SARASOTA – The latest storm heading toward the Sarasota area has forced the cancellation of tonight’s game against the Red Sox and made the Orioles get more creative to provide innings for some of their pitchers.

The inclement weather didn’t halt the recent stretch of roster moves. Pitcher Enoli Paredes and infielder/outfielder Willy Vasquez were reassigned to minor league camp this afternoon, leaving the spring roster at 49 players.

Kyle Bradish was supposed to face the Red Sox tonight but pivoted to a simulated game with infielders and outfielders.

Bradish is back on a mound after shutting out the Pirates on one hit over five innings in his previous outing. And before he learned that Trevor Rogers would start on Opening Day, with Bradish expected to be on the mound for the second game.

“That’s why it was a fire drill today, just to make sure that Bradish and the rest of the guys that were pitching are throwing to get their innings in,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “We don’t want to push them another day, especially what happened yesterday. It’s late in the spring and we want to make sure our guys stay on schedule. So that’s why it’s a fire drill and we’re gonna try to beat the rain with getting our guys in to get their ups and get their pitches thrown.”

Shane Baz also is pitching today in the simulated game, and relievers Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano and Ryan Helsley are throwing on the back fields after their appearances last night were washed away by rain. The game was halted in the top of the third inning after Zach Eflin’s leadoff walk.

Eflin retired the first six batters, headed indoors when the storm arrived and faced hitters in the player development complex.

“He actually threw on the middle mound,” Albernaz. “We have a dirt clay mound and guys hit. So guys that were in the game came in and hit off him to get his ups in.”

Tyler Wells is pitching today in a minor league game. Chris Bassitt is starting Tuesday afternoon against the Tigers in Lakeland.

“It’s kind of like divide and conquer,” Albernaz said.

“We just kind of have guys scattered everywhere.”

*Left-hander Cade Povich was optioned before last night’s game. Povich made three starts and allowed four runs and three hits in 8 1/3 innings. He walked seven batters, the last five over 2 2/3 innings Friday afternoon in Clearwater.

“What went into it was getting late in camp, innings are getting scarce, and there was no pathway for him breaking with us Opening Day, so the biggest thing for us and for him was to get him into regular game action to make sure he’s getting built up,” Albernaz said.

“Also, we want him to hit the ground running when the season starts because he is gonna be a valuable piece for us this season and moving forward. So we want to make sure that he’s getting the proper work that he needs and build up and regular pitching.”

*Jackson Holliday said his right hand continues to feel good after his surgery to remove a broken hamate bone and he’s ramping up activity.

“Got more swings than I know what to do with, so just trying to space them out as far as BP and machine,” he said. “Supposed to hit on the field today, but I think the rain might have put a wrench in that. So luckily we have an amazing indoor. But getting closer I think to live at-bats this week, so coming along.”

Holliday doesn’t know whether he might get into a spring training game.

“That’s a good question,” he said. “I think we’ll probably just start with (live BP) and see where that goes and hopefully build off that pretty quickly depending on how I feel, but not 100 percent sure,” he said. “If it keeps raining, probably no more games. But I’m not sure yet.”

Holliday’s goal of course is to have a short stint on the injured list after the Orioles head north.

“I think I’ll be playing in Norfolk on opening night (March 27) potentially, and I think it’ll just be on how I feel,” he said. “If I get four hits a game, we’ll probably be up a lot quicker. But depending on how I feel, kind of how quickly it goes. But hopefully a quick turnaround.”

In order to protect the hand, Holliday is experimenting with different bats that have an axe handle rather than the standard model.

“Feels pretty good, I guess,” he said. “I ordered some more, so I’ll probably end up going back, but for now it’s kind of a good ease into.”

*Jordan Westburg is running, fielding grounders and swinging with his bottom hand after receiving the platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow. He said the progress is “slow.”

“There’s nothing really going on behind the scenes,” he said.

“Nothing crazy, nothing to write home about, sadly.”

Westburg can’t provide a firm timeline for ramping up his activity. He’d love to do it. He knows everyone is waiting for it.

“I can kind of guess if everything goes right, but there’s so many little factors that have to go right,” he said. “I don’t know exactly when we’re gonna start testing it out and seeing how it feels. So I’m just trying to take it day-by-day right now. I wish I could have a timeline, I wish I could be somewhat certain of when I could be back, but it all depends if the shot goes well.”

Asked if he’s optimistic, Westburg said, “Yeah, I’m trying to stay optimistic. I mean, I don’t know how goes. I’ve never had one before. Trying to get information from other guys and how it’s been for them. I would say I’m still optimistic, I’m still hopeful that this will work. I’m gonna stay that way until somebody tells me otherwise.”

*Albernaz, various staff members and players celebrated Gunnar Henderson’s game-tying home run last night for Team USA in a 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The Red Sox’s Roman Anthony also homered in the same inning.

“Oh man, that was awesome,” Holliday said. “My mom (Leslee) was texting me in his first at-bat. She said, ‘I think he’s gonna hit a homer.’  And he didn’t. But then the next at-bat I get a, ‘I’m so smart, I’m always right,’ and then I’m watching it and it’s like two pitches delayed and I’m like, ‘OK, I know he’s about to hit a homer. It’s gonna be awesome.’ So I was excited for him and Roman.

“It was a great game. So luckily my buddies had a pretty big impact. So it was really exciting.”

“Super proud, super happy for him,” Westburg said. “Played with Gunnar for a very long time and I know how excited he was to take part in the WBC, so for him to be playing like he is and performing on that stage, man, I couldn’t be happier.”

Albernaz said televisions his office, the coaches locker room and the conference room were tuned into the game.

“When Gunnar hit it, the whole place went nuts,” he said. “It was awesome to see. We were fired up.”