After two weeks away, the Orioles have their leadoff hitter again.
Cedric Mullins, who performed for the USA on the World Baseball Basic, returned to Sarasota on Thursday and resumed his spot in middle discipline and atop the Orioles’ lineup. And he did so in type, hitting a three-run residence run to middle discipline in his second at-bat in Baltimore’s Grapefruit League sport towards the Detroit Tigers.
Mullins performed periodically for a Crew USA membership stacked with a few of the finest place gamers the nation has to supply, together with outfielders Kyle Tucker, Mike Trout and Mookie Betts. That left Mullins on the bench for many of Crew USA’s video games, however that didn’t forestall him from making an impression when he did see the sector. Mullins hit a triple and a house run with two RBIs in his 10 at-bats on the WBC.
“It was superb,” mentioned Mullins, including that his solo residence run towards Cuba was the spotlight. “All-around superb expertise. I’d advocate anyone who has that honor to take it for positive.”
The 28-year-old was certainly one of three gamers on the Orioles’ 40-man roster to take part within the WBC. Anthony Santander was top-of-the-line hitters on the occasion with a 1.297 OPS for Venezuela, whereas beginning pitcher Dean Kremer tossed 4 scoreless innings in his lone begin for Israel.
“I’m positively happy with these guys as properly,” Mullins mentioned. “I feel Tony’s first hit was 99 [mph] inside, taking him deep. For that to be your first hit, that’s fairly spectacular. I used to be excited to look at him play and clearly face him, that was an awesome sport and one thing that’s going to be a reminiscence without end.”
Additionally within the 8-8 tie with the Tigers, catcher Adley Rutschman reached base thrice as a right-handed hitter (two walks and a single), Ryan Mountcastle went 3-for-4 to remain sizzling this spring (1.225 OPS) and Daz Cameron bought revenge towards his former workforce with a solo residence run and an RBI double.
Out of the bullpen, nearer Félix Bautista pitched a scoreless inning in his fourth spring outing after struggling along with his command Monday.
One other up-and-down Rodriguez begin
For the third straight begin, Grayson Rodriguez bumped into hassle the second time by means of the order.
However this time he was in a position to bounce again in the identical outing.
Rodriguez, the Orioles’ high pitching prospect who's vying for a spot within the beginning rotation, allowed 5 runs within the third body — his third consecutive sport with a merry-go-round inning.
This time, although, he was in a position to report the third out and get again on the mound out for a three-up, three-down inning.
“I feel at this time was in all probability my finest begin,” Rodriguez mentioned. “I positively felt the most effective. This spring, we’ve bought quite a lot of issues we’ve labored on, and that’s what it’s for. I feel we completed that.”
He was sharp by means of two innings towards a Tigers lineup with 5 regulars and several other bench gamers earlier than permitting 4 hits, successful by pitch and 5 runs — together with a three-run homer — within the third.
On March 12 towards the Boston Purple Sox, he misplaced command within the fourth inning, permitting 4 runs and never recording an out. In opposition to the Purple Sox once more Saturday, he allowed a two-run residence run within the third and couldn’t get the ultimate out of the fourth, committing an error, throwing a wild pitch, strolling a batter and giving up a double off the wall.
“That is his first true main league spring coaching,” supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned. “I feel we've to recollect he’s a very younger participant. Generally it’s OK to undergo some tough patches to know that it's important to make some changes.”
One clear optimistic for Rodriguez was his slider. Hyde mentioned earlier than the sport he wished to see that pitch be more practical and catch as much as how properly Rodriguez’s fastball and changeup have been this spring. Regardless of the poor third inning, Rodriguez mentioned his slider was the most effective it’s been all spring, as he used it typically towards left-handed hitters.
“It was positively the most effective I’ve thrown the pitch all spring,” Rodriguez mentioned. “It’s one thing we’ve actually been engaged on. I used to be fairly proud of how the slider was.”
He ended the outing — his last of spring coaching — with 5 strikeouts and no walks in 4 innings, his first time ending the fourth in camp. In 15 1/3 spring innings, the 23-year-old right-hander has allowed 17 hits and 12 earned runs whereas punching out 19.
The massive query now for the Orioles: Ought to Rodriguez break camp within the beginning rotation?
“We’re nonetheless evaluating, truthfully,” Hyde mentioned. “We nonetheless produce other guys which are rotation candidates, additionally. We’re going to make that call on the finish.”
Prospect reward
Outfield prospects Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad had been reassigned to minor league camp Wednesday after standing out of their first massive league camp.
Hyde talked to each kids Wednesday and advised them “how spectacular they had been” in Sarasota.
“They each have big potential,” Hyde mentioned. “I assumed they dealt with themselves so properly in main league camp, each of them their first main league camps. And had a ton of productive, actually good at-bats by each guys.”
Kjerstad, the No. 2 total choose in 2020, was one of many Orioles’ finest hitters this spring with a 1.219 OPS in 42 at-bats. Cowser, the No. 5 choice in 2021, hit three residence runs — together with a 467-foot blast — and walked 13 occasions in 46 plate appearances.
“I assumed they'd nice experiences, and we've excessive hopes for these guys as two actually high quality folks,” Hyde mentioned. “I assumed they dealt with themselves extremely properly this camp.”
Grapefruit League
Yankees (SS) at Orioles
Friday, 6:05 p.m.
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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