SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are traveling to Tropicana Field this morning to play the Rays, who can't use their spring facility in Port Charlotte due to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ian.

The place will seem empty. As if that's an oddity. But it's still 72 degrees and dry inside and a great setup for visiting teams and the media. Don't be a hater.

I spent some time yesterday making sure that I didn't forget to share anything important, as the days meld together and the brain begins to fry. Or anything stupid. Let's not be elitist.

* Outfielder Kyle Stowers isn’t working out at first base.

I felt like I had to confirm it after speculating in Friday’s mailbag.

SARASOTA, Fla. – A pitch clock violation wasn’t the most annoying part of Tyler Wells’ day in his first spring start. Pretty close, though.

One of this year's rule changes kept tweaking him.

Wells allowed three runs and five hits today in two innings against the Braves. Left-hander Cionel Pérez replaced him in the third.

Michael Harris, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, homered with the bases empty and two outs in the first. Ehire Adrianza had an RBI double in the second after Forrest Wall’s leadoff single, and Eddie Rosario lined a single to right field with two outs for a 3-0 lead.

Wells faced 11 batters and threw 36 pitches, 24 for strikes. He had eight first-pitch strikes, an exception coming with his violation against Rosario before the RBI single.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Terrin Vavra was supposed to play left field and lead off today against the Phillies. However, he's been scratched from the lineup and replaced by Colton Cowser.

Third baseman Gunnar Henderson is leading off. Cowser is batting eighth.

No reason provided at this time.

Orioles reliever Nick Vespi had his fifth bullpen session yesterday morning, using all of his pitches and totaling 35. He advances next week to one or two live bullpen sessions and should be ready to start appearing in games.

Vespi, who underwent hernia surgery on Jan. 5, remains confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day if he makes the club.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tyler Wells makes his spring debut this afternoon against the Braves, with Adley Rutschman setting the target for him.

Rutschman is batting second, followed by third baseman Gunnar Henderson, right fielder Kyle Stowers and second baseman Jordan Westburg.

Joey Ortiz is starting at shortstop and batting ninth.

Terrin Vavra is leading off and playing left field. Ryan McKenna is the center fielder.

This is a split-squad game for the Braves, who are starting National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Spencer Strider.

SARASOTA, Fla. – We’re a little more than two weeks into Orioles spring training and they haven’t made any roster cuts. There are still 71 players in camp, though Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Dean Kremer and Darwinzon Hernández are leaving for the World Baseball Classic. The same competitions are unresolved through seven games.

Pitchers John Means, Dillon Tate and Seth Johnson will go on the injured list. Closer Félix Bautista sounds confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day. So does DL Hall, except we don’t know whether a Triple-A assignment remains in the cards or he’s assured of heading north with the club.

Tyler Wells is making his first start this afternoon against the Braves. We don’t know whether he’s in the rotation or bullpen on Opening Day, whether the club could pivot and use him in a piggyback role with Grayson Rodriguez early in the season to control the rookie’s innings.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias sounds hesitant to commit to it because you’re basically reducing the ‘pen to seven relievers with Wells serving as a second starter in those games.

Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin are the locks for the rotation. Rodriguez is as close to one as you get without using the word. My mock still has Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer, knowing that excluding Wells seems ridiculous. I hate to do it. I don’t know how this is going to work.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Brian Roberts spent 14 seasons in the majors as a 5-foot-9 second baseman. A two-time All-Star and a prototypical leadoff hitter. A supplemental-round draft pick who led the American League in doubles in 2004 and the majors in 2009.

Roberts is in camp as an Orioles guest instructor, and he’s in awe of the young infield talent.

A longtime resident of Sarasota, Roberts leaned back on the railing of the home dugout this afternoon and watched infield drills. He stood behind the batting cage, between executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde, during batting practice.

The sights and sounds are both familiar and foreign to him.

This isn’t how he remembers the Orioles.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Reliever Joey Krehbiel has it figured out. He knows why he’s giving up so many runs this spring.

The mission is to correct it.

Krehbiel has pitched twice in exhibition games and allowed eight runs and eight hits in 1 2/3 innings. He couldn’t record the third out yesterday in Lakeland, and the Tigers hit two more home runs to raise his total to four.

