SARASOTA – The latest round of cuts following Wednesday’s game left the Orioles with 53 players on their camp roster. They must get down to 26 before the orange carpet is unrolled at Camden Yards for Opening Day introductions.

Relievers Félix Bautista and Colin Selby are on the 60-day injured list, which is going to subtract them from the total. Infielders Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg will be placed on the IL.

A decision on pitcher Zach Eflin is pending and perplexing.

The team probably can go in three directions with Eflin, who stayed with the Orioles on a $10 million contract that included a mutual option for 2027. They can take him north and implement a standard six-man rotation despite the three early off-days. They can use him to piggyback a starter, putting him in the bullpen but minus a typical reliever’s responsibilities. Or they can place him on the IL for the minimum stay with instructions to build up his pitch count.

Everything is on the table. Everyone is just waiting to find out what the Orioles intend to do.

Eflin has made only one exhibition start, tossing two scoreless innings on March 5. He pitched in a B game while the Orioles played in West Palm Beach. Shorter appearances early in the season would ease him back into action following his August back surgery, but who is he attached to in the piggyback scenario?

Kyle Bradish seems the favorite to receive the Opening Day assignment. He was stretched to 73 pitches on Wednesday while tossing five scoreless innings with only one hit, and he could make two more starts before the real games begin. And we’ve still got those breaks in the schedule – three in the first 15 days.

Saving Eflin for that kind of duty also reduces the number of available relievers. Maybe it’s not a huge deal early, but an eight-man bullpen is preferred.

The IL would delay having to figure out how to make six starters work, but it’s more about doing what’s best for Eflin if the organization wants to take the cautious approach. He feels great. The point is to keep him that way.

The rest of the rotation is set with Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Dean Kremer. One of the new Orioles was raving about Baz Wednesday while chatting with media, marveling at the right-hander’s stuff and how he also should be regarded as an ace. Saying that Baz belongs in the same category with Bradish and Rogers, as if the Orioles actually have three No. 1 starters.

Some other decisions that must be made with the opener less than two full weeks away:

Blaze Alexander was supposed to be a super-utility player, backing up everywhere in the infield and playing some center field if needed. He’s expected to start at second base on March 26 while Holliday is on the IL, with Coby Mayo playing third base in Westburg’s absence.

Didn’t see that coming before camp opened.

A door appeared to open for Jeremiah Jackson, and he impressed the former staff with his hitting last summer, but Luis Vázquez provides the kind of defense that might be more important to the club. And that’s especially true with Westburg injured.

This would be a nice comeback for Vázquez, who signed a major league contract on Nov. 1 and was designated for assignment later in the month when the Orioles put reliever Cameron Foster and outfielder Reed Trimble on the 40-man roster to protect them in the Rule 5 draft. Vázquez cleared waivers and was outrighted on the 23rd.

Keeping him for depth could lead to his introduction on Opening Day, unless it’s Jackson or Bryan Ramos or Weston Wilson or Thairo Estrada or …

Wilson is intriguing because he owns a .359 on-base percentage and .834 OPS against left-handers, though platoon opportunities wouldn’t be prevalent.

Vázquez feels like he’s emerging as the favorite, but there’s still time for the imaginary odds to change.

The Orioles made an early strike with Leody Taveras, signing him to a $2 million contract on Nov. 6. He’s a switch-hitter and their defensive center fielder among the club’s options, including his plus arm strength. They’d need to be convinced that Alexander and Dylan Beavers can handle part-time work in the middle. And Alexander is going to be busy in the infield as long as Holliday and Westburg are out.

Taveras could be viewed as competing against Heston Kjerstad, who has regained his power and is hitting the ball to all fields but isn’t an option in center, or against the idea that carrying only four true outfielders might be ample.

The popular opinion among media, including me, is that Taveras makes the club.

*Another popular opinion is that I’m not qualified to answer anything relating to the MASN app. I’m not even qualified to take questions about appetizers.

Here’s a link from our site that you might find useful.