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...

Means on injured list and excluded from 30-man roster

Means on injured list and excluded from 30-man roster
The Orioles will begin the long-awaited 2020 season without their No. 1 starter and projected closer. John Means and Hunter Harvey have been placed on the 10-day injured list. Reliever Dillon Tate also is on the IL - with all three assignments backdated to Monday - but outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. has been activated and made the 30-man roster for Friday night's opening game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Manager Brandon Hyde indicated yesterday that Means likely would start against the...

Orioles inching closer to the opener (updated)

Orioles inching closer to the opener (updated)
Today marks the final time in 2020 that we can wonder whether the Orioles actually will make it to opening day without the coronavirus pandemic or any assortment of disasters and traumas again shutting down baseball. The completion of a 60-game season remains a dicey proposition, but the 30-man roster will be turned into Major League Baseball by noon, the Orioles will hold an optional workout and they'll head to Boston for their first opener at Fenway Park since 1966. "I think we're as ready...

Orioles left with 6-4 loss to Nationals in rain-shortened exhibition

Orioles left with 6-4 loss to Nationals in rain-shortened exhibition
WASHINGTON - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde broke out a version of his lineup tonight that could be used against left-handed starters. Not a carbon copy necessarily, but a close reproduction. Dilson Herrera has to earn a spot on the roster and a chance to play left field, but there's preview potential in the final exhibition game. Austin Hays will lead off under any circumstances, as he did tonight against Nationals southpaw Patrick Corbin, but Hanser Alberto moved up from sixth to second in the...

Santander in Orioles lineup vs. Nationals

Santander in Orioles lineup vs. Nationals
Anthony Santander is in the Orioles' exhibition lineup tonight against the Nationals, making the start in right field after reporting to camp last week. Santander was late after testing positive for COVID-19, but the Orioles are optimistic that he can get ready for Friday night's opener in Boston. DJ Stewart is leading off and Cedric Mullins, who homered last night in Philadelphia, is in center field and batting ninth. Austin Hays is out of the lineup after being hit on the left knee last...

Orioles turn up volume on intrasquad game

Orioles turn up volume on intrasquad game
Chris Davis sent a fly ball over the fence in right-center field tonight, a high drive off southpaw Wade LeBlanc in the top of the first inning. Fans could be heard cheering, though none were planted in the seats. DJ Stewart crossed the plate ahead of Davis after his walk and they tapped spikes instead of fists or elbows. Shoes are deemed safe. Davis was introduced by Orioles public address announcer Ryan Wagner and walk-up music played as the first baseman reached the batter's box. The ball...

Orioles practice extra-inning situations in intrasquad

Orioles practice extra-inning situations in intrasquad
If rules are going to change in the 2020 season, the Orioles must keep up by implementing special drills in workouts and intrasquad games. This is a matter of baseball survival beyond staying safe in a pandemic. Beginning with Hunter Harvey in the bottom of the first inning, the Orioles sent a succession of relievers to the mound for the "visitors" and placed a runner on second base to simulate extra innings. Because this team has been known to stretch games beyond regulation. Mason Williams...

Roster reductions out of team's control, Stewart's rotation candidacy

Roster reductions out of team's control, Stewart's rotation candidacy
Camp reductions aren't supposed to happen due to injury. The Orioles would prefer maintaining control of the process, but it keeps slipping from their grasp. Forty-five players in the pool are supposed to be competing for spots on the 30-man roster for opening day. The rest are headed to the alternate camp in Bowie, with the Orioles having the freedom to call upon them. They were counting on Anthony Santander and Dwight Smith Jr. being at Fenway Park for the opener, but the odds keep shrinking...

Orioles' first intrasquad game features home runs by Núñez and Hays

Orioles' first intrasquad game features home runs by Núñez and Hays
Austin Hays led off the top of the first inning tonight with a fly ball to the right field warning track. It bounced. It rolled. No one was around to retrieve it. Mark it down as F-9. Stevie Wilkerson was the only outfielder for the "home" team in the intrasquad game at Camden Yards. He played center field. Flanked by two ghost defenders. DJ Stewart played left field and Hays was in center for the "visiting" team, which settled for a 3-3 tie as the last few innings dissolved into live...

John Means: "I was ready to feel like I was worth something again"

John Means: "I was ready to feel like I was worth something again"
The Orioles haven't named their opening day starter for July 24, an announcement shelved due to baseball's shutdown. John Means was lined up for the assignment and nothing has happened to change the narrative. Means worked four "innings" yesterday while throwing live batting practice, which actually meant dialing down from his home activity. "I think I'm very close," he said today in a Zoom conference call. "Over the quarantine, I had built up to five innings, 75 pitches, but since the...

