Teams scouting Santander while his swing brings stellar stats

Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander avoided a serious oblique injury late in camp, a twinge handled properly with a little rest and plenty of controlled at-bats on the back fields. Nothing that would tempt him into the kind of aggressive swings that led to his placement on the injured list last September.

He's started in right field in the first three games, collecting three more hits yesterday in an 11-3 win at Fenway Park. He's the first Orioles player with an RBI in three straight games to begin a season since Chris Davis (five) in 2013. He's 5-for-13 with four RBIs. And he's still attracting interest from other teams, with scouts doing their background work on him.

It's more than just one or two scouts.

The Orioles will keep listening to offers on any of their players, and Santander seems to be one of the more popular. His value has increased over the past two seasons, along with a salary that's set at $2.1 million following his loss at an arbitration hearing.

Four outfielders have fit into the lineup with Ryan Mountcastle used as the designated hitter. DJ Stewart is expected to come off the injured list during the homestand that begins Thursday. There's no rush to get Yusniel Diaz to the majors, but he's likely to debut over the summer. Ryan McKenna is on the taxi squad for this trip.

The severity of Austin Hays' hamstring injury, whether it moves past the discomfort stage to a more serious diagnosis, should be known later today. McKenna could be poised for his major league debut since he's going to be in New York.

The Orioles aren't going to just dump Santander, as I've written before - and probably unnecessarily. Of course not. But he's generating interest and teams certainly pick up the vibe that he's available.

He isn't in an exclusive club. This is a rebuild.

Make the right offer or he keeps playing right field and occasionally serving as designated hitter. Pretty simple, really.

A situation that still bears watching.

* Don't read too much into a taxi squad, but the inclusion of right-handed reliever Isaac Mattson offers another hint that he's primed for his major league debut in 2021.

The Orioles put Mattson on the 40-man roster prior to the Rule 5 draft. He didn't get called up to the majors last summer after his assignment to the alternate camp site, but is viewed as a bullpen option.

Mattson, 25, came to the Orioles with pitchers Kyle Bradish, Zach Peek and Kyle Brnovich in the Dylan Bundy trade with the Angels on Dec. 4, 2019.

Bundy was the Angels' opening day starter, allowing three runs over six innings against the White Sox. Mattson is on the Orioles' opening day taxi squad.

We'll call it a draw.

Mattson, a 19th-round pick in 2017 out of the University of Pittsburgh, made a combined 37 relief appearances between Single-A Inland Empire, Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Salt Lake in 2019 and went 6-3 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.009 WHIP. He averaged 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings and opponents batted .184.

The Orioles used Mattson in five exhibition games and he allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. They optioned him March 12, but he made trips back from Twin Lakes Park.

"It's a 94-96 mph fastball with a lot of hop and he's got his slider and a changeup that he can use to lefties," executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said in November. "He's the type of relief pitcher that can go more than three outs if needed, which is nice, and now we've got a close-to-major-league-ready, optionable relief pitcher on the 40-man roster. I think we may very well see him get some action in Camden Yards (next) year."

The other four taxi squad members were more predictable.

Travis Lakins Sr. made 22 appearances with the Orioles last summer and posted a 2.81 ERA. Infielder Richie Martin stayed with the club in 2019 as a Rule 5 pick and recovered from January hamate bone surgery. A catcher is required and Austin Wynns filled the role on multiple trips last summer. McKenna also was on it in 2020 and makes sense as the emergency outfielder.