Rutschman finds the comfort zone and LeBlanc impresses

Rutschman finds the comfort zone and LeBlanc impresses
Catcher Adley Rutschman should be in the midst of his first full minor league season right now, possibly playing at Single-A Frederick or Double-A Bowie. But the baseball shutdown changed all of that. On Friday, he reported to Camden Yards to join the Orioles' 60-man player pool. Stranger things have happened, but it seems unlikely they would use him in a major league game before he's even played above low Single-A ball, but he's back mixing with the big league players again. He was also a...

Martin and Blach to undergo surgery (plus other notes)

Martin and Blach to undergo surgery (plus other notes)
Orioles infielder Richie Martin and pitcher Ty Blach are scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday after suffering injuries last week in summer training camp. The truncated 2020 season will go on without them. Martin is having a procedure to repair a fractured bone in his right wrist. Blach is slated for Tommy John surgery after receiving a second opinion on his sore left elbow. Manager Brandon Hyde said the timetable on Martin's recovery is two to three months. The regular season ends on...

Aiming for a mightier 'pen and other notes

Aiming for a mightier 'pen and other notes
The Orioles have certainly tried to build a better bullpen. Since the end of the 2019 season, they've added some new pitchers, and some holdovers have made changes that they hope will prove significant. Some talented young pitchers such as Hunter Harvey and Dillon Tate, who is injured currently, could be with the team for most of the 2020 season. O's pitching coach Doug Brocail presented Harvey as a closer option during a Zoom interview Sunday morning. No one is committing to the kid in that...

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...

Martin has broken bone in wrist, three spots in rotation appear set

Martin has broken bone in wrist, three spots in rotation appear set
The utility competition in the Orioles' summer training camp no longer includes Richie Martin, who's been lost in an unexpected manner. Martin underwent X-rays yesterday afternoon that revealed a fractured bone in his right wrist, an injury that occurred after he collided with first baseman Chris Davis while diving back into the bag during Friday night's intrasquad game. The former Rule 5 pick held his left hand while walking off the field, the discomfort caused by a torn fingernail and...

Wade LeBlanc throws five scoreless in intrasquad action

Wade LeBlanc throws five scoreless in intrasquad action
Two starting pitchers in line to start the third game of the 2020 season matched up tonight during the Orioles' fourth intrasquad game at Camden Yards. Lefty Wade LeBlanc started for the home team wearing white while right-hander Kohl Stewart took the mound for the visitors in orange. LeBlanc threw a strong game with five scoreless innings and his squad won 3-0 in a six-inning game as Rio Ruiz hit a two-run homer and DJ Stewart, who had two hits, added an RBI double. LeBlanc gave up three hits...

Means: "It was just kind of a surreal moment" (and Puig note)

Means: "It was just kind of a surreal moment" (and Puig note)
John Means insists that he didn't know it was coming. The conversation with manager Brandon Hyde. The confirmation that he'd be the opening day starter on July 24. "I think up until I get told that I'm opening day, I just kind of assumed I was just fighting for a job," Means said this afternoon in a Zoom conference call with the media. Means already has notched his first win. "I kind of like that mentality. I like to keep that back-against-the-wall mentality and just never get...

A few notes on openers, testing and some draft math

A few notes on openers, testing and some draft math
There are a few ways the Orioles could go with their rotation come opening day on July 24. They could have the traditional five-man look or go with a six-man rotation. If pitchers are not built up enough yet, teams can even piggyback starters, where one pitches the first half of the game and another the rest. They could also go with an opener. If they do sometimes use a starter in that role - following a reliever and becoming the so-called bulk pitcher - they have two pitchers with a lot of...

Recapping Day 2 of summer training camp

Recapping Day 2 of summer training camp
The Orioles still don't have a full turnout for their summer training camp, with manager Brandon Hyde saying again this afternoon that a couple of Dominican players remain in the intake process for COVID-19 testing. "We're still waiting on that," Hyde said today in a Zoom conference call. While some teams are confirming positive tests, whether or not they receive permission from players to reveal the names, the Orioles are keeping the process under wraps. Major League Baseball announced...

Hearing from Hyde and LeBlanc on first day of summer training camp

Hearing from Hyde and LeBlanc on first day of summer training camp
The oddity of holding a summer training camp in July at Camden Yards showed itself this afternoon in a variety of ways. More than just the month and location. Starting up again after the coronavirus pandemic shut down baseball in March, the Orioles held their first workout today with Tommy Milone and Thomas Eshelman facing hitters while executive vice president Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde watched from the stands behind home plate. Separated by the tunnel that leads onto 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...