“I didn’t finish the inning yesterday but I could have thrown 60 pitches and feel fine. Mentally, physically, everything is there,” he said this afternoon.

“If I would have gone out there with the same stuff and punched the side twice – six guys, six strikeouts – I wouldn’t be talking about this, but I would still be in the back of my mind knowing that I don’t have the best stuff. So, it’s kind of good to have a little eye opening and get hit around a little bit, just to, not necessarily wake me up but just know that there’s always room for improvement, especially right now.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander is starting in left field for tonight’s home game against the Pirates.

Santander also will play Sunday and Monday before driving to Miami for the World Baseball Classic.

Cedric Mullins is making his penultimate appearance before flying to Arizona to join Team USA. He’s in center field tonight and also will play Sunday.

Austin Hays is the designated hitter, James McCann is catching and Nomar Mazara is in right field.

Kyle Gibson makes his Orioles debut.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Opening the mailbag during spring training only makes a person prickly in the Cactus League. No danger of it happening here.

Seriously. I wouldn't needle you.

Only positive vibes allowed in Camp Happy.

The Orioles are playing their first night game, hosting the Pirates and sending Kyle Gibson to the mound for his debut. Media clubhouse access and the posting of the lineup will happen later than usual.

In the meantime ...

LAKELAND, Fla. – Before Adley Rutschman crouched behind the plate today and set his first target for Grayson Rodriguez, he needed to give his friend an early lead.

Rutschman hit a long home run to left field, put his gear on and went to work - catching one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, guiding the right-hander through his first spring training start.

The stuff he really enjoys doing. A collaboration that Orioles fans have craved for years.

“Anytime you know he’s back there, you know it’s going to be a good game,” Rodriguez said. “I think he knows me better than myself. I’ve learned in the past not to shake him.”

Rodriguez said something later that should make the rest of the league quiver.

LAKELAND, Fla. – DL Hall arrived inside the Orioles clubhouse this morning wearing a cap that covered his buzz cut. And that concluded the hair portion of his discussion with a reporter who stopped by his locker.

Hall had his second bullpen session this morning at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. He threw all fastballs, just as he did on Monday, but can gradually increase his total.

“Every one gets a little bit more and more,” he said before heading out to the field.

“I’m feeling good, moving along. Everything’s progressing pretty normal. Not too long before I’ll be facing batters.”

The Orioles are bringing Hall along slowly after he experienced discomfort on the right side of his lower back about three weeks before camp opened. He said today that he’s been pain-free for about five weeks.

LAKELAND, Fla. – Adley Rutschman is catching Grayson Rodriguez for today’s game against the Tigers in Lakeland.

Does anything else matter?

Well, Gunnar Henderson is batting third and playing shortstop. Jordan Westburg is the third baseman. Connor Norby is the designated hitter.

Another day that’s rich in prospects.

Terrin Vavra is starting at second base and Kyle Stowers is the left fielder.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles won’t commemorate Dec. 2, 2022 with a special celebration in future years. Patches won’t be sewn onto uniform sleeves. Just another day in a baseball offseason, except it stood out because of two transactions that illustrated one of their priorities.

They wanted left-handed hitters who could play first base and compete for jobs in camp.

Residency on the 40-man roster wasn’t a prerequisite, nor was it promised.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias claimed Lewin Díaz off waivers from the Marlins and later signed Franchy Cordero to a split contract that the team announced as a minor league deal.

Díaz found his way back after a trade to the Braves, a waiver claim and an outright assignment after being designated for assignment. A chaotic winter. Tracking it from the outside was almost as stressful.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Ramón Urías led off the second inning today by drawing a walk against Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Nothing special except that he was the only Orioles baserunner until one out in the ninth.

The club was being no-hit by seven pitchers in a game that didn’t count. Let the debate rage on whether it made a sound.

Lewin Díaz killed whatever drama was building by lining a single into right field off Hayden Juenger. He scored with two outs on Heston Kjerstad’s single into right-center. Kjerstad moved to second on an error but Josh Lester flied out.

The 2-1 loss was played in 2 hours and 20 minutes. The pitch clock can’t take all the credit.

Toronto was held to one run until Phil Clarke led off the eighth with a homer off Kyle Dowdy. Colton Cowser attempted a leaping catch at the fence, slammed into it and came down without the ball.  

