WEST PALM, Fla. – Coby Mayo started at third base again yesterday for the Orioles in their road game against the Cardinals. He’s got one position, though he joked about his willingness to play left field if that’s what they wanted him to do.

It would be a first.

“If tomorrow is left field,” he said while standing outside the visiting clubhouse in Jupiter, “then I’m gonna do the best I can to be the best left fielder I can.”

Mayo was just picking a position in order to make his point. He isn’t touching outfield grass unless it’s with another one of his hits.

The Orioles moved Mayo across the diamond last summer but are letting him concentrate solely on third base this spring with Jordan Westburg headed to the injured list. Players tend to focus and relax more easily if they aren’t bouncing around like a lottery ball.

“I think for Coby, that’s a real thing, and I think every player’s different in that sense,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “Where Blaze (Alexander), for example, he can just go out and play anywhere. Each player is different, so you have to attack each one differently.

“I know it sounds very elementary, but sometimes it gets overlooked. But for Coby, for example, the singular focus of third base I think has helped a lot. And that’s what we want is to find what each player can handle with their bandwidth, and we always want to make it simple for them as far as what we’re looking for and what they’re trying to work on. And in Coby’s case, the simplest thing is just to focus on third base.”

Mayo might be the designated hitter today. We’ll check the lineup. But his next start in the field will be at third, as the Orioles intended when they drafted him in 2020.

*Alexander committed an error at shortstop yesterday but also lined a single into left field off Matt Liberatore at 110.1 mph.

Alexander returned to the infield after Saturday’s start in center field. He started at second base on Feb. 21, 25 and 27 and third base on Feb. 23. Most of his appearances have come at short, with more opportunities while Gunnar Henderson plays for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

“I think it just speaks to how athletic he is,” Albernaz said. “He has the athleticism, but then it’s not easy for guys to move around like that, so you need the mindset, as well, and he has that perfect mindset. Just a gamer mentality, and you pair that with the athleticism, that’s what makes him dangerous.

“The challenge here right now is to actually get him exposed to different spots just because with Gunnar and Louie (Luis Vázquez) being away, it’s a lot of reps at shortstop. So it’s a challenge for me and our staff to find those spots to move around, but he’s been great about it, open. He’s really down to play any position, which is awesome.”

*Reliever George Soriano was an Oriole for two months, selected on waivers from the Marlins Nov. 5 and selected by the Braves Jan. 9. He’s also been with the Nationals and Cardinals, which led him to the ninth inning yesterday in Jupiter.

I mention it because Soriano faced outfielder Vance Honeycutt, who was 5-for-6 with four home runs and a walk as an extra from minor league camp. The Orioles took their 2024 first-round draft pick on the road, ruining the “Home Game Honeycutt” nickname, and he struck out on a 96.7 mph fastball.

(We still have “Four-Bagger Vance.)

Honeycutt lined out in his most recent at-bat before yesterday, which ended his on-base streak. Perhaps he’ll get another chance today.

*The Orioles’ pitching staff began yesterday with 152 strikeouts, the second most by any team in exhibition play behind the Dodgers’ 153.

They picked up five more against the Cardinals, led by Nestor German’s three in three innings. But German allowed five runs, including three homers.

A walk to Victor Scott II in the seventh preceded Joshua Báez’s 416-foot two-run shot to left field that was 109.4 mph off the bat.

Scott led off the third with a walk against Trey Gibson and was erased on a force play before Chase Davis homered. Albernaz mentioned the walks later.

*Shortstop Griff O’Ferrall had his own cheering section near the Orioles’ dugout for his at-bat in the ninth inning. He lined a two-out single to right field, getting the barrel on a 96.8 mph sinker.

O’Ferrall, the 32nd overall pick in the 2024 draft out of the University of Virginia, is 3-for-9 as an extra.

He didn’t listen to the fan yesterday who kept yelling for him to steal second base with the Orioles behind 7-2.