Baltimore Orioles: Derailed early by injuries?

I would submit that April is a supremely important month for the Baltimore Orioles. I say that with wins and losses in mind, but through one specific lense: injuries. You can’t win a division pennant in April. But you sure can lose one.

Mark Trumbo will start the season on the DL. Chris Davis has missed time this spring. Tim Beckham tweaked a groin late this past week. It all adds up.

Davis of course has since returned to the lineup, and there’s a rumor that Beckham’s going to play tomorrow. Trumbo, as I said, will begin the year on the disabled list. So the Orioles are looking at perhaps getting him back mid-way through the month.

But is there a greater story to these injuries? I’d point to Chris Tillman last season, who ended up beginning the season on the DL, only to end up having a lackluster year with the O’s. Could that end up happening again?

And the answer is that the jury’s still out. Plenty of players end up on the DL for various reasons over the course of any season. And they come back and still play great. The key is to catching an injury in time and getting the player the rest and rehab that he needs before returning to the lineup.

And the hope is that the Orioles did just that. Trumbo obviously will be shelved for the first couple of weeks, during which he’ll be rehabbing his injury per the specs given by the Orioles’ training staff. He’ll then go out to a minor league affiliate on a rehab assignment, after which he’ll join the team.

However Beckham and Davis’ injuries weren’t harsh enough to put them on the DL. Will they be ready? Will the injuries re-surface? The Orioles certainly hope not.

The Birds will close out the home portion of their spring schedule this evening at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota against the Minnesota Twins – also their Opening Day opponent next week. Chris Tillman will be on the bump for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Gabriel Moya. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dylan Bundy named Opening Day starter

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter has named an Opening Day starter. And it’s going to be Dylan Bundy. Mind you that Opening Day is only one game. However it’s certainly an honor for Bundy, and one that’s well deserved.

Bundy said that it wasn’t something that he expected, however he’s looking forward to the opportunity (quote courtesy of Britt Ghiroli, mlb.com):

Obviously I’m honored and humbled by it. Very excited. Going to have to control the emotions a little bit and just pitch my game.

Bundy was by far the Birds’ most consistent starter last year, joining the rotation for the first time in his career. He finished the season at 13-9, with an ERA of 4.24. If you look at the spring numbers this year, they indicate that Bundy has struggled – as an example, he has an ERA of 9.00. But Showalter doesn’t pay too much attention to spring stats, and ultimately it’s an honor that Bundy earned.

Tim Beckham left yesterday’s 10-7 victory over Boston after tweaking his groin. Buck Showalter said after the game that it was in essence done as a precaution, however the hope is that Beckham returns before the Orioles even break camp. Which incidentally is Monday morning – following their Grapefruit League finale against Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon in Clearwater.

The Birds of course will stop in Norfolk to play the Tides in a non-Grapefruit League exhibition game on Monday afternoon, and head back to Baltimore after that. Even though you want to continue the momentum of the spring immediately into Opening Day, I think that the couple of days off that they’ll have before Thursday’s opener is a good thing. It allows guys to get settled at home before going back out onto the field. And yes folks, we’re under a week before the opener!

Baltimore Orioles lifted on six run sixth inning over Boston

The Baltimore Orioles didn’t look at first like a team destined to win this afternoon in spring training. Mike Wright struggled in what could have been his final opportunity to wow the coaching staff, and Boston was scoring left and right. Wright’s line: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R (6 earned), 2 BB, 4 K.

The odds of Wright making the roster as a starter weren’t good after the O’s signed Cobb, however he still had/has a shot as a reliever. Now that said, nothing is set in stone as of yet. And in fact, the O’s will need to break camp with a fifth starter penciled in, because Cobb won’t be ready.

Wright surrendered four runs in the second inning to a Boston lineup that seemed ready to play from the opening bell this afternoon. But the O’s got themselves on the board in the last of that second inning on a two-run homer to cut the lead to 4-2. Boston would add a run back in the third, and two more in the fifth. That would end Wright’s day.

However the last of the fifth brought a foreshadowing of the rest of the game. Chance Sisco smacked a two-RBI double that cut the lead to 7-4. Sisco would come up to bat again an inning later, beginning what ended up being the inning that decided the game. His two-RBI double brought the Birds to within 7-6. They would later tie the game on a Santander RBI-single, and take the lead on a fielder’s choice-RBI.

