SARASOTA, Fla. – Dean Kremer is starting for the Orioles this afternoon against the Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium. Fans can watch again on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

They also can see Chayce McDermott in his 2026 role.

It’s going to resemble the way he closed out 2025.

The Orioles have decided to use McDermott as a reliever, which might be his ticket back to the majors. They’ll give it a try.

McDermott reported to camp last spring with a lat strain, was removed from a start with Triple-A Norfolk due to elbow discomfort, and went on the major league injured list Sept. 23 with back soreness. He already was making the transition to the bullpen, culminating in three relief appearances with the Orioles, the first on May 20 after following opener Keegan Akin in Milwaukee.

The right-hander started six days earlier in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Twins at Camden Yards, his second in the majors, and allowed four runs in three innings. His 15.58 ERA in four outings with the Orioles was fueled by the four runs allowed in two-thirds of an inning on Sept. 16 in Chicago and four runs in one-third on Sept. 18 against the Yankees.

“It’s just been normal relief work here,” McDermott said. “I mean, it’s different. This is the first year I’ve come in as a reliever, so it’s a different kind of camp, but I enjoy it. It’s definitely different, so it’s fun right now, at least. We’ll see how we feel about it I guess as it goes, but I like doing it right now.

“I think starting’s hard sometimes because you sit there on the days off. As a reliever, pretty much every day you’re hot. So I can always throw. The game’s always a little more intense when you have a chance to go in.

“It’s just kind of a fun experience to go about it and be a part of the game each day. I think that’s the difference between starters and position players. Kind of miss that once you become a pitcher, so it’s kind of nice to get back in the reliever role and having a chance to play every day.”

One of the adjustments is having to get ready quicker than a starter.

“That was a big thing for me was just realizing I probably don’t need 25 pitches to warm up for a game,” he said. “Just make sure you’re warm, trust your pitches and go into it. It’s definitely a different routine, but it’s kind of nice, too. You don’t have to make sure that everything’s working the right way and just trust your stuff and go out there and throw.”

McDermott saw multiple teammates report to camp with injuries. Reliever Colin Selby went on the 60-day IL with shoulder inflammation. Jackson Holliday (broken hamate bone) and Jordan Westburg (torn UCL in elbow) won’t be ready for Opening Day. Holliday got the cast off his right hand. Closer Félix Bautista is recovering from August surgery to repair his labrum and rotator cuff. Reliever Keagan Gillies has a severely strained quadriceps muscle and will miss at least six weeks. Zach Eflin has recovered from his August back surgery but is behind the other starters.

“It’s nice coming in here, feel really good and just being healthy and able to compete for a spot and get to work out with everyone is nice,” McDermott said. “It’s uplifting for the spirit.”

The offseason was fairly typical for a healthy McDermott.  

“We focused some more on deficiencies that I had, like some of the glute strength that puts more stress on your back and stuff like that,” he said. “Other than that we just kind of focused on the same things and didn’t treat it too weird.

“The end of the year I think the back issue was just kind of a weird tweak of a muscle warming up for the Yankees game and then give it a few days and let it rest. At that point it was the end of the year, so just didn’t make a ton of sense to try to throw through it.”

*Trevor Rogers’ two scoreless innings, striking out the side in the second, Pete Alonso’s two-run homer and Trey Gibson’s three scoreless innings to record the save ranked among yesterday’s highlights.

Also worth noting are the two doubles from catcher Sam Huff.

Huff is a non-roster invitee who agreed to a minor league deal on Jan. 15. He was a Top 100 prospect for multiple years and earned the Futures Game Most Valuable Player award in 2019.

His signing seems more like a depth move because the Orioles are set with Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo. However, everything is on the table in camp and that apparently includes carrying a third catcher.

Do I expect it to happen? No. Is it impossible? No.

*Pink Floyd was on the stadium playlist at least twice before first pitch. Because nothing fires up a crowd quite like Pink Floyd.

To be clear, I like many of their songs. They just don’t make me feel energized. More like comfortably numb.

*Craig Albernaz went through the handshake line yesterday and met with media near the Orioles dugout rather than outside the baseball operations center, one of the changes since he became manager.

The scene led to another highlight moment – Albernaz’s children rushing onto the field to congratulate him.

Sons CJ (8) and Norman (6), both wearing Albernaz No. 55 jerseys, were the first to reach him. Albernaz asked where the rest of the crew was, and 2-year-old Gigi, the star of his introductory press conference, went into a full sprint before he scooped her up in his arms.

As a Girl Dad and Girl Papa, it warmed my heart on a hot day in Sarasota.

*I took it as a good sign that Holliday was able to use the new putting green outside the baseball operations center. His right wrist is taped but the cast is off and the stitches are supposed to be removed Monday.

He gripped the putter with both hands and sank a ball from a pretty impressive distance.

This isn’t a baseball activity, but I’m counting it as progress. The Orioles needed some good health news.

*Adam Jones is in camp as the first guest coach and he’s impressed so far by everything that he’s seen.

“Team’s looking good,” he said. “The vibes are great. The attention to detail is great. The work on the back fields is great.

“Attention to detail, and that’s what you want. You want to get to work, that’s what we’re here for. It’s our jobs. So yeah, get to work.”

Asked for his initial impressions of Albernaz, Jones replied, “Energy.”

“He brings energy, he bring confidence, and he’s letting his coaches coach,” Jones said. “He’s letting the experience of his coaching staff take over, and I think he’s running a really good camp so far. It’s my third day here, they’ve only been here for a week in general, but it’s crisp, and the guys seem to their moving in the right direction.”

Jones is convinced that Colton Cowser can handle center field, his old position, on a full-time basis.

“That’s up to him,” Jones said. “I think he does. Obviously, he’s physically gifted. His athleticism is insane. You have to go take it. Nothing is given to you in the major leagues. I know you guys are well aware, and he’s hungry for it. Definitely I’m in his ear a lot because that talent is right there and I want to see him succeed, because anything I can do to help him, I’m on him,. But at the end of the day, he has to play. And he has to go out there and do the job, and he wants it. So the proof’s in the pudding.

“We have one of the best storied histories of center fielders I believe in baseball. It’s just a lockdown position that we’ve always had, stability here. We have stability at short and at catcher, so up the middle, Baltimore’s always been strong and we want to maintain that, we want to keep that.”