SARASOTA – The Orioles formed the congratulatory handshake line yesterday in front of the visiting dugout at Charlotte Sports Park. They used nine pitchers to complete a 4-3 win over the Rays. José Barrero and Will Robertson hit their first home runs. Carlos Tavera made the trip from minor league camp and earned his first save.

Say it’s spring training without saying it’s spring training.

Manager Craig Albernaz will take the victory under any circumstances, but it probably didn’t do much to bring him closer to a resolution on any of his pending decisions.

It also didn’t do anything to leave him discouraged.

Let’s check on two players while waiting for this afternoon’s game against the Cardinals in Sarasota and Chris Bassitt’s second outing.

Zach Eflin

Does he stay or does he go?

Staying would leave him back in Sarasota, where he’d increase his innings and pitch counts following his August back surgery.

Going would put him in Baltimore on March 26 against the Twins, and make the club devise a plan to carry six starters.

Eflin made his exhibition debut yesterday and had increased velocity on all of his pitches compared to his injury-riddled 2025 season. The reason isn’t a riddle. His mechanics are sound again, with no need to compensate for the back pain.

Albernaz doesn’t have a set number of starts in mind for Eflin.

“Just a matter of how he’s feeling in the buildup process,” Albernaz said. “Not trying to look too far ahead. Just want him to have that one challenge ahead of him and attack it, and then we’ll read and react to each one.”

Eflin made it clear again yesterday that his intention is to be included on the active roster on Opening Day. He thinks it’s an attainable goal. Being behind the other starters isn’t ground that he can’t make up.

“I feel like I’m perfectly on track for anything, really,” he said. “I came into spring training with the goal of being available the first week of the season, and I feel like I’m still on that track. I feel healthy, and I think as these outings come and I start going three innings, four innings, we’re gonna have a better understanding of where we’re at. But my mind’s on the first week of the season for sure.”

Whenever he’s viewed by the organization as ready, Eflin will keep winning over Albernaz for the skimpy walk totals – 1.9 per nine innings over 10 seasons.

“We like strikes. We like strikes a lot. So any pitcher that has that mindset, we want them to throw strikes,” Albernaz said.

“Hitting is hard, so when you have a guy like Ef who’s done it for a long time, approaching 10 years now … and that’s a credit to him and his work ethic and how good he is, but also it just speaks to the person he is. He gets the totality of the game in front of him.”

Jackson Kowar

Kowar allowed a hit and walked a batter yesterday in a scoreless fourth inning. Justyn-Henry Malloy’s double to left field was clocked at 106.1 mph.

Don’t be too quick to dismiss him.

Kowar earned the win, but he got noticed more for his velocity. He coaxed a swinging strike out of Carson Williams on a 99.1 mph four-seam fastball. The next two pitches were 98.8 and 98.4 mph, and he induced a fly ball to right field with a 98.2 mph heater.

The average velo yesterday was 98.2, which intrigues, but Kowar was making only his second exhibition appearance. He also tossed a scoreless inning on Feb. 26 against the Tigers, though he walked a batter.

The Royals made Kowar the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 draft out of the University of Florida, but he’s posted an 8.21 ERA in parts of four major league seasons. He didn’t pitch in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, made 15 appearances last summer with the Mariners, allowing eight runs in 17 innings, and missed the last month and a half with a shoulder impingement.

Kowar had his contract purchased by the Orioles in February after the Twins selected him on waivers two weeks earlier. He has a high walk rate and is out of minor league options, but that kind of fastball doesn’t grow on trees.

Perhaps he gets more consideration after Andrew Kittredge was diagnosed with right shoulder inflammation. Or maybe the Orioles try to sneak him through waivers.

The timing must be precise. Hope that teams already set their rosters, but also be aware that every executive is checking the waiver wire again toward the end of camp.

There’s really no easy way to do it.

Kowar needs more chances to sway the Orioles into thinking there’s no reason.