Early Orioles notes on Tate, new rules, Mayo and more

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles reliever Dillon Tate is able to detect the improvement in his right forearm, the lessening of the discomfort that he began to notice three months ago.

“Especially where I was in the middle of the offseason,” he said today.

There’s little else that he can state with confidence. The stages of recovery and rehabilitation are deliberate and unpredictable.

“It’s still a little bit of time to go before I get to where I’m looking to be, but hopefully it’s not too much longer,” he said. “All I can really do is just wait it out. There’s nothing, really, that I can do to speed up the process. It’s just ready when it’s ready.”

Tate is playing catch but not every day. He’ll flip the ball underhand or not use one during pitching drills.

“Slowly but surely,” he said.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said during the first day of camp that Tate could miss the entire month of April. Tate isn’t far enough along to have any feel for his timeline. First, he’s got to get back on a mound.

“It will take a little time,” he said, “but I’ll get there.”

Drew Rom will go two innings today if his pitch count allows it, and manager Brandon Hyde wants to do the same with every starter candidate in camp.

Today’s game against the Twins allows the Orioles to really get introduced to the new rules.

“I’m interested to see the pitch clock and the tempo of that, and especially with runners on base, see how fast that moves,” Hyde said. “We can simulate it as much as we want to in live BPs, but in a game situation I’m interested in seeing how that looks and what that feels like.”

The hitters must be in the box within eight seconds or have a strike called on them, which happened yesterday to former Oriole Manny Machado.

“Talking to the pitchers that had it last year in Triple-A, they feel like they got used to it,” Hyde said, “but I think that it’s going to feel a little bit rushed for the hitters, especially with runners on base.”

The Orioles have lots of players in camp who were exposed to the pitch clock in the minors.

“I got used to that down in Norfolk,” said Mike Baumann. “It definitely keeps the game moving a little bit.”

“I had it for two years just because of the fall league and then Triple-A last year,” said Rule 5 reliever Andrew Politi. “I think it’s a pretty easy adjustment, I think you get used to it pretty quickly, but obviously it’s always different on a bigger stage, so we’ll find out.

“It’s hard to give advice. I think it’s more of a feel thing, and I think you get used to it the more games you’re throwing. I think it was a pretty easy adjustment for me.”

Hyde is impacted, as well. He can’t be deliberate in his communications with the base coaches, though he said, “We do a good job with that anyway, of how quickly we do it.”

Coby Mayo is making his first exhibition start today, playing third base. He got into games last spring in Tampa and Clearwater.

“Obviously, a big prospect for us,” Hyde said. “See how he handles everything, first major league camp. Just want him to go out and play. I’m not looking (for anything), especially early on in camp. I want guys to stay healthy.

“I just want to see him get the experience of it.”

Because someone asked: Grayson Rodriguez is wearing No. 85 in camp but said he’ll switch to 30 when he’s pitching in major league games, his number for a few seasons in the minors.