Brandon Hyde on Chris Davis, roster move and more (O's fall 5-3)

TORONTO - He is 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts and three walks, but Orioles first basemen Chris Davis is back in the starting lineup today, batting seventh. He did make several solid plays in the field in last night's 2-1 win.

"I think he's still searching a little bit," manager Brandon Hyde said before today's series finale at Toronto. "He's taken a couple of good swings and just missed a ball here and there. I love the fact he's playing great defense for us. When you come out of gates a little slow, it's natural to press a bit. I don't see that in him. Now I just see a guy trying to take good ABs at the plate and want to be believe it will come around."

Hyde discussed today's roster move with right-hander Pedro Araujo being designated for assignment and the Orioles selecting the contract of right-handed pitcher Matt Wotherspoon. If he gets in a game, Wotherspoon will make his major league debut.

Araujo got into just one game this season and allowed a two-run homer in 2/3 of an inning Monday night. He was six days into a season where he needed 17 days on the 25-man roster to satisfy his Rule 5 requirements and could then be sent to the minors. But the Orioles elected not to wait that out.

"We brought Spoony here to give us some length and depth in the bullpen," Hyde said. "Excited for him. Really cool moment to watch him walk in the clubhouse, his first day in the big leagues. Credit goes to him for everything he did to be here today.

"Tough to lose Pedro. A great kid and I hope that things work out for him. He's going to be put on waivers for a couple of days. And I'm hoping somehow we can get him back. I think he's got some upside. Didn't really get a fair shake here honestly during the start of the season. Just the way the games played out. I hope sometime he can come back here."

Wotherspoon, 27, got into six spring training games, pitched to an ERA of 2.08 and fanned six in 4 1/3 innings. He went 2-8 with a 4.60 ERA last season for Triple-A Norfolk.

Wotherspoon was told yesterday he was coming to Toronto, but was not sure he would be added to the roster. He luckily had a passport ready and here he is on the active roster.

"I felt I threw the ball pretty well and tried to attack the strike zone," Wotherspoon said of his spring outings. "Don't think I walked anyone. I think it helped gain the trust of the new guys (coaches).

"Getting called up is a whole rush of emotions. It was total excitement, but some restraint since I didn't know if I would be added. I called my parents first and they were obviously ecstatic. I think my mom was shocked and my dad was proud. Definitely a special moment."

Speaking of special moments, Hyde will have one tomorrow when he runs down the orange carpet on opening day at Camden Yards as a rookie manager of a team with two series wins already under its belt.

"I've heard to stretch and was told to get my feet up," he said. "Because the carpet might grab me. That's my worst nightmare. So I'm going to get a good stretch in, make sure I do a Deion Sanders all the way down the carpet - high-step to show everyone what we are about.

"We're excited to play in front of our home fans. Hopefully, we play well and put on a good show for everybody. Feel like this trip has been a two-week trip. But, yeah, everyone is very excited to get home, play in front of our home fans and hear cheers for us."

Hyde said right-hander Alex Cobb is ready to be activated from the injured list and pitch the home opener. He went five innings in a minor league game March 29 and his groin issue is in the past.

"Yeah, and his sides have been really, really good. He's 100 percent. It will be awesome to see Cobber back out there. Looking forward to him having a good start," Hyde said.

Cobb's addition will give the Orioles four starters as he joins Andrew Cashner, David Hess and Dylan Bundy. Nate Karns starts today as an opener. Moving forward, do the O's go to five conventional starters or keep the opener in play?

"Something we're playing with right now," said Hyde. "We're kind of tinkering with, we have the four and that fifth spot today, we're undecided on what we're doing going forward right now."

Toronto gets the lead: The Blue Jays took advantage of the first unearned run allowed by the Orioles this year to lead 1-0 in the first. Randal Grichuk doubled with one out and scored on a two-out throwing error by Baltimore third baseman Rio Ruiz. Grichuk added a solo homer off Jimmy Yacabonis in the third for a 2-0 lead. He hit No. 2 a distance of 425 feet to left center.

Karns went two innings, allowing three hits and the unearned run with no walks and four strikeouts. He threw 32 pitches and gave way to Yacabonis for the last of the third.

Major league debut: Wotherspoon made his major league debut in the seventh, allowing a hit in a scoreless frame after Richard Bleier turned in 1 2/3 innings of perfect relief.

Toronto starter Matt Shoemaker is out of the game after checking the Orioles on two hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

Toronto tacks on: Grichuk homered off Wotherspoon in the eighth for a 3-0 Blue Jays lead. Lourdes Gurriel later added a two-run double to extend the lead to 5-0.

Mancini mashes another one: Trey Mancini hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning, but the Orioles fall to 5-3 to the Blue Jays. They will return home to opening day at Camden Yards with a 3-2 record. They've won both of their road series after winning just three road series in 2018.