The latest on Orioles' rotation competition and 6-5 loss

The first round is complete in the veteran starter battle in Orioles camp.

Wade LeBlanc tossed two scoreless innings in his debut outing against the Braves, allowing only one hit. The Blue Jays worked Matt Harvey for three runs and four hits yesterday in two innings.

Félix Hernández took his first turn tonight against the Tigers at Ed Smith Stadium and retired the side in order in the first inning. He issued back-to-back walks in the second and surrendered two runs in a 6-5 loss.

Statistics aren't kept this early in camp except for teams' won-loss records. Otherwise, the numbers would put Hernández in the middle. But that's just a fantasy.

"It was good," Hernández, who opted out of the 2020 season, said in his Zoom call. "I was happy that I had a chance to pitch again after a year off. The result could have been better, but I'm happy with it.

"I feel real quick to the plate, like I was rushing the ball. I was opening myself too quick. But every day I keep working on my bullpens and flat grounds and it will be better at the end of spring."

Hernández retired the first four batters with a pair of strikeouts before walking Spencer Torkelson, the first-overall selection in the 2020 draft, and Riley Greene. Torkelson scored on Christin Stewart's single into right field and Greene came home on Dustin Garneau's ground ball.

"I thought he did a really nice job," said manager Brandon Hyde, whose team is 2-4-1. "First time he's pitched in a year and I thought he did a nice job of mixing speeds. Pitched behind in the count a little bit, but I thought he changed speeds well and threw strikes. And I think coming off the mound with two innings healthy and feeling good without pitching for a year, I thought it was a nice first appearance."

The former Cy Young Award winner vowed to reduce the walks in the future and get back to challenging hitters and pounding the strike zone. He threw mostly sinkers and curveballs tonight, and only one slider.

None of the 34 pitches thrown by Hernández brought back his old velocity.

"I didn't pay attention to that," Hernández said. "I just go out there to compete. I think it was 88 mph top, but it was the first day after a year off."

Hyde indicated that Hernández has been living in the mid-80s in camp and can pitch effectively that way.

"I think so, because he knows how to pitch, he knows how to add and subtract, he knows how to pitch in and out, he can pitch behind in the count with off-speed," Hyde said. "It's been the range he's been in so far. I think you're going to see that tick up potentially as he gets more outings and just gets stronger with every appearance.

"This guy's done it for a long time and he knows how to pitch, so he knows how to get people out."

Tonight's game also was significant for Jorge López, who followed Hernández as he tries to make the club as a starter or long reliever. He's out of minor league options.

López started against the Phillies on Monday and allowed two runs and five hits in two innings. Ryan Mountcastle lost a ball in the sun that turned into a ground-rule double.

Stretched out to three innings tonight, López kept the score at 2-0 while allowing one hit and striking out three batters. He fanned Torkelson to strand two runners in the third and retired the last seven.

"I just like how aggressive he was in the strike zone," Hyde said. "That's a big thing for us, is to be on the attack from the first pitch of an at-bat. Something we've talked a little bit about, and Jorgie took that right into the game. I thought he really attacked their hitters well, used both his two-seamer and his four-seamer, something he's been working on, also, as well as throwing some nice off-speed pitches to keep guys off-balance.

"Jorgie's got a really nice arm, he's got a really hard, tough sinker to complement that with a good four-seam fastball that he showed tonight. I thought it was a great, great outing for him and something to build off."

Rylan Bannon's two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning reduced the lead to 6-5, but the Orioles couldn't complete the rally. Shortstop prospect Jordan Westburg came close to hitting a game-tying, three-run, opposite-field homer earlier in the inning. Sounds like the wind pushed it foul, and he struck out.

Minor league lefty Zach Muckenhirn walked the bases loaded with no outs in the seventh, and former Orioles farmhand Aderlin Rodriguez had a two-run single off knuckleballer Mickey Jannis to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

Austin Wynns drew the short straw and caught Jannis, and a wild pitch increased the lead to 5-0. Wynns made a nice tag to prevent another run from scoring on a ground ball, handling a wide throw from second baseman Jahmai Jones and spinning to record the out, but the inning was rolled after Danny Woodrow's two-out RBI single.

The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, including an Adley Rutschman walk after two earlier strikeouts, and Jones' fielder's choice grounder plated Wynns. Yusniel Diaz followed with an opposite-field, two-run double.

Rutschman also reached on an infield hit with two outs in the ninth, but Jones bounced into a force to end the game.

Hunter Harvey ran the count full to four consecutive batters and walked two in a scoreless sixth. He hasn't allowed a run in two appearances. Cole Sulser retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the seventh.

Trey Mancini singled in the first inning. Batting second in the order seems like the first option for him.

Ryan McKenna had a walk and double. He also plays an outstanding center field.

DJ Stewart woke up this morning with continuing soreness in his left hamstring. He came out of yesterday's game after grounding into a force.

"He's going to miss a little bit of time, just because it's a hamstring," Hyde said earlier today. "It's a left hamstring that tweaked on him a little bit, so hopefully it's not too long and he'll be back in, hopefully, next week at some point."

Infielder Richie Martin's hitting progression hasn't caused any setbacks following his hamate bone surgery. "Hopefully, next week we'll see him," Hyde said.

Pitcher Alexander Wells also is progressing. He's been throwing on the back fields after reporting to camp with a sore oblique.

"I don't know when his game action will start," Hyde said, "but he's doing well."

Chris Davis is receiving treatment on his lower back. Still sore. No other updates.

Hyde expressed concerns last spring and during summer training camp about soft-tissue injuries, and he didn't want players pushing too hard. Is it normal spring training soreness in this month's camp or something more?

"I think we're dealing with normal spring training stuff right now, but these guys didn't play a normal season last year and I think there's cause for concern during a six-month season after kind of a start-and-stop year last year. So, along with the pitchers, I think we all have concerns position player-wise, also, just because last year was so irregular."

Cody Carroll hasn't pitched this spring, but he's healthy and working out at Twin Lakes Park. He's been available to back up.

Left-hander John Means starts Sunday afternoon against the Pirates in Bradenton.