Hyun Soo Kim easing into his new surroundings

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman will begin his morning by explaining the nature of an injury that prevented him from starting yesterday's intrasquad game.

Judging by manager Buck Showalter's description, it appears that Tillman is bothered by a sore groin muscle. The Orioles naturally are being careful with him and will set up an MRI later this week if there's no improvement.

It's way too early to lament how the Orioles signed a starter and lost a starter, but there was disappointment yesterday that Tillman's condition hadn't improved.

Three of the Orioles' first four exhibition games are on the road, beginning with Tuesday afternoon's trip to Lake Buena Vista to play the Braves. They also have split-squad games on Saturday, which include a trip to Fort Myers in the morning to play the Twins, and another road game Sunday in Fort Myers against the Red Sox.

We're going to find out whether Hyun Soo Kim's locker includes an extra pair of gray pants.

The Orioles need to take a long look at Kim in the outfield, get him comfortable playing alongside Adam Jones, evaluate his strengths and weaknesses. They also want him to have plenty of at-bats as he adjusts to major league pitching.

Kim seems at home inside the Orioles clubhouse, where players have a knack for making outsiders feel welcomed. They tear down language barriers like a demolition crew, and I've witnessed the process going back to Koji Uehara in Fort Lauderdale.

Wei-Yin Chen quickly became one of the guys, and it was amusing to hear him tell a nearby reporter to "clean your (deleted) up," the smile widening on his face. Kim is still learning phrases and sharing his own.

"He's really funny," Tillman said. "He's always laughing. You could be telling him something serious and he'll go, 'Ha ha ha.' He's just funny.

"You know what he's trying to get across, even though you don't understand a word he's saying. You know what he's trying to say. It's fun. I enjoy it."

Kim, speaking through interpreter Danny Lee, said his first week in spring training brought the expected adjustments.

"Not like when I was in Korea," Kim said. "I was able to set my own schedule to plan things out in order, and now I'm very used to that. I'm having a good time setting up each plan each day and following the team's schedule, as well."

Teammates gradually are getting to know Kim, who went 0-for-2 in yesterday's intrasquad game.

"There is a language barrier for me to actually speak to them, but there will be a language barrier for my teammates to speak to me and make me understand, so it will be hard both ways," Kim said. "I'll get used to that and I'll try to talk to them more. That way, we can have a better communication together and I'll get used to that.

"That's what (Suk-min) Yoon and Koji probably went through and I'm ready to face the same thing. Danny had better do a good job on it to make sure there's a good bridge between me and other players, so wake up."

Kim gets another big smile on his face as he waits for Lee to deliver the punchline. They both laugh at the end. Well played, Hyun.

Jones delivered Kim's specially prepared lunch in the cafeteria, placing a napkin on his lap and bowing to him. Jones laughed at the size of the bowl, which held the Korean signature dish Bibimbap, with a smaller serving of kimchi on the side.

"He has been a very friendly guy," Kim said last week. "We haven't been on the field for a game yet, so I can't really tell whether I'll work well with him, but he's a nice guy. He's been very friendly and he's been teaching what could be new to me. Very nice to me."

Kim said he loves "downtown Sarasota," which has become his favorite spot in the city with its array of restaurants and shops.

"I've been there many times and now I'm used to that place," he said.

A career .318/.406/.488 hitter in 10 seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization, Kim potentially gives the Orioles on-base capabilities that would blend perfectly with their mashers. They're still learning about his defense in left field - how much ground he can cover and the strength and accuracy of his arm.

"It's not just the defense that has a question mark to myself, I also have a question mark to my batting, so what I need to do is actually show them what I can do and the coaching staff will decide whether I'm a good player or not," Kim said. "I'll try my best to show my ability batting-wise and defense-wise so they can answer those questions."

Kim could be slotted second in the order, though manager Buck Showalter may want to put him in the lower third to start the season, allowing Kim to get acclimated and work his way up.

"When I was in Korea, I used to bat third in the lineup, but that wasn't what I wanted or where I wanted to be," Kim said. "That was what the coaching staff decided for me and where I fit best in the lineup. Same here. I'll try my best to fit in any order of the lineup, wherever the coaching staff, the manager, want me to be. And I'll get myself ready for it. I'll try to be anywhere.

"The most thing to focus on is to get into the lineup and get on the 25-man roster and play daily, whenever I can, however the coaching staff wants me to."