SARASOTA, Fla. - Nick Markakis and Zack Britton have returned to the Orioles – to serve as spring training guest coaches.

They aren’t making a comeback.

Nine former Orioles will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota to instruct the current players:

Scott McGregor – Feb. 12-22
Ben McDonald – Feb. 18-22
Zack Britton – Feb. 18-20
Brian Roberts – Feb. 24-28
J.J. Hardy – Feb. 20-26
Adam Jones – Feb. 24-March 7
Al Bumbry – March 1-5
John Shelby – March 6-10
Nick Markakis – March 6-10

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. isn’t on the list, but he’s expected to make an appearance in camp. Ripken joined the ownership group headed by David Rubinstein.

The trade that brought Eloy Jiménez to the Orioles was celebrated in some Chicago circles. Always injured, not hitting, clogging a roster spot and some payroll space. And the cost for the Orioles was Triple-A left-handed reliever Trey McGough, who never cracked a prospect top 30 list.

“We hope we can get Eloy on a heater,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said that night on the MASN broadcast.

Since he left the Windy City, you could warm your hands over Jiménez, who slashed .240/.297/.345 in 65 games with the White Sox and began last night 16-for-52 (.308) in 17 games with the Orioles. He had their first hit with a leadoff single in the fifth inning.

What gives?

“I think everybody just kind of elevates when they’re around good players,” said Orioles offensive strategy coach Cody Asche. “That’s not to say that Chicago doesn’t have good players, but I think we’ve got really good players. We’ve got a lot of good guys with impeccable work ethics, preparation, so I think he’s just been able to kind of follow the lead of guys like Ced (Mullins), Gunn (Gunnar Henderson), Tony (Santander).

The bond between outfielder Nick Markakis and hitting coach Terry Crowley really began to develop early in the 2006 season.

The former Orioles first-round draft pick was struggling as a rookie. Talk of sending him back to the minors grew louder. Few, if any, signs existed that he’d eventually receive votes for Rookie of the Year.

“The first month and a half I did not feel solidified. That’s when I started working with Crow,” Markakis said yesterday after the Orioles Hall of Fame luncheon.

“We basically started from the bottom. Get a good foundation, get the basics out of the way.”

Crowley had a knack for making a player feel relaxed, to keep the instruction and advice from becoming too complicated or cumbersome.

Oriole first baseman Ryan Mountcastle could play later tonight depending on how he reacts to treatments on his sore wrist.

Mountcastle was removed from last night’s game in the top of the ninth inning. Ryan O’Hearn switched from right field to first base and Austin Slater batted in Mountcastle’s spot in the bottom of the ninth.

Manager Brandon Hyde said afterward that the wrist gradually became more sore after Mountcastle’s slide into second base on a double in the second inning – one of only three hits for the Orioles.

“He’s better today, it’s a little better,” Hyde said. “He’s getting treatment right now. He’s going to get treatment up until game time, so we’ll see if he’s available or not. It got pretty sore as the game went on last night but it’s a little bit better today.”

The offense needs a boost. Mountcastle hasn’t homered since July 29 and he’s batting .225/.257/.310 this month in 19 games but he has hits in 11 of his last 17, including three on Aug. 10 and two on the 13^th, 16^th and 19^th.

CINCINNATI – The Orioles won a much anticipated series with the New York Yankees. They took three of four and they moved into first place.

Could they have a letdown as their latest road trip begins in cloudy Cincinnati tonight?

“Not with this group. I think this group comes to play every day," said manager Brandon Hyde this afternoon. "That being said, this a really good Cincinnati Reds team. They gave us everything we could handle and more last year. They are unbelievably athletic and we’re going to face three outstanding arms on the mound.”

Hyde today said there is no update yet on testing done on right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who recently went on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

“Not yet, no. He’s still just kind of letting everything kind of calm down and we’ll hopefully start him back up here pretty soon,” Hyde said.