't the norm leading off. He isn't a speed guy and a stolen base threat, but he led the Orioles in average (.302) and on-base percentage (.382) as a U.S. rookie last season, and he had an RBI single yesterday in the second inning.

"He's one of our candidates," said manager Buck Showalter, who also mentioned Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavárez.

Kim isn't assured of being more than a platoon player in left field. Tavárez isn't assured of making the team. Every candidate is flawed in some way.

"I don't know," Showalter said. "We're going to take a vote in here when camp's over about who we should lead off. I'm not overthinking it right now."

Showalter said Ben Werthan, the Orioles' coordinator of advanced scouting, discovered that Kim had the second-highest average in the American League last season versus fastballs. So, of course, Kim struck out against one yesterday from Pirates starter Jameson Taillon in the first inning and Showalter couldn't resist pointing it out to him in the dugout.

Kim delivered his RBI single on a fastball in the second inning, looked at Showalter after reaching first base and motioned as if to say, "Well?"

I was asked a few weeks ago in a radio interview where Jones will bat if he isn't leading off. I was stumped after considering how the lineup could include Machado, Davis and Trumbo in the middle of it. There's no way that Jones is batting sixth, right? So ...

Trey Mancini went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts Saturday afternoon against the Pirates in Bradenton. Batting for the first time yesterday, he stroked a two-run double as part of a five-run seventh inning.

Maybe we learned a little more about Mancini.

Jesús Liranzo's fastball was mostly 95 mph yesterday but he touched 97 mph in a scoreless fifth inning. He walked the leadoff batter, Alen Hanson, who was erased on a stolen base attempt.

Left-hander Chris Lee allowed a run over two innings. We may have learned a little more about him, as well, because he followed a shaky sixth inning - one run on two hits - by retiring the Pirates in order in the seventh.

Lee was limited to eight games at Double-A Bowie last season due to a lat injury, but the Orioles will consider starting him at Triple-A Norfolk this year.