Manny Machado‘s RBI-double and Jonathan Schoop‘s sac fly-RBI would round out the Orioles’ scoring on the afternoon. As lackluster as Wright looked, fans should take promise in the fact that the offense sprang to life in that manner. That’s exactly what the O’s will need to do consistently if they’re going to do anything this season.

Going back to Wright and that fifth rotation spot, they won’t need a fifth starter in theory until the second weekend of the season – Saturday afternoon in New York (due to the off day after Opening Day). That could change depending on the weather, but that’s how it stacks up now. So whomever the “fifth starter” is, might only make one start. It could also end up being a spot start out of the bullpen.

The O’s will remain in Sarasota tomorrow as they take their last turn at the Tampa Rays this spring. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and Tampa is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Another Jonathan Schoop homer in Birds’ loss

Jonathan Schoop should be worried about what happens when the Baltimore Orioles break camp next week. The O’s finish up Grapefruit League play on Sunday afternoon, make a pit stop in Norfolk to play the Tides (a game that does not count towards Grapefruit League standings – for what that’s worth), and then don’t play again until Opening Day at Camden Yards on Thursday. Schoop’s had a great spring; this evening he was 1-for-2 with his fourth home run of spring training. He’s hitting .405…in the games that don’t count.

So the challenge of course is for Schoop to bring that into the regular season. And that gap won’t help – but that’s the challenge of being a professional athlete. With the acquisition of Alex Cobb yesterday, a guy who’s now battling for a bullpen spot is this evening’s starter, Miguel Castro. And his hope is that he can convince the coaching staff that this evening’s results were simply a blip in the radar. Castro’s line: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R (4 earned), 3 BB, 2 K.

Schoop’s aforementioned solo homer gave the O’s a 1-0 lead in the first inning. However that would be the only time during the game that they would lead. In the last of the first Gregorious’ two-RBI single gave New York a 2-1 lead. One inning later Bird would add a two-RBI single, and an additional run would score on an E5 to run the lead to 5-1. (For Castro’s sake and for the sake of clarity in scoring, that fifth run was unearned.)

The O’s would battle back just a bit, however. They’d get to within 5-2 on Danny Valencia‘s sac fly-RBI in the fourth, and Austin Hays would dump a bloop RBI-single in right field to but the lead to 5-3. However in the bottom of that fourth inning Judge would do what he does, and homer (with nobody on base). He would also homer again with two runners on in the last of the eighth. Sandwiched in between those Judge homers was a Luis Sardinas RBI-double. All of this ran the final to 9-4, in favor of New York.

Speaking of the aforementioned Alex Cobb, Buck Showalter confirmed before the game that Cobb won’t start the season in the Orioles’ rotation (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Roger (McDowell) and I are going to sit down with him. He had a pretty whirlwind day today. Roger talked to him a little bit. But we’re going to sit down with him tomorrow and map out the schedule we’re thinking about and get his input and see what he thinks.

Word on the street is that he’ll head to extended spring training after the Birds break camp. From there he’ll accept an assignment to an affiliate so he can get into games. How long he’s in the minors remains to be seen. But the only reason for that is so he can get into game shape. He was signed as a big league pitcher – and that’s where he’ll be.

The Orioles return to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow afternoon for their final turn at bat against the Boston Red Sox this spring. Mike Wright gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Hector Velazquez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Alex Cobb is coming to Baltimore

The Baltimore Orioles finally made their big splash when it comes to free agent pitchers. Alex Cobb‘s deal is signed, sealed, and delivered – pending a physical. That’s always an important part when it comes to the Orioles. (And just to be clear, the Orioles do tend to scrutinize physicals more than do other teams; but the caution of their doctors has also proven to be right over time.) But the O’s aren’t anticipating any issues popping up.

This is an incredibly late signing for sure. But the fact is that lots of free agents are still out there given the inactivity of the league as a whole. Cobb’s deal is for four years and approximately $56 million. Some of that money is also to be deferred. The Orioles tended to not want to offer a deal that long, however the fact is that they got their man.

Cobb does have a minor league option remaining, however due to his amount of service time he has the option of refusing a minor league option. However it’s believed that there’s a clause in the contract whereby he’ll go to the minors for a short period to begin the year. After all, he’s coming in at the very tail end of camp and has to get game ready.

