DUNEDIN, Florida—The Orioles brought a lineup without a single player who regularly shared the field with Anthony Santander to TD Ballpark on Thursday. Without traffic, it’s an 80-minute drive from Sarasota to Dunedin, but the presence of Santander made it an unforgettable day.

The always jovial Santander was looking forward to the day, even though Orioles manager Brandon Hyde wasn’t. Santander was one of Hyde’s favorites, and the manager even interrupted a pregame media session wondering why no one had asked about the now former Oriole outfielder.

It’s sometimes painful for Hyde, now in his seventh season, to look back on his early years as Orioles manager, but in 2019, one of his few highlights was watching Santander become a regular.

Along with Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins, Santander established himself as each of them eventually became All-Stars. They played through 2019-2021 when the Orioles suffered two 100-plus loss season and another one that could have been had the pandemic not shortened 2020 to 60 games.

“Those guys got beat up,” Hyde said. “They had some tough couple of years. To watch all those guys persevere through that, Tony especially, take the next step.

“This guy is an All-Star player. This guy is a 40-homer guy, just being way more comfortable in the major leagues and wanting to be that middle-of-the order guy. The professionalism from his first couple of years to the end, that’s what I noticed the most, how he prepared pregame. He kept his body in shape. Everything he could do like a true pro. That was the biggest difference between last year and his first couple of years.”

Santander will wait until Tuesday night when the Blue Jays come to Sarasota, and he can see Mullins, Gunnar Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle and Adley Rutschman.

“They’re in our division,” Hyde said of the Blue Jays. “It’s tough to root for anybody in our division. There’s a lot of people in that clubhouse that love the guy.”

Santander had a huge smile when he saw a group of media members who regularly covered him and he even took a selfie with them. Over the next four weeks, he’ll have several instances to see his former teammates.

On March 27^th, the Orioles are in Toronto to open the 2025 season, and it will be Santander’s first home game with the Blue Jays. On April 11^th, he’ll return to Baltimore for the first time.

“Tony Taters” will undoubtedly receive a warm welcome.

“It’s not going to be fun playing against him,” Hyde said. “They got a quality person and a quality player over there. It’s hard to face him. He’s dangerous from both sides. We know him so well. Hopefully, we pitch well against him.”

Povich’s day: Cade Povich, who started for the Orioles on Thursday, didn’t get to know Santander well but got to face him in the Orioles’ 6-4 loss before 6,626.

“We had some interactions last year when I was up there,” Povich said. “I wish him nothing but the best. He’s in our division. The only thing we can do is compete against each other now.”

Povich became the first Oriole to pitch more than four innings. He allowed four of his five runs and five of his eight hits in the fifth.

“I think there’s plenty of good in the first four innings,” he said. “First time going into the fifth, first time seeing a lineup third time through. I definitely think there are some things I could have picked up on going into the fifth, and had a better finish, but that’s why it’s spring training.”

Povich and Albert Suárez, who will pitch for a split-squad against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland on Sunday, are competing for the fifth starter’s spot. Povich got to pitch against Blue Jay regulars.

“Every showing matters trying to make the team,” Povich said. “I was able to face a team’s pretty much A lineup. It was nice.”

Before the game, Hyde complimented Povich’s approach this spring.

“I think he’s got a really good demeanor,” he said. “He’s not too high, too low. He does show a little bit of emotion, but it’s kind of an easy-going personality that I think he responds. You never saw him after a tough start get down on himself. There’s some drive there to get back and some confidence.”

Looking ahead: Tomoyoki Sugano will make his fourth start when the Orioles play the Minnesota Twins at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday night at 6:05.

Sugano has thrown seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits, striking out seven and walking two. The 35-year-old Japanese right-hander will be opposed by David Festa.

Brett Hollander and Ben Wagner will have the call on WBAL/98 Rock.

Thaddeus Ward will pitch on Saturday when the Orioles face the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. On Sunday, the Orioles play split-squad games. Zach Elfin will pitch against Philadelphia in Sarasota while Albert Suárez will face Detroit at Lakeland.

The Orioles are 8-10-1.

Block Party: The Orioles will hold a Eutaw Street Block Party on March 29^th at 2:30 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets for $10 at Orioles.com/BlockParty. Each adult may claim two complimentary tickets for children under 14.

Oriole prospects Frederick Bencosme, Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vance Honeycutt and Griff O’Ferrall will be on hand.

Former Orioles, including Brad Brach, Zack Britton, Mike Bordick, Al Bumbry, Dave Johnson, Joe Orsulak and Larry Sheets, will participate in an autograph session while Brach, Britton, Orioles legend Boog Powell and the prospects will participate in a question-and-answer session for children.

Mullins looks to get hot: Cedric Mullins is just 3-for-27 (.111) in spring training. That doesn’t seem to bother Hyde.

“With everyday guys that are on your team with track records, stats matter very little. I think that if you see them work the right way and just not getting the results in the game, maybe timing is off a little bit,” he said.

“I don’t even know what Cedric’s stats are right now. I don’t look at the stats. I just kind of know if they look right or not. I don’t put a ton of stock in it. I just want them to take good at-bats.”

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