Do the Red Sox count as a soft portion of the schedule?

They were a last-place team but with a record above .500 upon arriving in Baltimore. They began the season by winning a series against the Orioles. They led the majors with nine comeback victories.

The Orioles claimed their eighth tonight.  

Austin Hays delivered a tie-breaking single in the fifth inning and threw out a runner at third base in the sixth, and four relievers protected a slim lead in the Orioles' 5-4 victory before an announced crowd of 11,811.

The Orioles have won seven games in a row and 11 of 13, and they improved to 15-7.

Orioles reliever Dillon Tate said this morning that he’ll probably need five or six appearances on his injury rehab assignment before he’s ready to be activated and make his 2023 debut.

Tate is joining high Single-A Aberdeen on Tuesday in Wilmington, Delaware, the newest test to determine whether he’s fully recovered from the right elbow flexor strain that ruined his plans to pitch in the World Baseball Classic and be introduced at Fenway Park on Opening Day.

“Physically, I’m basically there, and it will be a few more days before I’m back,” he said. “I’m excited, ready to go.”

Tate will be used on back-to-back days toward the end of his assignment as a final hurdle to leaving the injured list.

“See where things stack up,” he said, “and after that, be ready to go.”

A late scratch from last night’s lineup, shortstop Jorge Mateo is starting this afternoon’s series finale against the Tigers at Camden Yards with no rain in the forecast.

Manager Brandon Hyde reconsidered yesterday with rain falling throughout the day, worried that Mateo might reinjure his right hip. Mateo, who hasn’t played since leaving Wednesday’s game in D.C., was on the field before 10 a.m. with head athletic trainer Brian Ebel to do some light running and side-to-side drills.

He must have passed the tests.

Cedric Mullins is batting ninth again today, with Austin Hays in the leadoff spot. Ramón Urías, who had a three-run double last night and later was ejected from the game, is batting cleanup and playing second base.

Gunnar Henderson is at third base and Ryan McKenna is the right fielder. Anthony Santander goes to the bench.

WASHINGTON – Orioles infielder Ramón Urías, who was hit in the left side of his head Saturday by a 96.2 mph pitch, is no longer in concussion protocol. He is not starting tonight, but could play in the series opener against the Washington Nationals.

“He’s cleared everything and that’s unbelievable,” said manager Brandon Hyde before today’s game. “From what that looked like and how that sounded. Such a scary moment. Passed all the tests, wants to be in there and is ready to go. I just want to make sure he feels right and he says he does. I won’t hesitate to use him off the bench, in a pinch-hitting moment or for defense late.”

The Orioles have still not announced a starter for Wednesday’s game. Right-hander Kyle Bradish is eligible to come off the injured list tomorrow and still seems likely to get that start.

“We need a starter tomorrow and we’re going to see what our options are after the game today,” said Hyde.

Hyde said "no" when asked if the Orioles would use a current starter out of the bullpen. 

CHICAGO – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said infielder Ramón Urías is much better today after being hit on the left side of his head yesterday by a 96.2 mph sinker.

Urías is in concussion protocol, but the club is waiting on a roster decision.

“It’s a head contusion,” Hyde said. “We’re still doing some further testing, but woke up feeling a lot better, and we feel great about that.”

The ball nailed Urías behind the ear and sent him sprawling to the dirt. He was able to walk off the field under his own power with Hyde and assistant athletic trainer Mark Shires.

“He’s got a pretty big bruise and welt,” Hyde said.

CHICAGO – Orioles infielder Ramón Urías remains in concussion protocol, making him off-limits to the media. He was in the clubhouse this morning, but he’s out of the lineup for the series finale against the White Sox in rainy and windy Chicago.

There’s no sign of infielder Joey Ortiz or a roster move. The Orioles could wait through Monday’s off-day to make their decision.

Manager Brandon Hyde will provide more information during his media session.

Gunnar Henderson is the third baseman today and Adam Frazier is playing second base. Terrin Vavra is in right field.

Anthony Santander is serving as the designated hitter.

CHICAGO – The Orioles could be on the verge of making another roster move.

Infielder Joey Ortiz was in Triple-A Norfolk’s lineup last night as the shortstop and cleanup hitter in Nashville, but the Orioles had him removed as a precaution while infielder Ramón Urías remains in concussion protocol and is assessed by doctors.

Ortiz is on the 40-man roster and a logical replacement if Urías, who has a .388 on-base percentage in 13 games, goes on the seven-day injured list. The organization’s No. 7 prospect might be making his major league debut at some point.

Not the way that the Orioles wanted it to happen.

