Mancini endorses Trumbo as coach, news on Trimble injury

Mancini endorses Trumbo as coach, news on Trimble injury
The hitting voices in Trey Mancini's head are changing again. The Orioles didn't retain coach Don Long after three seasons. Long had replaced Scott Coolbaugh, who was hired in December 2014 and lasted four seasons. Assistant hitting coach José Hernández is moving into a new role on manager Brandon Hyde's staff. The shuffling has led to the Orioles hiring co-hitting coaches, bringing Ryan Fuller from Double-A Bowie and going outside the organization for Matt Borgschulte. Mancini has...

Mancini's friendship with Trumbo leads them back to baseball

Mancini's friendship with Trumbo leads them back to baseball
The friendship began to evolve on the back fields at the spring training complex. Two first basemen taking ground balls during workouts, their careers in vastly different phases. One of them a mentor, acquired for his power at the plate and influence inside the clubhouse, the other an eager young prospect. Mark Trumbo had joined his fourth organization since his major league debut six years earlier, with the Orioles sending catcher Steve Clevenger to the Mariners in a Dec. 2, 2015 trade. Trumbo...

Hays on Mancini's comeback and new hitting coaches

Hays on Mancini's comeback and new hitting coaches
In those sporadic moments when I envision Trey Mancini helping to prepare Thanksgiving dinner, which I'm only assuming is an actual thing, I imagine him reaching inside the turkey for the giblets and pulling out another Comeback Player of the Year Award. There's always room for fourths. The Sporting News, Major League Baseball Players Association and beat writers at MLB.com chose Mancini in separate balloting, and it couldn't have been close. It shouldn't have been close. "I know he had my...

Orioles promote Fuller and hire Borgschulte as hitting coaches

Orioles promote Fuller and hire Borgschulte as hitting coaches
The Orioles made two hires this afternoon to fill out their coaching staff in 2022. Ryan Fuller has been promoted from Double-A and joins Matt Borgschulte, summoned from the Twins organization, to serve as co-hitting coaches. Fuller was the Baysox's hitting coach and full-season hitting coordinator. Borgschulte worked as hitting coach with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. The duo replaces Don Long, who was informed after the season that he wouldn't return. As reported earlier this month,...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The removal of Don Long as hitting coach yesterday will lead the Orioles to their latest set of offseason interviews. With candidates tabbed inside and outside the organization. The first step was informing Long of the decision, followed by the compiling of a list of names that won't be rushed. Tim Gibbons could get consideration after completing his first season as Triple-A Norfolk hitting coach. The Orioles aren't afraid to venture outside the box and Gibbons has performed these duties for...

Orioles replacing Don Long as hitting coach

Orioles replacing Don Long as hitting coach
The first day of the Orioles' offseason is bringing changes to the major league coaching staff. Hitting coach Don Long will not return in 2022 and assistant hitting coach José Hernández will switch to a different role on the staff, according to a source. The club will open a hiring process for both jobs that likely is going to consider both internal and external candidates, which has been the case in past years. The other coaches serving under manager Brandon Hyde are expected to return...

Speedster Mullins runaway winner of MVO award (updated)

Speedster Mullins runaway winner of MVO award (updated)
Each year that the Most Valuable Oriole is announced, I harken back to one of the best quotes ever delivered on this beat. Outfielder B.J. Surhoff played 162 games in 1999, amassed 207 hits to go along with a .308 average, .347 on-base percentage, 38 doubles, 28 home runs and 107 RBIs on a sub-.500 team and earned the award. The media approached the dour Surhoff at his locker to seek his reaction, as it normally did in pre-Zoom times. He turned to us and said, "I know why you guys picked me....

Long on hitters: "We've had a lot of room to grow"

Long on hitters: "We've had a lot of room to grow"
Because the terms of manager Brandon Hyde's contract with the Orioles weren't shared with the public - and that does include the media, even if some of us shouldn't be allowed to mingle - it's more of an assumption than solid confirmation that his three-year deal includes an option for the 2022 season. The expectation is that he's returning, though nothing official has come across. The outlook is more uncertain for the coaching staff, which routinely seems to undergo changes. Doug Brocail...

Notes on Mancini, Severino, Means, Mullins, Mountcastle and more

Notes on Mancini, Severino, Means, Mullins, Mountcastle and more
Trey Mancini was written into today's lineup as the designated hitter, but he swung in the cage, felt more discomfort in his right oblique/abdomen and moved to the bench for the game. "Just still feels it a little bit," said manager Brandon Hyde. "We're not going to push him on this and the right thing to do is to give it another day or two and just kind of evaluate it every single day. I'm not going to throw him out there if he still feels it a little bit in kind of a sensitive area...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The month of April gave left-hander Zac Lowther his first introduction to the majors with a surprise call-up and his scoreless ninth inning on April 25. Optioned back to the alternate training site, he rejoined the Orioles as a member of their taxi squad for the West Coast trip that resumes tonight in Seattle. Good times for the pitcher MLBPipeline.com deems the No. 11 prospect in the organization. The only downside to placing him on the taxi squad was his inability to start Triple-A Norfolk's...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
Not only has Orioles hitting coach Don Long noticed, along with everyone else, the spike in offensive production from center fielder Cedric Mullins, he's also enjoyed the changes that aren't evident in box scores. "I was really proud of him last year for his personality emerging," Long said yesterday on his Zoom call with the media. "The first year that he was here, kind of getting to know him, he was fairly quiet. He's not a real boisterous guy anyway, but you could see his personality...

