Young returns to the lineup Saturday, and other notes
By Roch Kubatko
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Delmon Young will return to the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Young hasn't started since Monday. Showalter has been using plus-defenders Alejandro De Aza and David Lough in left field.
Lough is in left tonight, with Nelson Cruz again serving as the designated hitter.
The Rays are starting left-hander Drew Smyly on Saturday. Smyly has held left-handed hitters to a .166 average.
Showalter also indicated that first baseman Steve Pearce could be in Saturday's lineup. Pearce took early batting practice and ran today.
"Stevie did well," Showalter said. "Stevie's available. If he gets through today right, I could use him today if I needed to. Probably see him play tomorrow, start tomorrow. We'll see. He's doing good. He passed the last test, so to speak. You're always a little skeptical because there's still that game speed. He didn't feel anything before. It was bothering him a little bit, and during BP and everything that day he didn't feel anything. But he's done everything he can do. He's ready to go."
Showalter didn't say whether Andrew Miller could be used tonight. Miller hasn't pitched since tweaking his left leg Monday at Camden Yards.
"I know talking to Dave (Wallace) and Richie Bancells, we've got an idea about his availability," Showalter said. "I'm not going to broadcast it. We'll see what the game brings."
The Orioles have enough depth on their roster that there's no reason to rush anyone.
"It's like yesterday," Showalter said. "I don't like using Tommy (Hunter) and (Brad) Brach in the same game, but we'll do what it takes to win a game and then worry about tomorrow tomorrow. But there are certain things you think about long-term, too.
"We'll have a little different dynamic out of our 'pen tonight. We've had it the last couple of nights with a couple guys. We've got four or five guys today we're trying to manipulate around if we can, if the game will let us. We'll see. But it's a challenge, but we're not going to rush anybody back. You get a guy like Ryan Webb here, who's had success for us. Evan Meek had probably as good a year as anybody on our pitching staff down there. We added Joe (Saunders) and we've still got some guys capable of doing the job for us."
Showalter clearly wanted to avoid using Darren O'Day yesterday, choosing to have Meek warm up in the eighth inning.
"Darren's one of the guys we're talking about," Showalter said. "We wanted to make sure we've got him with all his bullets before we bring him back into a game. Actually, his workload is down from last year.
"There certainly are some things that we don't talk about all the time with what guys are going through. There's a lot of things during the season that kind of came and went without anybody knowing about it. It's not because we're trying to hide it from you guys, we are trying to hide it from those people because it does change the dynamics of your batting order when you're making it out. I know it does with me. We spend a lot of time trying to look at who might be available and who's not if you look at their previous series or that game.
"Darren should be back out there shortly."
Showalter was asked to define September baseball.
"September inches by," he said. "September is an eternity for most teams, but especially because of the way the rosters are set up in September, it's a whole different game. It would be like coach (John) Harbaugh playing by a whole different set of rules the last month of the season or the last three games. I think what it was designed to do has kind of lost that a little bit, the 40-man call-ups. But it's a different managing game completely. You're just picking your poison."
Showalter is confident that the Orioles picked the right players to bolster their roster before the playoffs.
"We spend a lot of time making sure the people we called up and traded for would fit into the dynamic of what we're trying to do here and what everybody's supposed to bring," he said. "That skill that you bring that we need, we just need to be able to count on it. Quintin Berry knows what he's here for. If he didn't quite completely hear me, believe me, there are some guys who will tell him.
"I don't think anybody wants to upset the apple cart."
I asked Showalter if he knew anything about Cuban right-hander Lazaro Leyva, who agreed to terms with the Orioles pending a physical and confirmation of his age. Showalter wasn't involved in the recruitment of Leyva. He's got enough to do with the major league club.
"I saw (Yoenis) Cespedes the last time I was Cuban-involved," he said. "I went over there and saw him. That was real hard scouting. I went, 'Yeah.' I think we finished second for him.
"I told them that he would hit three, four or five in a major league lineup after a month in the minor leagues, I felt like. Well, I was wrong. He started right from the get-go, so I missed it by a month."
Showalter also indicated that first baseman Steve Pearce could be in Saturday's lineup. Pearce took early batting practice and ran today.
"Stevie did well," Showalter said. "Stevie's available. If he gets through today right, I could use him today if I needed to. Probably see him play tomorrow, start tomorrow. We'll see. He's doing good. He passed the last test, so to speak. You're always a little skeptical because there's still that game speed. He didn't feel anything before. It was bothering him a little bit, and during BP and everything that day he didn't feel anything. But he's done everything he can do. He's ready to go."
Showalter didn't say whether Andrew Miller could be used tonight. Miller hasn't pitched since tweaking his left leg Monday at Camden Yards.
"I know talking to Dave (Wallace) and Richie Bancells, we've got an idea about his availability," Showalter said. "I'm not going to broadcast it. We'll see what the game brings."
The Orioles have enough depth on their roster that there's no reason to rush anyone.
"It's like yesterday," Showalter said. "I don't like using Tommy (Hunter) and (Brad) Brach in the same game, but we'll do what it takes to win a game and then worry about tomorrow tomorrow. But there are certain things you think about long-term, too.
"We'll have a little different dynamic out of our 'pen tonight. We've had it the last couple of nights with a couple guys. We've got four or five guys today we're trying to manipulate around if we can, if the game will let us. We'll see. But it's a challenge, but we're not going to rush anybody back. You get a guy like Ryan Webb here, who's had success for us. Evan Meek had probably as good a year as anybody on our pitching staff down there. We added Joe (Saunders) and we've still got some guys capable of doing the job for us."
Showalter clearly wanted to avoid using Darren O'Day yesterday, choosing to have Meek warm up in the eighth inning.
"Darren's one of the guys we're talking about," Showalter said. "We wanted to make sure we've got him with all his bullets before we bring him back into a game. Actually, his workload is down from last year.
"There certainly are some things that we don't talk about all the time with what guys are going through. There's a lot of things during the season that kind of came and went without anybody knowing about it. It's not because we're trying to hide it from you guys, we are trying to hide it from those people because it does change the dynamics of your batting order when you're making it out. I know it does with me. We spend a lot of time trying to look at who might be available and who's not if you look at their previous series or that game.
"Darren should be back out there shortly."
Showalter was asked to define September baseball.
"September inches by," he said. "September is an eternity for most teams, but especially because of the way the rosters are set up in September, it's a whole different game. It would be like coach (John) Harbaugh playing by a whole different set of rules the last month of the season or the last three games. I think what it was designed to do has kind of lost that a little bit, the 40-man call-ups. But it's a different managing game completely. You're just picking your poison."
Showalter is confident that the Orioles picked the right players to bolster their roster before the playoffs.
"We spend a lot of time making sure the people we called up and traded for would fit into the dynamic of what we're trying to do here and what everybody's supposed to bring," he said. "That skill that you bring that we need, we just need to be able to count on it. Quintin Berry knows what he's here for. If he didn't quite completely hear me, believe me, there are some guys who will tell him.
"I don't think anybody wants to upset the apple cart."
I asked Showalter if he knew anything about Cuban right-hander Lazaro Leyva, who agreed to terms with the Orioles pending a physical and confirmation of his age. Showalter wasn't involved in the recruitment of Leyva. He's got enough to do with the major league club.
"I saw (Yoenis) Cespedes the last time I was Cuban-involved," he said. "I went over there and saw him. That was real hard scouting. I went, 'Yeah.' I think we finished second for him.
"I told them that he would hit three, four or five in a major league lineup after a month in the minor leagues, I felt like. Well, I was wrong. He started right from the get-go, so I missed it by a month."
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