masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe mailbag is full again, though I’m estimating that three-fourths of it is occupied by weather-based questions.
If this is any help, the latest forecast in New York calls for a high temperature of 78 degrees for Friday’s series opener against the Yankees, with a 20 percent chance of rain. There’s a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms on Saturday with a high temperature of 82, but it’s not supposed to get above 63 degrees on Sunday, with no rain anticipated.
Weather.com threw me a few days…

The mailbag is full again, though I’m estimating that three-fourths of it is occupied by weather-based questions.

If this is any help, the latest forecast in New York calls for a high temperature of 78 degrees for Friday’s series opener against the Yankees, with a 20 percent chance of rain. There’s a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms on Saturday with a high temperature of 82, but it’s not supposed to get above 63 degrees on Sunday, with no rain anticipated.

Weather.com threw me a few days ago when I began to type in “Baltimore” and it gave me “Bali, India.” Imagine my surprise and horror to find that the game time temperature would be 102 degrees.

In a related story, I still check weather.com for updates. I also print out my airline boarding pass.

Anyway, let’s get to some questions. The ones I’ve answered countless times and they still come at me like a blitzing linebacker – which is probably what the Ravens should draft tonight if the best receivers are off the board.

How will the Orioles make room for Joey Rickard if he comes off the disabled list on Friday?
Let’s start with the assumption that Rickard will be activated. His finger is fine. He proved it in yesterday’s doubleheader at Single-A Delmarva. Manager Buck Showalter wants a five-man bench and I doubt if anyone is going to fight him on it because the Orioles really are a better team with the extra position player. Showalter can make more moves in the late innings, mostly with Craig Gentry. It’s not about trying to give everyone equal at-bats. Paul Fry was optioned late last night to Triple-A Norfolk. There’s your opening.

Why is Ryan Flaherty on this team?
I get this one with such frequency that there must be a prize awarded that I’m unaware of, and I’ll repeat that he’s an extremely valuable super-utility player. He handles all four infield positions, can play the outfield and can serve as the emergency catcher. Showalter trusts him anywhere in the field and that counts for a lot here. He’s a team player who doesn’t complain about his prolonged stretches on the bench. Maybe he’d produce more at the plate if he actually stepped up to it more than once every few weeks. Showalter definitely wants to get him more involved. And his walk last night in the 11th inning might have been more impressive than his RBI single in the second.

joseph-swing-orange-home-close-sidebar.jpgWhy is Caleb Joseph on this team?
Must be a separate prize. Joseph is valued for his work behind the plate. Showalter noted yesterday that Joseph had a fantastic night catching Wade Miley. And you can’t convince me that this guy suddenly forgot how to hit. But he’s not judged by his average or run production. Also, Chance Sisco isn’t ready. He’s still got some work to do at Norfolk. The kid is 22. No need to rush him. Francisco Peña and Audry Perez also are options, but Showalter seems quite comfortable with Joseph. And there’s the early success of Miley to factor into the discussion. If it ain’t broke …

What’s the forecast for tonight?
A high of 81 degrees, 10 percent chance of rain. But there’s no game.

What are the chances that they get in tonight’s game? I’m driving up from Richmond and need to know whether I should go or stay home.
Seriously, there’s no game.

Why does Buck keep playing Mark Trumbo?
Well, he led the majors with 47 home runs last season. The Orioles aren’t worried about him. There’s always the argument for lowering him in the order if the slump continues, and a five-man bench presents more chances to play with the lineup. But Trumbo will heat up. He may not lead the majors in home runs again, but he didn’t forget how to square up a ball.

Why didn’t Buck pinch-hit Trey Mancini for Mark Trumbo last night?
See above. I can’t imagine Showalter removing Trumbo for another right-handed bat in the 20th game of the season.

What does Trey Mancini have to do to stay in the lineup?
Lead the majors in home runs? I don’t know. Showalter isn’t going to run him out there every day, Seth Smith is healthy and the Rays started three right-handers in the series. Mancini is 2-for-17 with a home run since his two-homer game in Toronto. I’m more curious about how he’s been the designated hitter in his last three starts. He’s been fine in the outfield. What gives?