More on the possible 30-man roster and new rules for 2020

More on the possible 30-man roster and new rules for 2020
The composition of the Orioles' second camp roster is public knowledge. We've been able to identify the first 44 players set to gather later this week at Camden Yards. We're just figuring out exactly what to call it. "Summer camp" and "spring training 2.0" are getting mixed reviews on Twitter. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias used "summer camp" in yesterday's Zoom with the media, so perhaps that makes it acceptable. Put the blame on him if anyone rebels. Also under...

Reviewing the weekend's activity

Reviewing the weekend's activity
The past two days have been productive for the Orioles and media covering the team. An announcement was made Saturday afternoon on the signings of draft picks Jordan Westburg, their Competitive Balance Round A selection and the 30th overall pick, and outfielder Hudson Haskin, their second-rounder and the 39th overall. And yesterday brought confirmation on 44 of the 60 players who will be tossed in the pool for spring training 2.0. More players will be announced later in the week. The Orioles...

More questions surrounding the Orioles in 2020

More questions surrounding the Orioles in 2020
The 2020 baseball schedule in all of its truncated glory may not become public until after the spring training report date of July 1. That would be Wednesday. Not this weekend. Everything is subject to change this year, including access to bars and public beaches. And spring training complexes, of course. But I'm not expecting to know the identity of the Orioles' first opponent and the location of the series for at least a few more days. Camps open Wednesday, but the Orioles' first workout...

More of what we're missing without the majors

More of what we're missing without the majors
The weekend was supposed to conclude another month of baseball, most likely leaving the Orioles at the bottom of the division standings, but we'll never know. We do know what happens when we assume. It isn't about wins and losses in a rebuild, the reminders coming at us like line drives. However, we could have checked on the progress of some important players in the organization. Players who are supposed to be pieces rather than placeholders moving forward. Under normal circumstances, if we...

Spring shutdown left players like Wynns uncertain of status

Spring shutdown left players like Wynns uncertain of status
The spring training shutdown did more than stop the workouts and exhibition games. It also led to the shredding of mock rosters, destroying all of the hard work put into choosing the 26 players who would head north for opening day. If there is a 2020 season, it's going to come with an expansion that might allow teams to carry 30 players and a hefty taxi squad. Those camp competitions that held our interest seem so insignificant under these revisions. The idea of carrying a third catcher seemed...

Wondering who's impacted by expansion to 29-man roster

Wondering who's impacted by expansion to 29-man roster
The competitions for roster spots with the Orioles remain on hold during the coronavirus pandemic. Players are working out at home, a few of them posting clever videos on social media. Small children and pets are coming in handy as alternatives to gym weights. Ever done squats with a German Shepherd draped over your shoulders? These are the dog days of spring. One of the likely adjustments to baseball's season, if it happens in 2020, is inflating the active roster from 26 to 29 players for the...

Reviewing the Orioles' 40-man roster and upcoming decisions

Reviewing the Orioles' 40-man roster and upcoming decisions
While checking eBay to see whether anyone is selling liquid hand soap ... I accepted the challenge on Twitter yesterday of naming five jobs that I held before becoming a sportswriter, and discovered that I couldn't complete the list. I've literally only had five jobs: * "Unskilled labor" for a construction company the summer before college, which I'm certain was suggested by my parents to ensure that I'd go to college. * A clerk at Glen Burnie Bingo on Richie Highway, where I'd often...

Taking an Orioles quiz during the shutdown

Taking an Orioles quiz during the shutdown
With no baseball to be played or watched on a Sunday, what better substitute than a pop quiz on the Orioles? Oh, please, no need to thank me. This is the coronavirus edition. Extra credit awarded for expanding on "none of the above" by making a prediction. The Orioles' fifth starter will be: A. Tommy Milone B. Kohl Stewart C. A player who wasn't in camp D. None of the above The backup catcher will be: A. Chance Sisco B. Austin Wynns C. Bryan Holaday D. None of the above The right fielder on...

Reviewing the roster during the shutdown

Reviewing the roster during the shutdown
The Orioles would have been making the short drive to Bradenton today for a game against the Pirates if spring training had proceeded without interruption. The trip back always takes twice as long because of the traffic, but it's still the easiest one. Many of the competitions are unsettled while baseball takes a long break, but shortstop is set. José Iglesias has the position locked down after signing a one-year deal with an option for 2021. He still holds the key. Iglesias came across as...

Orioles lineup vs. Braves

Orioles lineup vs. Braves
SARASOTA, Fla. - Anthony Santander is making his outfield debut tonight, starting in right against the Braves at Ed Smith Stadium. Austin Hays continues to bat leadoff. Hanser Alberto moves down to seventh. José Iglesias is batting second. Bryan Holaday is catching left-hander Keegan Akin. For the Orioles Austin Hays CF José Iglesias SS Anthony Santander RF Chris Davis 1B Renato Núñez DH Dwight Smith Jr. LF Hanser Alberto 2B Rio Ruiz 3B Bryan Holaday C Keegan Akin LHP