So what does this do to the rotation and the guys already in camp? Needless to say, the likes of Bundy, Gausman, Tillman, and Cashner are going to be starters. Once Cobb takes his spot on the roster, that will even out the five starters. So that means that the work done by the likes of Castro, Cortes, and others thus far in camp is now even more important. They’re battling for spots in the bullpen, which is how that work will be viewed.

Having a starter such as Cobb will also take pressure off of the bullpen, given that they presumably won’t be as taxed in terms of having to work more innings. And that’s a good thing for everyone involved. Does this move put the Birds in a spot whereby they’re guaranteed a division crown? No. But does it make them more competitive and does it put them in the thick of the wild card race (on paper)? I believe that it does.

Baltimore Orioles close to deal with RHP Alex Cobb

This evening’s Baltimore Orioles game vs. Tampa in Sarasota has been rained out – it will not be made up. There are severe thunderstorms and even tornado warnings in the greater Sarasota area. You can check the Orioles’ website for refund information.

But there are bigger fish to fry. Yahoo Sports MLB columnist Jeff Passan reported earlier this afternoon that the O’s were close to a deal with RHP Alex Cobb (formerly of Tampa). The deal is expected to be for three years, $50 million.

Over his six year career in Tampa, Cobb has amassed a 3.50 ERA, and a 48-35 record. He’s also very familiar with pitching in the AL East. Cobb is a veteran, and would be a great signing by the Orioles. He would really solidify their rotation a bit, which is something that the O’s haven’t had for some time.

Just a word of caution to folks – this deal isn’t done yet. We hear that the deal is close. But things could always fall apart. So stay tuned.

The Orioles will make their only camp visit to Tampa to take on the New York Yankees tomorrow. Hunter Harvey gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Luis Cessa. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles win behind a solid Chris Tillman effort

The Baltimore Orioles’ goal in this afternoon’s ballgame was to get a solid effort out of starter Chris Tillman. The Birds got that, and in the process also recorded a win over the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. Tillman’s line: 5.0 IP. 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

And it’s also worth mentioning that Tillman recorded give solid innings against a good Detroit lineup. Perhaps they aren’t what they were a few years ago, but they’re solid and Tillman kept them quiet most of the day (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

That is a good lineup. You definitely have to navigate them the right way. A couple of times there with guys in scoring position and an open base I was trying to pitch around some guys and they ended up getting themselves out. So I like when that happens. Because if I did pitch around them, we’d be talking about walks now.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the second on a Sardinas RBI-ground out, which extended to 2-0 one inning later after Pedro Alvarez‘s RBI-single. Detroit tried to make a game of it by coming to within one run (at 2-1) after an RBI-single. But the O’s weren’t about to be stopped on this day, as they got a two-run fifth inning homer from Jomar Reyes. Detroit would add a run in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough.

Again, wins and losses are still unimportant – for now. That phase of the season ends on Sunday afternoon. However the news of the day was Tillman’s start. Tillman was crisp, and he was effective during his five innings in the game today.

Following Tillman’s previous start, there was concern for his ability and his mindset going into the season. One hopes that some of those questions now abide. Where Tillman ends up in the rotation remains to be seen. But the fact is that the Birds need him to be effective this year, much like he was today.

The Birds will play three night games in this final week, which is good from the standpoint that most of the games during the regular season are at night. It gets the players into a routine of preparing for a night game. For what that’s worth.

The Orioles will return home to Sarasota tomorrow for an evening affair with the Tampa Rays, Nestor Cortes Jr., draws the starting assignment for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Late Danny Valencia homer can’t lift Birds

Dylan Bundy got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in the final Sunday game in Sarasota. However Bundy struggled in this game against the NY Mets, making one wonder what kind of work he’ll get as we go into the final week of spring games. Bundy’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R (4 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

Bundy was hitting the strike zone, evidenced by the six strikeouts. However that’s not always a good thing. If you hit too much of the zone, you’re going to get guys on base and more and more potential for runs. In Bundy’s case, the tone was set in the second inning on a D’Arnaud solo homer which gave New York a 1-0 lead. One inning later Nimmo’s RBI-single would run the lead to 2-0, and D’Arnaud would also add a two-RBI double. Before the middle of the third inning, the Orioles trailed 4-0.

However keep in mind that those issues are all fixable in Bundy’s case. And many of them can be attributed to having an off day. I’ve said many times during many other spring trainings that your average starting pitcher will have 30 starts during the season. 10 will be great, 10 poor, and 10 in-between. (And it’s that final category wherein lies the success or failure of your season.)