SARASOTA, Fla. – The schedules for players leaving Orioles camp for the World Baseball Classic are clearer after this morning’s media scrum with manager Brandon Hyde.

Center fielder Cedric Mullins will play Friday and Sunday before joining Team USA in Arizona. Right fielder Anthony Santander will play Friday, Sunday and Monday before driving to Miami and beginning workouts with Venezuela.

Dean Kremer, who’s pitching for Israel, will work two-plus innings Friday in relief of starter Kyle Gibson. He’s also headed to Miami.

Left-hander John Means said his first half-mound session will be early next week, perhaps on Monday. We’re told there are no setbacks following his Tommy John surgery.

Closer Félix Bautista’s next bullpen is Saturday. The knee and shoulder are fine.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander said this morning that his left knee is fine, and he’s in the Orioles lineup against the Blue Jays.

Santander was hit Monday by an 85 mph pitch and limped off the field.

Cole Irvin is making his Orioles debut and James McCann is catching him.

Ramón Urías is playing third base and batting cleanup. Adam Frazier is the second baseman. Lewin Díaz is the designated hitter.

Austin Voth and Cionel Pérez will pitch today for the first time.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Ryan O’Hearn came off the bench yesterday and received two at-bats against the Pirates. He struck out, walked and played right field.

O’Hearn pinch-ran for Austin Hays the previous day, played left and right and went 1-for-2. He started at first base in Saturday’s exhibition opener and also went 1-for-2.

This is all that O’Hearn cares about beyond whether the Orioles win or lose. How he did. Not the other players who also are trying to grab the last bench spot.

Franchy Cordero started at first base yesterday and slugged a two-run homer, but he also struck out twice. Josh Lester pinch-hit for third baseman Gunnar Henderson and was hitless in three at-bats. Curtis Terry walked in his only plate appearance after replacing Cordero, and his spring includes a three-run homer.

Lewin Díaz stayed back in camp. He’s 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs and a walk. Most likely going to come off the bench today against the Blue Jays in Sarasota.

BRADENTON, Fla. – The chore of posting a daily spring training lineup and creating a travel roster has become a joyous exercise for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. The number of prospects is unprecedented. All the concerns about the quality of play nosediving after the starters leave are beginning to wane.

Hyde talks about how the Orioles have the most talent in any camp since his hiring in December 2018. Now, he’s got to arrange it.

The outcomes never disappoint. Not when Hyde starts Gunnar Henderson at third base today, Joey Ortiz at shortstop and Jordan Westburg at second base, and when Adley Rutschman catches and hot-hitting infielder Terrin Vavra moves to left field for an afternoon.

And when the Orioles can put infielders Jackson Holliday, Connor Norby, Coby Mayo and César Prieto, and outfielders Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad on the bus to Bradenton for reserve work.

“It’s pretty fun every day right now, to be honest with you,” Hyde said this morning. “Yesterday, we had a lot of our guys who started last year, and today a lot of guys that are trying to make the club, and young prospects, as well as, nice to see Adley back there and Gunnar in. It’s been a fun spring to put lineups together.”

BRADENTON, Fla. – Anthony Santander noticed the Orioles beat writers walking toward his locker this morning, smiled and provided an unsolicited update on his left knee.

Skip the formalities and get to it.

“I’m OK guys, I’m OK guys,” he said.

Santander was hit by a pitch yesterday, fell to the ground and limped to the dugout, and later the clubhouse. X-rays came back negative.

“Just a bruise,” he said. “Eighty-five miles, but he hit me in the right spot, on the bone. But we’re feeling good, much better today. I think it’s nothing to get worried about.”

BRADENTON, Fla. – Bryan Baker and Mike Baumann will make their spring debuts today behind starter Kyle Bradish, as the Orioles travel to Bradenton to play the Pirates.

The lineup is thick with young infield talent.

Gunnar Henderson is making his first appearance, starting at third base. He had a sore wrist that pushed back his debut.

Joey Ortiz is the shortstop and Jordan Westburg is starting at second base.

Terrin Vavra, who’s 4-for-6 with four RBIs in two games, is the left fielder and leadoff hitter. Adley Rutschman is catching for the first time.