Do you plan on asking Buck why Trumbo has been in the outfield while Mancini’s the DH?
Do you read the blog? Sorry, that was harsh. “Just a little better feel there,” Showalter said before Mancini’s last start. “We’ll see how the health is with everybody. It just works better for us right now. You try to be careful, and sometimes it’s unavoidable, with a young player, throwing a lot of challenges at him. The guy’s swinging the bat pretty well, making a contribution. We’ll pick our spots when he plays out there. It’s a tough place to, I don’t want to say ‘experiment,’ but I don’t want to do anything that … Of course, Trey’s pretty strong mentally, it seems like. I don’t think what happens in the field is going to bother him. Glad to be able to get him the number of at-bats that we have. On paper it was a challenge going into it out of spring.”

Why was Mychal Givens charged with a run last night? The tying run scored after Donnie Hart hit Rickie Weeks.
I’m getting some fresh mail here. Nothing so far about who’s going to be the opening day starter or whether the Orioles will re-sign Matt Wieters. It’s just some rule where, even though Givens’ runner after the leadoff double eventually was forced at the plate, Givens gets saddled with the run because, basically, the hit batter takes the place of the runner who doubled. Make sense? Someone out there can explain it better. I did a lousy job on Twitter.

The Orioles need to get rid of Ubaldo Jiménez.

That’s not a question.

Why don’t the Orioles get rid of Ubaldo Jiménez?
Check his numbers over the last two months of the 2016 season, when teams hit .213 against him in August and .151 in September. His velocity was up in spring training and he was crisper than usual. He held the Reds to two hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings. And they don’t need him in the bullpen. He tends to scuffle in his first inning. Not a good quality for a reliever. And the Orioles may go with a shorter ‘pen, leaving no room for him. He’s being paid $13.5 million this season. It’s only April. Check back with me later if he gets knocked out early in a succession of starts.

How is Michael Bourn in the organization? I thought the Orioles released him.
They did. And then they re-signed him to a minor league deal on April 11 and sent him to extended spring training, where he began playing in games Tuesday. The Orioles will assign him to Norfolk after he gets a typical spring training amount of at-bats. Somewhere in the 35-40 range.

What happened to Miguel Castro? I see he’s on Single-A Frederick’s roster, but he hasn’t pitched.
Castro is at extended spring training. He’ll pitch Thursday and Saturday before reporting to an affiliate. It’s expected to be Double-A Bowie unless the plan suddenly changed.

hyun-soo-kim-orioles-white-bat.pngWhat does Hyun Soo Kim have to do to actually play?
Maybe become a switch-hitter. Circumstances lead him back to the bench. The Orioles keep facing left-handers and Showalter wants to put Kim in more advantageous situations. That includes not making him chase Steven Wright’s knuckleball. And now the Orioles will face two left-handed starters in New York this weekend and, it appears, two more in Boston. That’s more pine time. And Rickard’s return gives Showalter another right-handed bat to use.

How’s the Pedro Álvarez outfield experiment going at Norfolk?
Not good at the moment. It’s been a struggle. The conversion came much easier to Mancini. The Orioles are remaining patient with Álvarez, who has an opt-out clause in his contract next month. More puzzling is why he isn’t hitting. Alvarez’s average is .185 after yesterday’s doubleheader. He has three home runs, two of them in the opener. I ran his numbers by a member of the organization this week and got a shrug in return. No worries about the bat. But he wasn’t signed to be a platoon designated hitter.

Why wasn’t Manny Machado suspended, but Matt Barnes got four games?
Machado didn’t throw a pitch behind his own head. Again, his slide wasn’t intended to injure Dustin Pedroia. It was sloppy at worst. Xander Bogaerts’ flip left Pedroia vulnerable and Machado actually came off the bag to hold up the second baseman. If that was an attempt to injure, it was lame. If Barnes buries a pitch in Machado’s thigh, both benches are warned and that’s it. Go toward the head and it’s a suspension. Barnes dropped his appeal yesterday. And I’ll say again that if it’s a different Oriole, there isn’t this much fuss. Same if it’s a different second baseman.

Where do the Orioles go after New York?
They’re in Boston for four games.

What’s the weather going to be like?
I think we’re done here.