STARTING ROTATION BECOMING CLEAR
Coming into the season, the Orioles feel confident in their abundance of possible options at starting pitcher, an area the team struggled in last season. The starting five options have been very much in question throughout Spring Training, until Monday, when manager Buck Showalter began to bring the rotation into focus.
On March 31st, in the season opener against the Boston Red Sox in Camden Yards, the Orioles will turn to 2013 All-Star Chris Tillman. Tillman was the staff ace last season, compiling a 16-7 record with a 3.71 ERA over 33 starts as he proved his strong second half to 2012 was no fluke. Tillman will be the team’s fifth different starting pitcher in the last five Opening Days.
Tillman will be followed in game two of the season by the recently-added Ubaldo Jimenez, who the team signed to a 4 year contract earlier this offseason. The defending World Series Champion Red Sox seem likely to counter with veterans Jon Lester and John Lackey respectively.
The final three spots in the rotation have not yet been given out, but the most likely three would be Miguel Gonzalez, Wei-Yin Chen, and Bud Norris. Suk-min Yoon and Johan Santana will not be ready to start the season, Zach Britton seems destined for either a relief role, and the team reportedly would prefer to start the inexperienced Kevin Gausman in the minors.
MACHADO NOT RULING OUT BEING READY BY START OF SEASON
Last week, news broke that third baseman Manny Machado had postponed his scheduled appointment for what was supposed to be the final re-evaluation of his surgically repaired knee. Speculation immediately jumped to Machado likely missing Opening Day, and possibly most of April.
However, Machado does not believe this is the case, as he was asked about March 31st and said, “Maybe. We don’t know yet. Once I start running, I’ll give you a better idea. I was getting close already to start hitting the bases a little harder at this time. I’m physically ready to go, just a little tightness.” (link 2)
Machado may be able to get enough plate appearances to be ready as well, if he is sent to play games in the minor league complex. While there is no timetable for Machado to resume running either, he considers it just another part of the rehab process.
At this point it does seem unlikely that Machado starts on Opening Day, but in the long run it may be for the best to give him as much time as he needs. The Orioles expect to be in the playoff race, and know that if all goes well, the games in September in October may be worth more than the games in April anyway.
HUNTER PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE CLOSER ROLE
The Orioles have been very quiet about who will be the closer in 2014, after creating a void at the position when they traded Jim Johnson to the Oakland Athletics earlier in the offseason, in a move that is widely regarded as a $10 million salary dump. When the team opted out of signing relief pitcher Grant Balfour, the assumption was that the closer would come from within the organization.
The top choice and the likely favorite is right handed pitcher Tommy Hunter. Hunter pitched well in the second half of 2012, and well for the majority of 2013 setting up for Johnson. One big part of closing is the mindset, something Hunter claims to understand heading into the season.
“Baseball is a failing man’s sport,” Hunter said. “And there’s something to learn and take from it every day. You’re going to have to forget what happened the day before, whether it was good or bad, because you’re going to have to go out and perform the next day.”
Hunter’s biggest issue as a reliever thus far in his career has been his susceptibility to giving up the long ball; however he improved in that area in 2013. If Hunter is named the closer, his mindset, and ability to locate his high 90’s fastball could allow him to thrive.
LOUGH NEARING RETURN
Outfielder David Lough did not play as originally scheduled last Friday against the Minnesota Twins and has not played since reporting concussion symptoms, and complaining of neck stiffness. Lough did not know what even triggered the symptoms but was able to remember the day they began.
“I think the inside-the-park-homerun, when we were in Boston, kind of possibly triggered it,” Lough said, per the Baltimore Sun. “We’re not really sure. I made a couple diving catches in the outfield, but after that was when I started getting symptoms.” The Orioles have been insistent in following injury protocol, especially in Spring Training.
Lough was shut down earlier this month for 48 hours to try to relieve the neck stiffness and has now gone through concussion tests and has one more to pass before he can return to games. Lough’s target return date is Thursday evening against Tampa Bay.
Lough is tentatively expected to be the team’s starting left fielder most days in 2014 after coming over in a trade with the Kansas City Royals earlier in the offseason. Lough is regarded as an excellent defensive left fielder, and did finish with rookie of the year consideration last season.
photo: Craig Landefeld
