Cobb sharp in debut before pitch limit; Martin, Tate banged up

Alex Cobb had one outfielder behind him tonight as he worked the first inning of an Orioles intrasquad game. So he did the smart thing.

He kept the ball in the infield.

A wise strategy that he implemented throughout his outing.

A couple of grounders and a chopper in the first got Cobb back in the home dugout with minimal effort. A leadoff walk to Chance Sisco in the second was followed by a bouncer, strikeout and ground ball.

Richie Martin grounded out leading off the third and Bryan Holaday was hit by a pitch and thrown out trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. Hanser Alberto's at-bat was halted after a foul ball, an indication that Cobb reached his pitch limit.

Prepping to start the second game of the season, Cobb will be credited tonight with three scoreless and hitless innings by intrasquad measures.

DJ Stewart in left was the only outfielder for the home side. Andrew Velazquez was needed at shortstop with José Iglesias held out of the game.

Stevie Wilkerson played second base, Renato Núñez was the third baseman and Pedro Severino was behind the plate.

Ryan Mountcastle played left and Mason Williams roamed center for the visitors. They'll head to the alternate site in Bowie as soon as it's open.

They were needed tonight with Dwight Smith Jr. and Anthony Santander unavailable.

Mountcastle was Cobb's lone strikeout victim, but he greeted Dillon Tate in the fifth with a double to right field and scored on catcher Austin Wynns' errant pickoff attempt.

Martin dived back into the bag, collided with first baseman Chris Davis and appeared to jam his left hand. He walked off the field as assistant athletic trainer Mark Shires took a few steps out of the dugout.

Martin had been playing shortstop and Pat Valaika handled second base, a reversal of where they were positioned earlier in the week. Valaika played short after Martin's exit, Rio Ruiz moved to first base, Dilson Herrera slid over to second and Holaday played third.

Holaday is a catcher by trade. He's played one inning at third base in the majors.

Ruiz led off the top of the sixth by homering off Tate for, if you're keeping score, a 3-0 lead. It was a no-doubter to right-center field. Tate was hit on the right forearm by a Valaika comebacker, drawing more medical attention, and manager Brandon Hyde called off the inning and the game.

More injury updates coming on Saturday.

Austin Hays was the designated hitter for the hosts. He's been leading off, but so has Alberto.

Anything to keep us guessing as we try to project the opening day lineup.

Rob Zastryzny started for the visitors and Davis singled over Williams' head and off the center field fence in the first inning. Players have been instructed to take it easy on the bases. Davis obliged.

Zastryzny struck out Núñez and Stewart to close out the inning. He tossed three scoreless frames with three hits allowed before Richard Bleier replaced him.

Wilkerson had two hits last night and singled up the middle tonight. He might win the intrasquad batting title.

Another highlight was Severino throwing out Alberto trying to steal in the fourth. Alberto singled off Cody Carroll, who struck out Ruiz and walked Valaika in the inning.

Valaika scored on Sisco's fly ball to center field that wasn't caught by one of the extras - sort of like a seat filler at the Oscars. Sisco was given a triple or he reached on a three-base error. Either way, it wasn't legit.

Bleier retired the side in order in the fourth, getting two ground balls and striking out Velazquez. Branden Kline worked the bottom of the fifth and retired the side in order, with Mountcastle catching Wynns' sinking liner for the first out. Kline struck out Davis.

Runs have been scarce in the intrasquad games, but players arrived in camp looking like they worked hard during the shutdown and found ways to stay sharp.

"I think so far so good," hitting coach Don Long said earlier today in a Zoom conference call with the media. "It's been to our advantage to have started live BP right away on Day One. And as the days have gone on and now we've got a couple of partial intrasquad games under our belt, we always have room for improvement, but overall I think we've had some pretty good at-bats."