But the news wasn’t all bad for the Orioles – hardly, in fact. They got Chris Davis back in the lineup, and the team is saying that he should be ready for Opening Day. And Davis celebrated his return to the lineup by smacking an RBI-single in the last of the third to get the Orioles on the board. However that was all that either team put across until the sixth when New York got an additional run, which ended up being an insurance run.

And keep in mind that insurance runs in baseball are very important. We’ve seen it in the past, and we saw it today. So the Orioles should be wary of that, given the fact that the line between winning and losing can be so fine. 4-1 isn’t a blowout by any means; so in games where you have a score like that, don’t allow the opponent to tack on a cheap run in later innings. Because again, the line between winning and losing is very fine.

Engelb Vielma‘s RBI-single in the last of the eighth brought the O’s to within 5-2. However Danny Valencia followed suit with a two-run homer that brought them to the brink of tying the game. However the game ended in the last of the ninth with the tying run on third. And again, that’s why those insurance runs can be so important.

The Orioles will open the final week of camp on the road tomorrow in Lakeland against Detroit. Chris Tillman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Michael Fulmer. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones homers in Birds’ loss

The Baltimore Orioles knew that they weren’t going to keep winning games that don’t count forever. And eventually, they were going to drop one. They came into today’s game with Toronto having not lost in eight games. But with Mike Wright getting the start this afternoon, that streak came to an end. Wright’s line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI-single by Espinoza. However one inning later the Orioles had tied the score. Adam Jones smacked his second spring homer to knot things up at 1-1. Jones has said that he’s ready for Opening Day right now, and his hitting of late has indicated that he isn’t kidding.

The promising thing about Jones and others right now is that they started off the spring struggling at the plate. And lots of people conveniently forget that pitchers are usually a week ahead of catchers in the beginning of camp. But once everyone catches up and is on the same page, guys start getting into pitches and the ball starts flying out of the ballpark. That’s happening with Jones and others right now.

However Toronto would get a two-RBI triple from Fields, and s fielder’s choice-RBI from Diaz in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. And they didn’t look back from there. They also got an RBI-groundout from Berti in the ninth. While the Birds closed to 5-2 in the last of the ninth on a Presley RBI-single, it wouldn’t be enough to salvage a win against their AL East rivals.

Wright hardly struggled during his 4.2 innings, however he wasn’t as crisp as the Orioles would have liked. We’re now going into potentially the most important part of camp – the end of it. Time is passing, and many guys will be getting their final looks this coming week in Grapefruit League play. Where anyone stands now or at any point remains to be seen. But we’re grinding towards crunch time.

And the Orioles are home in Sarasota in the final week more often than they’re on the road. That means that guys might have more of a look than they otherwise would have. It’s worth mentioning, there are still unsigned veterans looking for deals as camps wind up.

The O’s will remain in Sarasota tomorrow as the New York Mets come to Ed Smith Stadium. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Noah Syndergaard. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ Mark Trumbo to begin 2018 on the DL

The Baltimore Orioles received some bad news yesterday regarding OF/DH Mark Trumbo. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 right quad strain. Trumbo had missed some time, and returned to the lineup on Wednesday but felt discomfort. This is expected to sideline Trumbo for 3-4 weeks, meaning he’ll begin the season on the DL.

So what does this do to the Orioles’ roster and lineup? For starters, Pedro Alvarez might well begin the season with the team. That’s not set in stone obviously, however it’s a possibility. It could also open up a roster spot for the Birds in terms of keeping one of their three Rule 5 players. All of that remains to be seen.

The broader question however is what does this do to the Orioles moving forward? Having someone on the DL isn’t ideal, but will Trumbo be as productive as he could have been this year? Is this something that will linger throughout the year? These are all questions that face the Orioles going into the regular season.

Next week begins the final week of Grapefruit League play, culminating next Sunday afternoon in Clearwater against Philadelphia. The Birds have been “on the road” a lot this past week, however they’ll be in Sarasota more often next week. They’ll play road games against Detroit on Monday, and New York on Wednesday night. And the aforementioned spring finale against Philadelphia on Sunday.

The Orioles’ final home game at Ed Smith Stadium for the season is next Saturday night (March 24th) against Minnesota. It’s also fireworks night, and the fans and the team will be treated to a fireworks display immediately following the game. And then comes the turn north, as the Birds break camp and come home to Baltimore to get ready for Opening Day.