Urías was drilled on the left side of the head by Kendall Graveman, who lost control of a 96.2 mph sinker. It takes guts to stand at the plate against the White Sox, who have walked 19 batters in the series and clearly are at a loss to command the baseball.

BOSTON – The Orioles used six leadoff hitters over the course of last season, with Cedric Mullins getting the vast majority of the starts.

Manager Brandon Hyde already has used two this year and the Orioles are two games into their schedule.

Mullins moves down to eighth today against Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale, and Ramón Urías rises to the top of the order for the first time in his major league career.

“We’re facing a really tough starting pitcher in Chris Sale, so we try to get as many right-handers in there as possible, give yourself the best opportunity,” Hyde said. “It’s a very unique arm angle the way he throws, his delivery, and he’s really good, with great stuff.

“We just saw him a couple weeks ago, thought we took pretty good at-bats against him in spring training, and hope we can do that again today.”

BOSTON – The Orioles can’t just sit on their 1.000 winning percentage as if it’s a papasan shaped like their loss total in 2023. They’ll have to play another game. Maybe the rain gods will get their own off-day, or we’ll have to wait a little longer. But it’s happening.

The beauty of yesterday’s prearranged break is it allows fans, though eager for an immediate follow up, to reflect a little more on Opening Day. To savor the sensation of a 10-9 win and catcher Adley Rutschman’s historic performance.

Rutschman soaked up a spotlight that he didn’t pursue. He kept trying to step aside of it while staying in the MASN camera frame. Happy for the win. The most important thing. Don’t lose sight of it within the glare of a 5-for-5 day that included a home run and walk.

Guilty as charged. He was the main story. But let’s explore a few other nuggets from Thursday afternoon. They’ve been kept on ice, which seems right with a game time temperature of 38 degrees.

(OK, that’s above freezing, but don’t overthink it.)

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles play their last spring road game tonight, with Tyler Wells starting against the Pirates in Bradenton and Ramón Urías hoping to stay in the lineup after twice being scratched with a bruised right thumb.

Urías is starting at second base and batting second behind third baseman Terrin Vavra.

“I feel like I’m good to go,” he said this afternoon.

Urías tested the hand yesterday by hitting in the cage and taking ground balls.

“Whenever I threw the baseball and it hit my fingers, it was still too sensitive,” he said. “I shouldn’t have an issue tonight.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Ramón Urías led off the second inning today by drawing a walk against Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Nothing special except that he was the only Orioles baserunner until one out in the ninth.

The club was being no-hit by seven pitchers in a game that didn’t count. Let the debate rage on whether it made a sound.

Lewin Díaz killed whatever drama was building by lining a single into right field off Hayden Juenger. He scored with two outs on Heston Kjerstad’s single into right-center. Kjerstad moved to second on an error but Josh Lester flied out.

The 2-1 loss was played in 2 hours and 20 minutes. The pitch clock can’t take all the credit.

Toronto was held to one run until Phil Clarke led off the eighth with a homer off Kyle Dowdy. Colton Cowser attempted a leaping catch at the fence, slammed into it and came down without the ball.  

SARASOTA, Fla. – Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann broke camp last spring as the Orioles’ fourth starter, lining up the Baltimore native to pitch in the home opener. Couldn’t have worked out better for him.

Zimmermann tossed four scoreless innings against the Brewers and five more against the Yankees. A quality start followed with two earned runs allowed in Anaheim.

Couldn’t have worked out much better for the Orioles.

The ERA and home run total began to climb, and the Orioles optioned Zimmermann to Triple-A Norfolk on June 16 after he allowed six runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings in Toronto.

Zimmermann worked one relief inning on July 9 and started Game 2 of a Sept. 5 doubleheader, when the Jays inflicted more damage with five runs – including three homers to give him 21 for the season – over six innings.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The opening day roster projections in Orioles camp took a huge hit before players filtered onto the back fields for the first workout with pitchers and catchers.

Reliever Dillon Tate will begin the season on the injured list after straining his right flexor/forearm in November. The explanation for why he isn’t pitching in the World Baseball Classic.

Closer Félix Bautista is questionable for opening day because he’s been rehabbing his left knee all winter and immersed in a strengthening program for his right shoulder, which will keep him out of games until later in spring training.

Left-hander DL Hall also is going to be slow-played in camp after experiencing lower right lumbar discomfort about three weeks ago.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias began this morning’s media session by listing the injuries and trying to offer projections on time missed.

Report day has arrived for Orioles pitchers and catchers. No media access until Thursday morning, but spring training is underway.

Players are taking their physicals, a process that probably started earlier with the group that beat the deadline. The first official workout is Thursday but the fields and cages aren’t off-limits.

John Means said his first half-mound session is Monday, so we’ll have to wait.

