masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles catcher Caleb Joseph can frame pitches and critique prospects. He just doesn’t do it at the same time.
Manager Buck Showalter sought Joseph’s opinion in the past while the veteran went down to the minors to rehab an injury. He stated yesterday that he did the same earlier this season while Joseph was playing at Triple-A Norfolk.
The information must have come in handy with the Orioles selecting the contracts of pitchers Ryan Meisinger and Paul Fry, who made their major league debuts…

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph can frame pitches and critique prospects. He just doesn’t do it at the same time.

Manager Buck Showalter sought Joseph’s opinion in the past while the veteran went down to the minors to rehab an injury. He stated yesterday that he did the same earlier this season while Joseph was playing at Triple-A Norfolk.

The information must have come in handy with the Orioles selecting the contracts of pitchers Ryan Meisinger and Paul Fry, who made their major league debuts last night.

Meisinger-Black-Sidebar.jpg“Ryan is a big, strong kid,” Joseph said yesterday as Meisinger and Fry arrived at Camden Yards and found their lockers in the same row where the catchers dress. “He’s got a zippy fastball. It may read 91-92, but it feels 94-96. It gets on your quick. Throws a lot of strikes, can get swings and misses up in the zone, which usually tells you what kind of fastball you’ve got.

“He’s got a major league slider, tight. I was really impressed with him when I was able to catch him at Norfolk and I thought we might see him earlier, but he’s pretty much fastball/slider. He does have a changeup that he can use and he can defend himself against left-handers with it. But he’s got a major league fastball and a major league slider and I like his aggressiveness in the zone.

“A big, sturdy kid. Country strong.”

Fry spent two days in Baltimore last April without getting into a game. He could be a matchup lefty for the Orioles, though Showalter may not have the luxury of abbreviated outings.

“A guy with a very similar-type fastball,” Joseph said. “It may register 90-91, but it’s got heavy, heavy life to it. It’s a heavy ball. It’s got a really tight what looks to be in between a slider and curveball. It’s not a slurve, but it’s got real tight spin and real late movement downward and that’s what he’s been using to really put away guys.

“The fastball’s got life. Both of these guys have life on the fastball. He gets on you quick. It gets on me trying to catch and I know if it’s getting on me just being behind the plate, it’s getting on the hitter, too.”

* Second baseman Jonathan Schoop went 0-for-3 last night and his average dropped to .197 in 61 games, last year’s Most Valuable Oriole still unable to get on and maintain a roll. He’s 2-for-27 in his last seven games and 4-for-38 in his last nine.

Schoop strained his oblique in April and missed about a month of the season, but Showalter doesn’t believe that the injury factors into the slump.

“I think we’re past that now,” he said. “It’s been frustrating for all of us because we know what Jon’s capable of. The strike zone, the recognition of pitches, hasn’t been as consistent as Jon’s capable of. Every once in a while he’ll have a couple games and you’ll go, ‘OK, here we go,’ and then he seems to fall right back in it.

“I’d like to say it’s a good learning experience for him, but I really don’t feel that way. I think Jon’s had his ups and downs and always comes out of it. I could say he’s not the only one, but your question was about Jon and it’s frustrating because you let him play his way out of it and you let … We’re going to reach a point here where Jon’s going … He knows it.

“I talk to him all the time. He’s in a good frame of mind, but he’s beat up. Mentally and emotionally. He’s tried to fight back and fight through it, but he needs to see some consistent return.”

The blame lies primarily in his approach, which doesn’t pinpoint one exact area of his game.

“Approach encompasses a lot of things,” Showalter said. “I think Jon gets a little pull-happy sometimes, but not constantly. You may see some swings that you may not think he’s trying to stay back and drive the ball the other way. His load, going back to go forward, sometimes he commits quickly.

“Jon’s capable of doing damage in the middle of the field and away, and he’s trying to, but somewhere between the on-deck circle and the pitch entering the zone, it doesn’t happen.”

* Trey Mancini is 9-for-22 (.409) while hitting safely in five of his last six games. He tied his career high last night with three hits and also walked, and he scored the only run.

Is Mancini finally breaking out of his slump?

“I’d like to think so,” Showalter said.

“Yeah, on the positive side, we’ve seen a couple of games where it seemed like he was going to get going, signs of hitting balls the other way and taking what they’re giving him. Really when he gets selective, the balls he takes are the balls that they don’t call them strikes. There were a lot of pitches (last night) that were balls that they called strikes.”

* The Orioles had interest in signing utility player Ryan Goins to a major league deal in spring training while also considering Ryan Flaherty on a minor league contract. They came away empty-handed, with Goins losing patience with the process and accepting a minor league deal with the Royals. Flaherty joined the Phillies, got out of his contract and signed with the Braves after the Orioles thought they had him.

Flaherty remains in Atlanta. Meanwhile, Goins was designated for assignment earlier this week to clear a roster spot for Jorge Bonifacio, who completed his 80-game PED suspension.

Goins was gone after batting 226/.252/.313 in 120 plate appearances. His value lies in his defense and versatility. He’s out of options, which could limit his suitors.

With the Orioles already out of contention, it makes more sense to evaluate Steve Wilkerson for a possible super utility role in 2019. They also have Jace Peterson on the roster, making it appear that the Goins ship has sailed. But, you know, never say never.

* If wondering about possible rule changes in the future, one idea is no longer forcing a pitcher who’s rushed into a game due to an injury or ejection to warm up on the mound.

Showalter is on Major League Baseball’s competition committee and he’s definitely in favor of doing away with that rule. It makes no sense.

The reasoning apparently centers on concerns about the lack of activity on the field during that period. As if fans will become agitated if the reliever stays in the bullpen to throw and the main mound is unoccupied. Because there’s nothing more exhilarating than watching a guy warm up.

Welcome to “Short Attention Span Theater.”

Shameless plug alert: I’m appearing on “Wall to Wall Baseball” from noon-2 p.m. on MASN before racing to Camden Yards for a 4:05 p.m. game.