Santander on elbow: "I feel much better today"

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander should get back into baseball activities by Monday, restarting his attempts to make the club and its process of evaluating him.

Santander underwent an MRI arthrogram this week, where dye is injected into the elbow, and it didn't reveal any structural damage.

"I feel much better today," he said this morning through an interpreter. "Just an MRI and there was only small inflammation on it because I have so many days without throwing. But feeling better now."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter needs to watch Santander in the outfield, but there hasn't been an opportunity. Santander was recovering from right shoulder surgery when selected from the Indians organization at the Winter Meetings, and a sore elbow this spring has further delayed his ascension from designated hitter

"I think it's just a matter of a few days," he said. "Monday I start my regular routine again, so I think it's just a few days away."

Santander said he underwent a couple of surgeries on his elbow to remove bone chips "when I was a little kid." He's 22 now and trying to make the jump from Single-A to the majors.

"This is the first time I've had some inflammation in my elbow," he said.

The Orioles have learned that Santander can hit. He batted .290/.368/.494 with 42 doubles, 20 home runs and 95 RBIs last summer in 128 games at Lynchburg, and he was 4-for-8 with two home runs and four RBIs in his last four exhibition games before they sent him for the MRI arthrogram on Thursday.

Both home runs have been launched deep to right field.

But the Orioles won't carry a Rule 5 pick exclusively for offensive purposes. Santander brings added appeal as a switch-hitter, but he understands that he must be trustworthy in the field.

"It's very important for me because the team selected me in the Rule 5 for something and I really want to show them what I can do," he said. "But the reality is that it's out of my control, so I'm just taking it a day at a time."

Santander and fellow Rule 5 outfielder Aneury Tavárez have talked about the challenges they face to break camp with the team, especially after the Orioles signed Craig Gentry to a minor league contract.

"We understand the situation that we're in," he said. "It's a competition right now. Both of us could make the team. At the same time, we could be returned to our previous team, so we understand it's a tough situation, but we just go out there and work hard."

There's no chance that both players make the opening day roster and it's going to be extremely difficult to carry one of them with Gentry and Joey Rickard having impressive springs and in line to platoon with Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith. An injury might be needed to create a spot - Smith hasn't played since March 8 due to a sore hamstring - but there are a few weeks remaining and, as fans have learned, everything is subject to change.

Tavárez has blazing speed which would bring a much-needed element to the Orioles, but as I've written, he's still learning how to take full advantage of it and he's still a bit raw in the outfield. He's 9-for-33 with six stolen bases in six attempts, which leads the club. Rickard has four steals.

Meanwhile, Tyler Wilson and Jayson Aquino are listed as relievers behind starter Dylan Bundy for today's game against the Yankees, which Steve Melewski will cover for MASNsports.com.