More on Hyun Soo Kim and Caleb Joseph on the rotation

SARASOTA, Fla. - Following up on Hunter Harvey, I'm told he has a "slight strain" to his groin and was removed from yesterday's start at minor league camp as a precaution.

Harvey was working his third inning.

If Hyun Soo Kim agrees to an assignment at Triple-A Norfolk, which he's expected to do, he's going to get lots of at-bats as the designated hitter.

Christian Walker is supposed to play left field every day. Dariel Alvarez is playing right field. Kim can't roam center and I'm fairly certain he won't be the starting shortstop.

Two years ago, Norfolk manager Ron Johnson had too many infielders. Now he may set a record for outfielders unless the Orioles can drop a few down to Double-A Bowie or work some trades.

I'll repeat that Kim doesn't want to go back to Korea with the perception that he was a failure in his attempt to play in the U.S. He hasn't gotten a full shot. He needs to work on certain aspects of his game, which he can do in the International League.

I've heard that he's a beast when it comes to hitting breaking balls. Set up the machine for curves and he can rake. It's the major league fastball that's been an issue. And if he cheats a little to get around on it, he's more vulnerable to the breaking ball.

An assignment to Norfolk may not solve the problem, but it's worth the attempt. It probably won't improve his throwing, but the Orioles could live with that deficiency if he had a high on-base percentage.

In the meantime, they may as well give Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard, who came off the bench last night and collected another hit, a chance to claim the left field job and maybe bat atop the order. The defensive upgrade alone should bring comfort to manager Buck Showalter.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette addressed the Kim issue with the beat crew during last night's game, but he was more expansive on the MASN telecast.

"Well, we talked to Kim and it doesn't look like he's going to be on our 25, so we're trying to figure out the next steps," Duquette said. "He didn't get off to a great start with us and then hit some balls pretty good in the middle part of it. And then Joey Rickard just kept playing really, really well and I think Buck's going to give Joey a shot at left field to be like the everyday left fielder.

"I mean, he did just about everything you'd want a player to do. He got on base, made all the plays in the outfield, threw to the right bases, even showed a little bit of power. So Rickard had a good camp. We're going to have to figure out what the next step is with Kim."

The next step should put him in minor league camp and eventually Harbor Park.

"That's a possibility," Duquette said. "Spring training is a short time when you're looking at a career and there's a big transition for these players that come here. If you come to the big leagues from Korea, new culture, new team, new country, new rituals, new diet. So I know there's a part of Kim that wants to succeed here in the States and he wants to give it a longer effort."

While we wait on pins and needles for confirmation or denial that Rickard is playing left field and leading off on opening day - and I still suggest a couch or recliner, but to each his own - let's take a moment to remember Alejandro De Aza. He handled those duties on April 6, 2015 at Tropicana Field.

De Aza, now in Mets camp, went 1-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and three strikeouts. The ultimate mixed bag. It should be handed out at kids' parties.

You may have forgotten that Ryan Flaherty started at shortstop with J.J. Hardy on the disabled list and Steve Pearce at first base with Chris Davis on the restricted list. Hardy and Davis are healthy and eligible this spring and will start on opening day unless I've acquired the skill to jinx.

(For the record, the only real jinx is influencing the pace of a game by blurting out, "Man, this game's moving fast!" It works every time and can lead to icy stares and the occasional beating inside the press box.)

Travis Snider was the right fielder and fifth batter in the lineup behind Pearce. Delmon Young was the designated hitter, as the Orioles attempted to squeeze out the last few drops of his career before he imploded again. Anyone want to admit now that the club wasn't wrong to release him in July? It wasn't done on a whim.

But I digress ...

Chris Tillman allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings to kick off the season. The Orioles gladly would take the same hang time on April 4 against the Twins at Camden Yards.

Tillman is on the mound tonight for a 6:05 p.m. game against the Tigers at Ed Smith Stadium, the final MASN spring training telecast. He's registered a 9.31 ERA in three Grapefruit League starts and opponents are batting .381 against him.

Factor in the poor numbers belonging to the other projected starters and it's easy to see why the media and fans are lowering their expectations for the club. It all starts with starting pitching.

It's wise to seek out one of the catchers and peel away those statistics, look beyond them, get a real sense of how some guys are throwing.

Take it away, Caleb Joseph. I'll be over here if you need me.

"You look at a guy like Yovani (Gallardo), he's been around the block multiple times," Joseph said. "He knows when to use the bullets. Not saying he hasn't used any of his bullets, but he's definitely working on making sure his pitches are doing the right thing now. Whether that's amped up at 110 percent and really firing away, I'm not sure.

"What I know is when he's needed to make pitches during these outings, the times that he's needed to make those, they've been much more crisp. Like, 'OK, enough's enough.' And I think Buck was saying something not too long ago that his miles per hour are up a tick or two from his normal spring outings, so that's good. I don't really worry about Yovani. He's a veteran.

"Tilly, the last time he threw two or three days ago, his stuff was electric. That was very good to see. I think a lot of people have been waiting to see ... It's hard to put into words. It may look similar on the radar gun, but the late life, the explosiveness, the way the changeup was spinning, the sharp bite to the curveball, the stuff is there. And if his stuff is there, he's going to be fine.

"You've got to remember, too, when these guys especially are pitching at home, (opponents) are bringing over minor league guys. And I remember not too long ago when I was a minor league guy, one thing you want to do is get a hit, and sometimes that means ambushing and swinging at every pitch that's in the zone because you're determined, like, 'I'm going to show what I can do.' I think a lot of times people get caught up in spring training because the approach for hitters in spring training are a little bit different than maybe they are during the season. You get a little bit more of a refined game plan, so sometimes these spring training items are a little deceiving.

"I think for me as a catcher, the one thing I'm looking for is just if their pitches are moving the way they should. If they have that late life like they should. And if they're able to really locate them like they will. Sometimes, you've not going to get good results even if you make the pitch you want in a certain situation because maybe to this hitter it's not exactly the right pitch, but you're envisioning maybe a David Ortiz or an Alex Rodriguez in the box in this certain situation because you know you may get that during the season. You may have a No. 97 with two ear flaps on, and where a fastball might be the right pitch, you're trying to envision certain situations. So I think a lot of times they're deceiving.

"I don't worry about our staff because all those other factors are right where they should be. That make sense?"

It does to me. Now let's see if they live up to Joseph's expectations, quiet the doubters and lead the Orioles back into the postseason.