I can’t wait for the next person to ask, “So, when do you leave for spring break?”

Let me put this as succinctly as possible, and in the spirit intended. It is not spring break. I am not chugging beers through a funnel and dancing on the beach at Siesta Key.

We are now a little over three weeks away from the start of the fifth World Baseball Classic. The now expanded to 20-nation tourney begins with four pools of five teams each playing games in Taiwan, Tokyo, Phoenix and Miami.

Team USA will play in Pool C at Chase Field in Phoenix along with Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Great Britain. The two top teams in each of the four pools advance to the quarterfinals and play is then single-elimination, one and done, from that point on. The semi-finals are March 19-20 in Miami with the championship game set for March 21.

Here are past winners:

2006 – Japan

2009 – Japan

So close to the start of spring training, so insecure about how much I’m willing to guarantee about the 2023 Orioles.

They won’t move out of Baltimore during the season. Bet the house on it.

They won’t change managers. They won’t change mascots. They won’t change Boog’s BBQ into a vegan concession stand.

But what about the team itself prior to opening day? Here are a dozen:

Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin are locks for the rotation.
One signed for $10 million and the other came in a trade that cost infield prospect Darell Hernaiz and is a needed left-hander. Gibson could be the opening day starter in Boston if the Orioles want a right-hander at Fenway Park. The Orioles expect Grayson Rodriguez to break camp in the rotation. They are openly rooting for it. But I can’t issue an absolute guarantee. At least, not at the Gibson/Irvin level.

O’s catcher Adley Rutschman said the fans at Birdland Caravan this weekend brought “an energy and a buzz” that was great for the players to see. The fans might say the same about their catcher.

Rutschman’s 2022 season began with him on the injured list but ended with him on American League MVP lists. He finished 12^th in voting for the MVP after finishing second for AL Rookie of Year.

It was a debut season where his 5.3 fWAR ranked third-best among rookie catchers in MLB history. Mike Piazza was first at 7.4 in 1993 and Carlton Fisk was at 6.6 in 1972. And then Adley. Keeping not good, but great company.

“I mean, it really worked out well,” he said of getting past the strained right triceps that kept him out of the majors until May 21. “I think I was put there for a reason and I went through what I went through for a reason. To be able to have the season I did and be able to see the team progress, the coaches and everyone come together, it was a special, special year.

“My goal is always to be the best version of myself – the best baseball player, the best human. There is always going to be room to improve. That’s the thing about baseball and life, you are always going to have things to improve on. So, in that offseason, work as hard as you can, and we’ll see how this year goes.”

A week remains in the month of January and I’m already seeing mock lineups posted online. They’re built upon a foundation of past orders and current assumptions.

I’ve done it with less.

Cedric Mullins is leading off for the Orioles, and that’s the only certainty on the team. He did it in 141 games last season – the club went 73-68 – and he’ll be missing at the top only if on the bench or perhaps on some occasions when he’s facing a tough left-hander.

Mullins batted .209/.265/.313 against southpaws last season, compared to .279/.340/.441 against right-handers.

Deciding on an actual opening day lineup is harder when the Red Sox haven’t announced their starter. Their rotation candidates include left-handers Chris Sale and James Paxson, and right-handers Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, Corey Kluber and Brayan Bello.

A new top 101 baseball prospects ranking again gives lots of love to the Orioles, with eight players included on the list.

Just not the exact same eight that made Baseball America’s top 100 this week.

Baseball Prospectus also puts infielder Gunnar Henderson at No. 1 while he retains his eligibility. The two publications are in agreement here.

Pitcher Grayson Rodriguez is No. 8, shortstop Jackson Holliday is No. 9, outfielder Colton Cowser is No. 38, third baseman Coby Mayo is No. 69, infielder Jordan Westburg is No. 74, infielder Connor Norby is No. 82, and left-hander DL Hall is No. 95.

Not all lists are created equal, and we have another example of the inexact science.

The offseason is melting away like Frosty. Not quite a puddle, but it’s getting mushier.

(I’m still wondering why Santa Claus left Karen on the roof of her house rather than dropping her off at the front door. She should have demanded to speak with his manager. But I digress …)

The report date for Orioles pitchers and catchers is exactly one month away. A few days earlier for Dillon Tate (Team USA) and Dean Kremer (Team Israel) as they ready for the World Baseball Classic and are marked as absent in camp.

The Orioles already have them pegged for the 26-man roster on opening day. The only concern is how they’ll ramp up earlier than normal, which in theory could make them more vulnerable to an injury. Manager Brandon Hyde will wave goodbye with fingers crossed.

Knowing how close we are to a Sarasota dateline creates another round of camp curiosities, which I’m formulating this weekend between NFL playoff games.