Showalter on Joseph, Gunkel and Drake (updated)

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Orioles took batting practice in Sarasota this morning before making the short trip to LECOM Park for their 1:05 p.m. game against the Pirates.

Infielder Paul Janish is counted among the reserves and should make his first appearance since signing a minor league deal last weekend. Ryan Flaherty is starting at third base after being shut down with a sore right shoulder.

Caleb Joseph stayed back in camp after playing last night in Tampa. Welington Castillo is behind the plate and the bench includes Chance Sisco and Audry Pérez.

Joseph hit a solo home run last night off the Yankees' Adam Warren, giving him one RBI this spring. One more than he totaled with the Orioles last season.

"He's actually been real good offensively. Other than the first time, he's swung the bat well in every game he's played in," said manager Buck Showalter.

"I didn't think about it until somebody talked about it afterward. But Caleb almost drove in 100 runs in Double-A. It's just one of those things. It was a byproduct of a lot of things. He wasn't swinging the bat particularly well.

"You know Caleb. He's obviously an engaging guy, sharp and everything, but believe me, there's a grind down there about it. He handles it well on the surface, but there's a lot of grind underneath."

Joe Gunkel made his Grapefruit League debut last night, the delay caused by an upper-respiratory infection, and he allowed three runs and six hits in two innings.

"I take out of it that he's missed about two or three days, probably not there yet, was his first outing of the spring and to be continued," Showalter said. "There was a good wind blowing out to right that the Yankees took advantage of. Mentally and emotionally you just try to throw it out and see what happens. He's a tick or two off on his fastball. Pretty straight. I'm sure there was a little anxiety with it."

The Orioles put Gunkel on the 40-man roster to protect him in the Rule 5 draft.

"He's a guy who depends on command," Showalter said. "Late sink and commanding the ball and the ability to throw all of his pitches in the strike zone. So that's something he's going to have to do. Sometimes that's not sharp early in the spring when you've been off three or four months, so I try to give him that leverage.

"He's a guy who's going to give up hits. His hits to innings have always been nothing, but his walks are low. He doesn't strike out a lot of guys. It's a combination that requires him to be, his command has to be there and he has to be down in the zone, which he wasn't yesterday."

Oliver Drake allowed three runs and four hits last night in one inning. He's surrendered six runs and seven hits over two innings in his last two appearances.

Showalter drew a comparison between Drake and Gunkel.

"Very similar," he said. "He's about two ticks off on his fastball, and command. His fork/split isn't quite there yet.

"It's that time of spring. If it doesn't pick up a little bit as we go forward, then I would have some concerns, but it's a lot like Gunkel. Just run them out there and see if it gets going a little bit."

Showalter said no cuts are imminent. He's always braced for the club to add more players.

Update: The Pirates scored three runs off Wade Miley in the first inning. One was unearned after Welington Castillo's throwing error. Wiley allowed four hits and walked a batter, and he threw 31 pitches.