With the Orioles now in the last full week of spring training, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. With Brandon Hyde calling Gunnar Henderson “a ways away” from playing in spring games despite resuming baseball activity recently, an Opening Day return looks increasingly doubtful. Being careful with a ribcage muscle is smart, but you wonder if Henderson’s going to need some rehab games with Norfolk at this point.
2. Grayson Rodriguez is scheduled to play catch Tuesday. That he’s essentially starting spring training all over again less than two weeks after his last start makes it difficult to know what to make of his health or how quickly he’ll be ready to return even if all goes to plan.
3. Even if Rodriguez were healthy, Zach Eflin was the favorite to start the opener as a veteran, and he’ll face off against Toronto’s Jose Berrios for a second straight Opening Day. Kudos to the Orioles for creating a cool moment for Eflin and his family in revealing the news.
4. Spring stats always prompt overreaction, but we’ve reached the late point where some positive results would definitely benefit those who haven’t fared particularly well. Seranthony Dominguez, Dean Kremer, Cedric Mullins, and Ryan O’Hearn are among those who could use a final-week boost.
5. Meanwhile, Adley Rutschman has done all he can to put last year’s second half behind him. With Henderson’s status in doubt for the time being, the Baltimore lineup needs its All-Star catcher to roll over his excellent Grapefruit League into the regular season.
6. A telling sign regarding Henderson has been Jackson Holliday making four starts at shortstop over the last week. Considering he’s still mastering second base, I’d see little sense moving him to short unless it weren’t already a foregone conclusion that Henderson will miss some regular-season time.
8
7. Jorge Mateo made his Grapefruit League debut Sunday, but he hasn’t played in games since injuring his left elbow last July. That’s why Hyde reiterated it’s doubtful that he’ll be ready for Opening Day. We’re talking about someone coming off a much longer layoff from baseball than a few weeks.
8. Though we still don’t know what to expect from a 35-year-old who’s never pitched in the majors, Tomoyuki Sugano tossing 10 1/3 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts sure beats the alternative. Even with a future trade, this starting rotation is really going to need a pleasant surprise or two.
9. With Albert Suarez looking sharp over his last three outings, he’s probably the favorite to be the No. 5 starter. But are you then sliding Cade Povich into a long relief role or keeping him on a starter’s schedule as the inevitable next man up at Norfolk?
10. Swinging the bat very well, Ryan Mountcastle should benefit as much as anyone from the shorter left-field wall at Camden Yards, but he hit fewer home runs on the road than at home the last three seasons. This is a big year for a 28-year-old whose career has mostly plateaued.
11. Eyes will remain on Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo at Norfolk. Basallo has turned heads with a bat that could land him in the majors later this year while Mayo has fared better after a rough start. At the very least, you want to keep Mayo’s trade value high.
12. Five years after being diagnosed with colon cancer and a year after it looked like his career was over, Trey Mancini is batting .440 in the Cactus League — which included a walk-off homer over the weekend — and doing all he can to make Arizona’s Opening Day roster. Awesome stuff.
