Lots of things to get to here before Tuesday’s first pitch.
Chris Davis getting extended rest – First baseman Chris Davis was not in Tuesday’s starting lineup against Boston left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and won’t be in Wednesday’s against lefty Chris Sale. He also wasn’t in the starting lineup twice in the four-game series in Toronto – against one lefty and one right-hander – so Davis will start just twice in a six-game period.
Really, it’s what has to happen.
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Davis isn’t hitting, we all know that. He’s batting a dismal .150 with a .454 on-base-plus-slugging percentage and has struck out 86 times in 207 at-bats this season. The two-time home run champ has four longballs in 2018.
Manager Buck Showalter has tried just about everything – different spots in the lineup, occasional rest, constant playing time – to get Davis going.
Three days off (with Thursday’s team off day) and five in seven days in the next step.
It probably won’t work, but it can’t hurt, I suppose.
Cashner to the disabled list – Orioles right-hander Andrew Cashner was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a lower back strain/spasm that cropped up during last weekend’s series in Toronto. Lefty reliever Donnie Hart was recalled to fill Cashner’s spot on the 25-man roster.
It looks like he will only miss Wednesday’s start against the Boston Red Sox because the DL stint can be backdated to June 9, the day after he started in Toronto. With two offdays coming up, Cashner could be ready to pitch again Tuesday, June 19 at Washington.
So, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.
But it does beg the question:
Who starts Wednesday versus Boston? – Miguel Castro is the easy answer, but Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Yefry Ramirez also was summoned to Baltimore in case he is needed to start Wednesday.
If the Orioles can stay away from using Castro in relief tonight, then expect him to take the mound Wednesday afternoon versus the Red Sox.
Grayson Rodriguez introduced – The Orioles held a news conference Tuesday to announce the signing of first-round pick Grayson Rodriguez, a Texas prep right-hander who was selected 11th overall.
The kid sure looks the part. He’s tall, lanky and had major success in high school. He also said all the right things Tuesday, mixing the proper amount of confidence and reverence. He said he loved his crabcake/seafood dinner in Baltimore and expects to have many more of those meals.
If there was one misstep it’s that he said he’s been compared to several major league pitchers over the years, including Ubaldo Jimenez. Before there was a collective gasp in the air, Rodriguez also said he’s heard Noah Syndergaard comparisons, too.
Veteran recovery from the kid.
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