With two of their stars possibly headed for the IL to start the year, the Birds have six days to figure out how they’ll temporarily replace them.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Spring training has just about run its course. The O’s have only one more game remaining in their spring home digs at Ed Smith Stadium, where they’ll take on the Tigers tonight at 6, with Albert Suárez making one final bid for the fifth starter’s spot. After that, the Orioles hit the road for the final two games in Florida followed by an exhibition at Nationals Park on Monday. Then it’s up to Toronto to prepare for their season-opening four-game set that begins Thursday.
But what will the Orioles’ roster look like for that Blue Jays series? It’s getting murkier by the minute. Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters yesterday that both Gunnar Henderson and Félix Bautista are question marks for the Opening Day roster, with Henderson having missed nearly all of spring training due to an intercostal strain and Bautista still building himself back up from Tommy John surgery.
If both those guys end up being unavailable, even briefly, those are two huge holes for the O’s to have to fill. You can’t capably replace Gunnar Henderson in a lineup, but the Orioles will have to muddle through, possibly by moving Jackson Holliday to short in the interim and installing Ramón Urías into the everyday lineup. It also opens up a roster spot for an extra infielder, perhaps either spring standouts Livan Soto or Vimael Machín, or even Jorge Mateo, who’s working his way back from last year’s elbow surgery.
The Orioles’ bullpen, which was already down a key member in offseason acquisition Andrew Kittredge, will be further exposed if Bautista is deemed unready. The Birds’ options for fill-in closers don’t exactly inspire confidence, especially Seranthony Domínguez, who gave up yet another home run last night and carries a brutal 19.50 spring ERA with five dingers allowed. If Bautista joins Kittredge on the shelf, their two bullpen spots will probably go to Bryan Baker and Matt Bowman, two guys best relegated to middle relief.
The O’s will be tested early. Their first seven games are against AL East opponents — the Jays for four, then the Red Sox for three in Baltimore — so they’ll need to prove they can take care of business against divisional foes, with or without the services of two of their best players.
The vibes aren’t great right now. But in six days, it’s a brand new season and the Birds will be starting from scratch, just like everyone else. If this is going to be their year to finally advance far into the playoffs, they can’t let this early setback torpedo their chances.
Links
Sugano surrenders first spring runs, O’Hearn and Rutschman homer, more notes from Orioles exhibition game (O’s lose 9-7) – Blog
Tomoyuki Sugano was having a fantastic debut spring until last night, when the Yankees roughed him up for five runs. No worries, Tomo. It’s actually pretty clever to get the stinker out of the way when the games don’t count.
MLB American League East preview 2025: Baseball’s powerhouse division is back – The Athletic
The Athletic’s model predicts the Orioles to finish in second place at 85-77, three games behind the Yankees. I don’t know whether I should be outraged or nod in agreement.
Tyler O’Neill excited for Opening Day in native Canada – MLB.com
Tyler O’Neill has the chance to hit a homer on Opening Day for the sixth straight year, and this time in front of his hometown friends and family. I mean, it would be cruel of the baseball gods to NOT let this happen.
Tomoyuki Sugano finishes a strong spring with the Orioles on the mound — and the golf course – The Baltimore Banner
Turns out that Sugano is really good at golf, too. Is there anything he can’t do?
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Two former Orioles were born on March 21: right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis (33) and the late Tommy Davis (b. 1939, d. 2022). Davis joined the O’s just in time for the designated hitter rule to be instituted in the American League, and he made 385 of his 390 Orioles starts as a DH.
On this date in 1988, the Orioles traded Mike Young, who’d been a solid role player for several years, to the Phillies. While Young wasn’t a huge loss, the three players the O’s acquired for him — Keith Hughes, Rick Schu, and Jeff Stone — combined for a -2.2 WAR for the Birds, with each having negative value.
And on this day in 2018, the Orioles made a surprise signing of Alex Cobb, one of the more high-profile starting pitchers on the free agent market. The four-year, $57 million contract was the largest the O’s had ever given to a starting pitcher, and…it did not turn out well. Cobb battled injuries and went 7-22 with a 5.10 ERA in 41 starts for the Birds before they traded him to the Angels in 2021.