Wondering about free agents and arbitration-eligible players

Wondering about free agents and arbitration-eligible players
With COVID-19 stalling the start of the baseball season until July 23 and 24 and owners tallying the lost revenue, it appears to be a most unfortunate time for a player to be entering free agency. The usual big spenders might be keeping those checkbooks closed. Especially if they find it more difficult to calculate income in 2021. Service time counts in 2020 no matter how many games are played, which inches outfielder Mookie Betts closer to the market entrance. Does it become harder to break...

Orioles getting ready for roster redesign

Orioles getting ready for roster redesign
Among the many details to emerge concerning the 2020 baseball season was the unfreezing of rosters today and the ability of team executives to resume making cuts and potential trades. The Orioles must create a 30-man roster for opening day, which will be held on July 23 or 24. It's reduced to 28 players after two weeks and 26 after four. It was so long ago that fans may have forgotten, but the Orioles had 54 players on their camp roster on March 12 when baseball shut down and everyone became...

Is the DH destined to be done in both leagues?

Is the DH destined to be done in both leagues?
I'm going to be accused of American League bias. I don't care. A universal designated hitter is coming to Major League Baseball in 2020 and 2021. If owners get their way, of course. It's in the proposal - or the agreement, depending on which term you've adopted. There's a sense that the new rule will carry beyond 2021. That pitchers will keep their bats in the rack except for extreme circumstances. Who's shedding tears? The purists who will miss a .050 hitter bunting the ball foul? I'm...

Dealing with baseball's trade deadline

Dealing with baseball's trade deadline
While owners and players keep digging in their heels and the threat remains that the 2020 season is going to be buried, I wonder about its structure if it can be salvaged. I'm waiting for clarification on the taxi squad beyond the expectation that it would hold 20 players. I'm waiting for clarification on the trade deadline. As in, will one exist? Major League Baseball eliminated the Aug. 31 waiver deadline last year. The July 31 deadline could be pushed back due to the season's late start...

Because You Asked - I Want to Believe

Because You Asked - I Want to Believe
Because I've become quite adept at disappointing fans who seek answers from me during the coronavirus pandemic, I'm comfortable opening my latest "mailbag" and also putting the word in quotation marks. With all of the binge-watching that's taking place in households around the world, I'm hoping that you'll happily accept my latest sequel. Try to fit it in between episodes of "Ozark" and "Tiger King." In a related story, I haven't seen either one. I actually thought the latter was a...

Adjustment in Castro's delivery monitored from long distance

Adjustment in Castro's delivery monitored from long distance
The last pitch thrown by Orioles reliever Miguel Castro on March 6 provided evidence that work done on the side, the late tinkering of his delivery, was producing the desired results. But could he keep it going so many miles from the spring training complex? From his home in the Dominican Republic over the past two months? Pitching coach Doug Brocail keeps checking on it while back at his residence in Texas. Again, the video technology that's keeping family and friends connected during the...

More on the baseball stoppage

More on the baseball stoppage
The Orioles would have been wrapping up a three-game series this afternoon in Toronto if the coronavirus pandemic hadn't short-circuited the season. Thirty-six games already would be in the books, assuming there were no postponements. The Orioles would enjoy an off-day Thursday, along with the rest of us, and host the Angels for a weekend series. This is how it's supposed to be playing out. The baseball world stopped spinning on March 12 with spring training camps shut down and players in...

LeBlanc on life at home without baseball

LeBlanc on life at home without baseball
Wade LeBlanc expected to be pitching for a new team this season rather than becoming a stay-at-home dad. He was waiting to be placed on the 40-man roster, bypassing the opt-out date last month in his contract. But he retains status as an invitee to spring training despite the camp's closure and a sports shutdown with no known date to reopen. I've found it interesting how players are maintaining their focus on the season, with the Orioles keeping everyone connected and dispensing information...

LeBlanc: "I just want to play ball"

LeBlanc: "I just want to play ball"
A world that no longer simulates normalcy during the coronavirus pandemic keeps tossing pitcher Wade LeBlanc in directions he couldn't imagine. From a professional standpoint, he settled for a minor league deal with the Orioles on Feb. 3 after the Mariners declined his $5 million option. He made $2.5 million in 2019 and is supposed to earn $800,000 this summer if he's on the club. The bonding process with teammates was interrupted in spring training with the March 12 shutdown. He participates...