Inviting conversation about non-roster players in spring training

Inviting conversation about non-roster players in spring training
Is it safe to slip into spring training mode? Is it really going to happen, with Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting on Feb. 16 - one day after most or all of the beat crew arrives in Sarasota, Fla.? Multiple reports are feeding us optimism by the ladle. That's nice. But I'll repeat that teams were told back in October to prepare as though camps would open on time and the season would consist of 162 games. We only know that nothing has changed in that regard. No one has been instructed to...

Reviewing recent roster and player pool reconstruction

Reviewing recent roster and player pool reconstruction
The trade that brought right-hander Conner Loeprich to the Orioles organization was announced in the ninth inning of Sunday afternoon's game against the Rays. In the middle of the filing frenzy, when most of the beat crew is rushing to get its stories ready to post after the final out - and hoping that the score and stats don't require a late adjustment. César Valdez was in the process of retiring the side in order for his second save. Leadoff hitter Willy Adames smoked a ball to the...

Notes on roster move, homegrown outfield and Sisco

Notes on roster move, homegrown outfield and Sisco
A late-night roster move following the doubleheader sweep, with the Orioles designating Mason Williams for assignment, illustrates how the club is placing more emphasis on pitching depth rather than the luxury of carrying an extra outfielder. The Orioles didn't make any subtractions from their bullpen. Couldn't really afford to do it. "Especially after a doubleheader and some games in a row here going forward, we definitely need the extra arm," manager Brandon Hyde said in today's Zoom...

Hyde unsure of corresponding roster move

Hyde unsure of corresponding roster move
Alex Cobb is staying with the Orioles beyond today's start, his status as the 29th man more of a procedural move. How the Orioles make room for him on the active roster is going to be decided after the second game tonight. Manager Brandon Hyde could check pitch counts after the doubleheader and gauge the availability of his relievers. Carson Fulmer, claimed off waivers from the Pirates, is out of minor league options. Cole Sulser still had three options when the Orioles claimed him from the...

Akin shines and Stewart busts out of slump in 6-1 win (updated)

Akin shines and Stewart busts out of slump in 6-1 win (updated)
Keegan Akin didn't know the exact date when the Orioles intended to set him free from the alternate camp site and promote him to the majors. He had no idea that his debut in the rotation would happen in Buffalo and in the thick of the trade deadline. And he couldn't anticipate that he'd get into a pitchers' duel this month with Gerrit Cole. One is a rookie making his second start. The other is making $324 million. Akin didn't allow a run tonight through the first three innings. Cole struck...

Santander's season ending due to oblique strain (updated)

Santander's season ending due to oblique strain (updated)
Anthony Santander's season appears to be over after 37 games. A late arrival to summer training camp after testing positive for COVID-19, Santander was enjoying a breakout season until straining an oblique muscle yesterday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Yankees. He's on the injured list, with the Orioles selecting Mason Williams' contract from the alternate camp site in Bowie. Pitcher David Hess apparently has been recalled from the secondary camp. The Orioles still haven't...

Williams and Hess rejoin Orioles

Williams and Hess rejoin Orioles
The Orioles have summoned outfielder Mason Williams and pitcher David Hess from the alternate camp site in Bowie. Williams can only return if he's replacing an injured player, making his arrival likely tied to outfielder Anthony Santander, who left the early game of yesterday's doubleheader with a sore oblique. Santander was undergoing tests earlier today. The 40-man roster had two openings, so no corresponding move would be necessary to accommodate Williams. The Orioles outrighted Williams...

Cobb scratched from today's start and placed on injured list

Cobb scratched from today's start and placed on injured list
Alex Cobb no longer is the starter for the opener of today's doubleheader against the Yankees at Camden Yards. He's on the injured list. No explanation has been provided. Manager Brandon Hyde is going to speak with the media later this afternoon on his Zoom conference call and will announce the substitute starter. The Orioles made a flurry of moves today. They summoned infielder Ramón Urías as the 29th man and selected reliever Branden Kline's contract from the alternate camp site in...

Notes on roster moves, injuries, Phillips, Harvey and more

Notes on roster moves, injuries, Phillips, Harvey and more
The Orioles chose to deepen their bench instead of their bullpen this afternoon by selecting the contract of infielder Dilson Herrera from the alternate camp site in Bowie. Outfielder DJ Stewart was recalled as the replacement for outfielder Mason Williams, who's been designated for assignment. But the arrival of Herrera is tied to Hanser Alberto, who's day-to-day with a sore knee. Alberto jammed the knee on first base yesterday after laying down a sacrifice bunt in the 10th inning. He came...

Orioles roster moves and lineup

Orioles roster moves and lineup
Rather than bring in another reliever this afternoon, the Orioles have selected the contract of infielder Dilson Herrera from the alternate camp site in Bowie, recalled outfielder DJ Stewart and designated outfielder Mason Williams for assignment. The 40-man roster currently has 38 players and the 60-man pool has 57 players. The moves were made following yesterday's trade of reliever Miguel Castro to the Mets for minor league left-hander Kevin Smith and a player to be named later or cash...

