SARASOTA – There’s an old expression, widely attributed to Woody Allen but also regarded as a modern reformulation of a Yiddish proverb, that if you want to make God laugh, just tell Him about your plans.

The baseball gods roll on the floor whenever the Orioles try to set their roster.

Half of the starting infield is unavailable with second baseman Jackson Holliday recovering from surgery to remove a broken right hamate bone and third baseman Jordan Westburg recovering from a strained oblique and receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow.

Holliday will swing a bat with both hands for the first time later today, either tee work or dry hacks – which also sounds like an illness that could sweep through camp – and might miss only a few weeks of the regular season. Westburg isn’t expected to play  before May at the earliest.

Reliever Andrew Kittredge reported to camp healthy after last spring’s left knee debridement, but there’s a low possibility that he’s on the Opening Day roster due to the right shoulder inflammation that limited him to one appearance.

Tampa Bay’s Jonny DeLuca hit a three-run homer off Kittredge in the fourth inning of a Feb. 25 game in Sarasota. The right-hander’s sinker topped at 92.5 mph after averaging 95.2 mph last season, though early spring training velocity readings aren’t always an indication that a pitcher might be hurting.

In this case, something wasn’t right with Kittredge’s shoulder.

Kittredge was one of the bullpen locks along with closer Ryan Helsley, starter-turned-reliever again Tyler Wells and left-hander Keegan Akin. Yennier Cano and left-hander Dietrich Enns are likely to head north, as well.

The rotation became too crowded for Wells and the Orioles made it clear by their actions in camp that he’d be used in relief. He recently got the official word and didn’t push back.

Quite the opposite. Wells was enthusiastic about it.

“That speaks to the type of person he is and player, putting the team first,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “He can do a variety of different things for us and that’s what makes this role very enticing.”

Wells did some closing among his 44 relief appearances as a Rule 5 pick in 2021. He made 20 starts and five relief appearances in 2023 before an attempted full-time move to the rotation and the elbow injury that necessitated an internal brace procedure.

Attempting to keep Wells away from the injured list wasn’t presented as a reason to put him back in the ‘pen.

“Health wasn’t really much of a concern at this point,” he said.

“Right now I think it’s more of just roster construction. I think that if you look at the offseason that we’ve had and a lot of the starters we’ve brought in, they provide great durability, they provide a lot of great chances to go out there and win games. Right now I think this is where I can make the biggest impact on the team, and that’s where it’s like you fully embrace it and go after it and go out there and be the best reliever you can possibly be.”

Helsley is the established closer, of course, but Wells offers some experience in the role that also makes him valuable.

“It gives them options,” he said, “and for me to be one of those options and to be relied upon in that way is exciting to definitely think about.”

Wells is downright nasty in camp – his stuff, not his attitude. He retired all six batters yesterday in his first multi-inning appearance and has strung together five scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and eight strikeouts.

Left-hander Grant Wolfram tossed another scoreless inning Tuesday against Team Netherlands, striking out two and throwing his sinker in the high 90s. He hasn’t allowed a run in 2 2/3 Grapefruit League innings, with one hit, one walk and six strikeouts, and he’s profiling as the third lefty in the bullpen unless a late move is made that bumps him.

Rico Garcia already fit in my eight-man ‘pen, for what that’s worth, but Kittredge’s removal could make it easier for the Orioles to carry him. It also could improve Albert Suárez’s chances as a long man.

I’ve listed eight names, but other options include Jackson Kowar, Anthony Nunez, Cameron Foster, Yaramil Hiraldo, José Espada and Eric Torres. And we can’t discount a starter like Cade Povich changing roles.

Meanwhile, we haven’t gained much clarity on the infield situation.

The Orioles reassigned Aron Estrada to minor league camp yesterday but he wasn’t a candidate to fill a utility job. Payton Eeles injured his left shoulder in a collision with outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. in Lakeland and was reassigned on Tuesday.

Coby Mayo made another start at third base yesterday and the job appears to be his for the taking – whether he does or it’s taken away from him. Blaze Alexander appears to be the frontrunner to replace Holliday at second, but he also can move to third or anywhere else.

Jeremiah Jackson is trying to gain the organization’s trust in his fielding. Thairo Estrada played second yesterday. Bryan Ramos started at third base against Team Netherlands. Luis Vázquez is a plus defender if that’s a tie-breaker.

Albernaz has mentioned Weston Wilson multiple times, so the former Phillie obviously is making an impression.  

Wilson lined a home run to left field yesterday in his only at-bat in the eighth inning.

“He’s just a baseball player,” Albernaz said.

That’s a compliment.

“It’s gonna sound redundant, but the at-bat quality from all our guys, and especially him, has been impressive,” Albernaz continued. “Controlling the strike zone and then putting good swings on pitches in the strike zone. That’s all you can ask for.”