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BRADENTON, Florida–What’s happening? Albert Suárez will face Clarke Schmidt when the Orioles play the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa at 1:05 p.m. on Tuesday.
Suárez has allowed eight runs on 13 hits in eight innings in three appearances, striking out three and walking five.
The game will be televised on MASN. Brett Hollander and Ben McDonald have the remote call.
Minor league games begin at Twin Lakes Park on Wednesday. Games are scheduled between then and March 28th. They’ll begin at 1 p.m. with the exception of March 16th and 23rd when they’ll start at 11:30. Twin Lakes, which is about 10 miles from Ed Smith Stadium, will open an hour before gametime.
The Orioles cut eight players from their spring training roster. Left-handed pitcher Luis González and right-handed pitcher Kade Strowd were optioned to minor league camp. Catcher David Bañuelos, left-handed pitcher Raul Alcantara, right-handers Dylan Coleman and Rodolfo Martinez, outfielders Jordyn Adams and Franklin Barreto and infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra were reassigned to minor league camp.
The Orioles have 48 players remaining in camp.
What’s happened? Félix Bautista allowed two runs on three hits in his third appearance since his October 2023 Tommy John surgery in the Orioles’ 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 5,026 at LECOM Park on Monday night.
Bautista struck out two and his fastball touched 98.5 mph but gave up three consecutive hits, a one-out triple by Jared Triolo, an RBI double to Jack Suwinski and a run-scoring single by Bryan Reynolds.
“It felt good to see that,” Bautista said of his increased velocity through a translator. “I feel like every outing, I continue to get better and better. I’m feeling better. My arm’s feeling well, so it’s about to continue to pitch well, and continuing to feel better as we go.”
He threw 24 pitches, 12 strikes, two of which were cutters, a new pitch for him.
“In terms of velocity and things like that, it’s about the same,” Bautista said. “In spring trainings past, I would progressively throw harder and harder, leading up to Opening Day, and I feel like that’s what’s happening now. Once I got to Opening Day, I felt like that’s when the adrenaline would kick in and reach those high velos. I’m hoping now that will continue to be the same.”
In Bautista’s first appearance, he struck out two in a spotless inning against Boston on March 3rd. Last Friday, he allowed a run on two hits, walking one and striking out one against Detroit in Lakeland.
“I feel like I’m still finding myself in some ways,” he said. “Working through it and trying to get to full form and trying to reach that form for Opening Day. Just a matter of working through all of those things and make sure I’m ready.”
Hyde said he thought Bautista “got a little better as the inning went along. Still kind of feeling his way through … We’re watching him closely. The velo ticked up as the inning went along. It’s spring training, and I know he felt great coming off the mound. That’s all that matters right now.”
Jackson Holliday started at shortstop and was 2-for-4. With Gunnar Henderson out with a right intercostal strain, manager Brandon Hyde moved Holliday from second base to short. “Jackson will be playing shortstop periodically over the rest of camp,” Hyde said.
Hyde said that Henderson is improving, and he acknowledged that with Holliday still trying to master second that he had trepitdation about moving him. “We’re feeling really good where he is at second base, but shortstop is his natural position,” Hyde said. “I’m going to move him around to both spots. He’s going to play the majority at second base, but we need to get him looks at shortstop, also.”
Holliday made an error on his first chance when he fielded Andrew McCutchen’s grounder and threw it wide to first base, leading off the second. It was his only chance of the night.
“I think I got a little sped up. Obviously playing shortstop for the first time in a while, you’d like a lot of action to get your feet under you,” Holliday said. “I’m not going to be perfect over there, but I would have liked to make the play, for sure. I would have liked a busier night, but just to get out there is good enough for me. I should make that play every single time.
“Hopefully I don’t have to learn how to play both. Hopefully, Gunnar gets healthy real quick and I just stick over at second until they, need me.”
Holliday is 8-for-27 (.296). Both his fourth-inning double and sixth-inning single were hit to the opposite field. “I feel good. I feel lately I’ve taken really good at-bats ever since I made a little bit more of a hand adjustment,” Holliday said.
Luis De Léon, the Orioles’ 14th-ranked prospect who’s set to pitch in the Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees prospects on Saturday night, allowed one run in two innings.
Hyde hadn’t seen the 21-year-old left-hander pitch.
“I don’t know much about him. I’ve heard really, really good things,” Hyde said. “He has a huge arm. I’ve never seen him throw a baseball. We’ll see what happens.”
Matt Bowman started and allowed one hit, striking out four in 1 2/3 innings.
Samuel Basallo crushed a three-run home run in the fifth. Basallo’s blow, which was his second long one this spring, was conservatively measured at 403 feet.
“I’m not buying that. No chance,” Holliday said of the measurement. “You’re telling me that ball didn’t make the center-field wall? I wouldn’t believe it. That was one of the further home runs I’ve seen, for sure.”
What’s up with? Nick Markakis concluded his first stint as a guest instructor on Monday. Markakis’ duties were fluid, though he did work with the outfielders.
“Pretty much whatever I want to do here. I walk around, get to know the guys, a lot of unfamiliar faces here,” Markakis said. “The organization’s been great. Everything you want to see. You can’t really ask for much more than what they’re doing here.”
Markakis has been impressed with the young outfielders.
“They’re all good, man. All the guys are awesome. I tell people I didn’t know what to expect coming in here, being out of it for a little bit,” he said. “These guys are here to work. They know what they’re capable of doing. It makes it easier to coach a group of guys like this. Uncoachable guys are hard to coach, but these guys listen and pay attention and make it easier for the coaching staff. That’s all you can ask for. Players got to go out there and do the rest.”
What’s what? The Orioles will wear orange jerseys and orange pants for some home games this season. They’ll debut the uniforms, which were worn occasionally in 1971 and 1972 on April 12th. They last wore the uniforms on August 13th, 2010.
The first 15,000 fans on April 12th will receive a Cedric Mullins T-shirt.
What’s the word? “It’s difficult if you make it difficult. These guys know what they’re capable of doing. Tuning out everything else is probably in their best interest. They know what type of team they are. They know what they’re capable of doing. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and putting the product on the field and winning ballgames.”-Markakis on the Orioles dealing with expectations.
What’s the number? 12. The Orioles have 12 non-roster invites remaining in camp: Right-handed pitchers Matt Bowman, Corbin Martin, Levi Stoudt, Thaddeus Ward, infielder/outfielder Nick Gordon, infielders Vimael Machin and Emmanuel Rivera, Livan Soto and Luis Vázquez, catchers Samuel Basallo and Maverick Handley, outfielder Daz Cameron.
What’s the record? 7-8-1. The Orioles will play the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m.