Yep, it happened again: O's lose in a walk-off

Yep, it happened again: O's lose in a walk-off
On the day Ryan Mountcastle hit his first two homers, both giving the Orioles the lead, would it be enough to end a four-game losing streak? Mountcastle blasted No. 1 on a 2-2 changeup off Tanner Roark in the second. That gave the O's a 1-0 lead. He hit No. 2 off a Roark fastball with a man on in the sixth. That gave the O's a 4-3 lead. But after Toronto tied it 4-4 in the last of the eighth, the O's had to take the lead again. And they did in the ninth on an infield RBI single up the middle...

Orioles and Blue Jays lineups

Orioles and Blue Jays lineups
Mason Williams is starting in center field today as the Orioles try to break a four-game losing streak. Cedric Mullins is on the bench today in Buffalo. And José Iglesias is the designated hitter, with Andrew Velazquez playing shortstop. Ryan Mountcastle stays in left field. Jorge López is making his first start with the Orioles. Left-handed hitters are slashing .310/.373/.536 against him in 63 career games. López has made three appearances against the Blue Jays and allowed six runs...

Orioles discuss Jackie Robinson Day

Orioles discuss Jackie Robinson Day
Jackie Robinson Day is being formally commemorated today and tonight around Major League Baseball. There will be a focus on Robinson's activism and impact on civil rights in society during and following his playing career. Today's date of Aug. 28 is the anniversary of the March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, which Jackie and Rachel Robinson and their children attended. It is also the date in 1945 when Robinson and Branch Rickey met to discuss his future as a member of the...

Orioles decided not to play following second team meeting

Orioles decided not to play following second team meeting
The initial decision by the Orioles and Rays to play tonight's series finale at Tropicana Field didn't hold. Conversations during batting practice led the Orioles to conduct a second team meeting, with only the players, who later invited manager Brandon Hyde into the room and shared their desire to skip the game. Hyde phoned Rays manager Kevin Cash and the sport had another postponement. And there would be more as the fight to eliminate racial injustice intensified after Sunday's police...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
Pat Valaika sailed his second throw last night, again pulling first baseman Renato Núñez off the bag, and tried hard to exhibit better control of his emotions than he did of the baseball. Valaika removed his cap, exposing the thick blonde hair, and held it in his teeth while staring across the infield. He didn't bite through it, but only because of his restraint. Maybe it kept him from screaming. The frustration was evident. Two throwing errors that impacted Tommy Milone's start and led...

More on Smith's designation and the trade deadline

More on Smith's designation and the trade deadline
The evolution of the Orioles roster has moved Dwight Smith Jr. outside the organization. After Smith was designated for assignment earlier today, the Orioles were able to select Mason Williams' contract from the alternate camp site in Bowie and upgrade defensively in the outfield. "It's a guy that can play three outfield spots, be able to defend, run, obviously the left-handed bat," manager Brandon Hyde said during his Zoom conference call. "I think he offers us some versatility in the...

Dwight Smith Jr. designated for assignment

Dwight Smith Jr. designated for assignment
The Orioles made more changes to their outfield prior to tonight's game. Dwight Smith Jr. has been designated for assignment and the club has selected Mason Williams' contract from the alternate camp site in Bowie. Smith was batting .222/.306/.365 with three doubles and two home runs in 21 games and he experienced a few more lapses in left field. He got a late start in summer training camp based on a positive test for COVID-19 and rushed to make the opening day roster. Smith was 2-for-18 in...

As Santander continues to rake, will rest of O's keep up?

As Santander continues to rake, will rest of O's keep up?
In the big picture, the Orioles are 12-12 to start a 60-game season and contending for a playoff berth. They have shown much improvement on offense and in their bullpen. But in the smaller, most recent slice of the season they've gone 1-5 in six games and contributed to their own demise a couple of times. Baserunning mistakes late in the game Tuesday and in the first inning Wednesday were costly. They went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the first two innings yesterday. They had a...

Alternate camp allowing developmental process to proceed

Alternate camp allowing developmental process to proceed
The gradual dissolving of the 2020 minor league baseball season, a painfully slow execution akin to sporadic drops of water splashed onto a pile of sugar, had the Orioles scrambling to come up with ideas to prevent it from impeding the development of their prospects. Teams set up alternate training camp sites near their home ballparks. Plans were devised to incorporate workouts and games while abiding by rules that prohibited competition with outside clubs. The Orioles had to construct a staff...

Orioles skillfully maneuver 40-man roster

Orioles skillfully maneuver 40-man roster
The Orioles demonstrated yesterday how they're able to do the 40-man roster dance without tripping over their own feet. It was an impressive feat. They had one open spot and a lengthy list of non-roster players competing for jobs, though Stevie Wilkerson dropped out due to a broken finger on his left hand. That's a lot of traffic and the potential for a massive pileup. But utility player Pat Valaika was the lone addition, pretty much winning a job in spring training prior to the shutdown. He...