Urías timetable for return, McCann's surprise achievement, praise for González

Orioles infielder Ramón Urías is facing a new opponent.

The amount of time spent recovering from a left hamstring strain.

Urías said yesterday that his leg feels “much better.” He didn’t seem to be limping as he walked across the clubhouse to his locker.

The Orioles put Urías on the 10-day injured list Tuesday after he left the previous night’s game against the Rays in the ninth inning. He was running to first base on a single and felt the hamstring grab.

“It was just a little bit,” he said.

Manager Brandon Hyde estimated that Urías could be out two-to-three weeks. Urías thinks he should be ready on May 26, when the Orioles begin a three-game series against the Rangers at Camden Yards.

He’s taking the “under” on three full weeks.

Urías is batting .278/.375/.381 in 30 games, with seven doubles, a home run and 16 RBIs. He’s made 17 starts at third base, where he won a Gold Glove last year, nine at second and one at first. He’s also batted in every spot in the order except second.

The lineup is losing the clutch hits that Hyde often references. Urías is batting .310/.375/.448 (9-for-29) with 14 RBIs with runners in scoring position.

* Catcher James McCann pinch-hit for Kyle Stowers leading off the seventh inning Friday night, grounded out and returned to the bench.

Terrin Vavra played right field for Stowers. McCann watched Cedric Mullins hit for the cycle and waited to join the congratulatory handshake line, get back inside the clubhouse and shower his teammate with affection and anything that would make a mess.

McCann was oblivious to his own career accomplish.

Bench coach Fredi González informed the team that McCann appeared in his 800^th game, which was news to the veteran catcher, who assumed that the gathering was done strictly for Mullins.

“We’re celebrating Cedric, and Fredi spoke up,” McCann recalled. “He said, ‘There’s something else we’re celebrating tonight. McCann played in his 800^th game tonight.’ I literally had no idea what he was about to say. The team gave me applause, and a couple guys came up to me and said, ‘That’s impressive.’

“When you get up to a number like that, it just kind of puts it in perspective. It’s a lot of games played, and I feel fortunate, I feel blessed, to be able to stay healthy and be part of those games.”

And at that position.

McCann’s mind went to how catchers get more days off, which creates a slower climb to 800. Mine went to the physical demands of making a living behind the plate.

“You’re not playing 160 games a year,” he said. “It takes a little bit longer to rack up the games. And you throw the (2020) COVID season in there. So, getting to 800, it’s a more special feat now that it’s happened.

“If you asked me when I was making my debut if I thought playing 800 games would be cool, I probably wouldn’t have thought much about it. But I look back on my career, to see how long it’s been, to be able to play 800 is a neat number, for sure.

“To stick around long enough, everything that goes into it, it’s definitely something that I feel very blessed to be able to accomplish.”

McCann is in his 10^th major league season. The Orioles acquired him from the Mets on Dec. 21, and he’s appeared in 17 games, making 10 starts behind the plate and five as the designated hitter.

* González was the substitute manager last night, and a 2-0 victory goes on Brandon Hyde’s career record. González’s last game in charge was May 16, 2016 with the Braves.

Outfielder Anthony Santander didn’t know about the change yesterday until a reporter mentioned it. He was busy with some early hitting.

“He’s a guy who has a lot of experience in the business,” Santander said. “He’s been doing this for a long time. He gives us a lot of confidence and he really pays attention to the small details of baseball. I’m happy that he has the opportunity to manage. Good for him.”

González was hired as a major league coach before the 2020 season and became bench coach in 2022. He managed the Marlins for four seasons and the Braves for six.

“He’s got so many years of experience and it almost seems like he’s seen everything,” said first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. “He definitely knows what he’s doing when it comes to management. He’s going to have fun with it today. He’s a great coach, great guy to be around.”

Outfielder Ryan McKenna said González’s value to the team is “immense.”

“The knowledge that he brings from the experiences that he’s had, for one, is hugely impactful for all those little situations that come up during a game,” McKenna said.

“Hyder does a great job of executing those, but I think there’s a lot of back and forth and a lot of conversations that are had with Fredi. I think he keeps it light in the dugout and in the clubhouse, too. He’s a great personality to have around. With the knowledge, he’s really in tune with doing the little things right. He’s always bringing up situations that we can learn from as young players. And even as we get more experience, that’s valuable.”