Long talks about Mancini and Mountcastle working through slumps

Long talks about Mancini and Mountcastle working through slumps
The offensive spurts that hinted at breakthroughs for Trey Mancini were mere teasers until a few weeks ago. Until a four-strikeout game in Texas and more conversations with Orioles hitting coach Don Long. It wasn't one day or just a few words that lifted Mancini. They watched video again on Wednesday, studying his at-bats from 2019. And they kept talking. Mancini has hits in nine of his last 11 games and he's reached base safely in seven straight. He's collected 10 hits in 26 at-bats (.385)...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The Orioles get Austin Hays back on the roster yesterday and lose Anthony Santander a few hours later. Two players just trying to make it through a season healthy. Neither injury is regarded as serious. Hays had a mild right hamstring strain, Santander sprained his left ankle. Hays knew he'd go on the injured list, but wouldn't miss much time. Santander had to be carried off the field, which suggested a possible break or torn tendon. A sprain is cause for celebration. Especially after X-rays...

O's hitting coach Long on Mountcastle and Hays

O's hitting coach Long on Mountcastle and Hays
Are there any hitters in Orioles camp that have had better springs than young outfielders Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle? That is a pretty easy answer. No, there really isn't anyone else. Hays is batting .404/.440/.723 with four doubles, a triple, three homers, 12 RBIs and an OPS of 1.163. Mountcastle is batting .261/.271/.630 with five doubles, four homers and 13 RBIs along with an OPS of .901. Mountcastle's stats took a hit last night when he went 0-for-4, but he produced outs against...

Long on McKenna: "He impressed me"

Long on McKenna: "He impressed me"
The optioning and reassignment of players to Twin Lakes Park is done only to reduce the camp roster. They aren't confined to the complex as if surrounded by an electrical fence. The Orioles have the freedom to play them in Grapefruit League games. Out of sight on occasion, for sure, but not banned from the site. They are still able to remain visible and fresh in the minds of the evaluators on the Ed Smith side of spring training. The last round of cuts on March 16 removed infielders Rylan...

Mullins switching to left-handed side sends right message

Mullins switching to left-handed side sends right message
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde could be dropping hints about his opening day lineup with some of the recent versions posted for exhibition games. Though the usual warning is attached about never reading too much into a lineup. That warning softens as the weeks melt in the Florida heat. Hyde keeps finding ways to start Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays in the same outfield. Hays relocates to left or right, and the early narrative about a center field competition or platoon also turns into a...

Wrapping up Orioles' 6-5 loss to Pirates

Wrapping up Orioles' 6-5 loss to Pirates
John Means got his work in today. His arm is healthy. The opening day assignment is waiting for him. The rest are just details. Means threw 82 pitches in 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates at LECOM Park in Bradenton. He walked the leadoff batter in each of the last three innings. He struck out the last two that he faced. He's ready. "I feel like I'm ready to go," he said in his Zoom call. "Feel like my body is there. I'm recovering well. Yeah, I feel pretty...

Orioles lineup vs. Pirates

Orioles lineup vs. Pirates
Rio Ruiz is playing third base this afternoon and manager Brandon Hyde has put Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays in the same outfield again, as the Orioles head back to Bradenton to play the Pirates. Mullins is leading off and playing center field and Hays is in right. Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. Third baseman Maikel Franco gets the day off and returns to the lineup on Tuesday. Trey Mancini is the first baseman as he keeps proving that he'll be ready for opening day and an...

Orioles announce 2021 coaching staff

Orioles announce 2021 coaching staff
The Orioles announced their 2021 coaching staff this afternoon, which provided further confirmation that Tony Mansolino is handling third base duties and infield instruction. Mansolino, 38, replaces José Flores, who isn't returning after two seasons in the organization. News of Mansolino's hiring broke last month. He was the Indians' infield instructor and filled in at third base after Mike Sarbaugh moved into the dugout to serve as acting manager Sandy Alomar's bench coach. Mansolino...

Flaherty on Mansolino: "He'll be good, really good"

Flaherty on Mansolino: "He'll be good, really good"
Former Orioles utility player Ryan Flaherty believes that the club made a smart hire in Tony Mansolino, who is replacing José Flores as third base coach and infield instructor. Flaherty has known Mansolino for a long time. They were drafted three years apart from Vanderbilt University and Mansolino managed Flaherty at Triple-A Columbus in the Indians organization in 2019. The Orioles haven't announced the composition of their coaching staff, but a source last week confirmed Mansolino's...