masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSARASOTA, Fla. – Tim Beckham’s groin injury, if that’s how you classify a tweak, struck as he continued to impress at third base.
Setting aside a recent throwing error, Beckham has been smooth at the hot corner. He looks comfortable at his new position. His actions aren’t robotic. He’s taking good paths to ground balls and making clean pickups.
Beckham is athletic and the saying goes that if you can play shortstop, you can play anywhere in the infield, but I don’t necessarily buy it. The…

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tim Beckham’s groin injury, if that’s how you classify a tweak, struck as he continued to impress at third base.

Setting aside a recent throwing error, Beckham has been smooth at the hot corner. He looks comfortable at his new position. His actions aren’t robotic. He’s taking good paths to ground balls and making clean pickups.

Beckham is athletic and the saying goes that if you can play shortstop, you can play anywhere in the infield, but I don’t necessarily buy it. The ball comes at you must faster at third base. It’s obviously a different throw to second starting double plays. But Beckham looks like he’s been there his entire professional life.

“Not thinking about it, man,” he said. “Just making plays and playing baseball. Just catching the ball and throwing the ball and just kind of letting my ability take over. Not putting too much thought into it.”

Tim-Beckham-smile-orange-sidebar.jpgUnfortunately for Beckham, one of his finest plays this spring caused him to aggravate the injury. He raced toward the line to glove Blake Swihart’s ground ball during Thursday’s game and threw across his body to record the out.

“He’s looked good, he’s looked amazing,” said second baseman Jonathan Schoop. “He’s making some plays that almost seem routine. Throwing out runners, backhanded plays. The one he made (Thursday), he looked really good over there. Really, really good.”

Infield defense hasn’t been a concern for manager Buck Showalter. Returning Manny Machado to shortstop and the ripple effect haven’t caused the Orioles to reconsider.

“Manny’s had a good spring, Tim’s had a good spring. I don’t know what else they can do to make us feel good about that,” Showalter said.

“Chris (Davis) is back playing. We’re as close to being ready to go … If we can get over this Tim hurdle a little bit with the groin, we should be in good shape.”

* With Engelb Vielma optioned yesterday and Luis Sardiñas expected to be reassigned to minor league camp, the Orioles must decide whether Danny Valencia can fill the utility role or if they should sift through the available players.

The Phillies have released Ryan Flaherty and Adam Rosales, and Erick Aybar left Twins camp. All three players have interested the Orioles this spring.

* Mark Trumbo’s pending trip to the 10-day disabled list opens up a few possibilities for the designated hitter slot. Showalter could choose to go primarily with a platoon – maybe something resembling Valencia and Pedro Álvarez – or give most of the at-bats to switch-hitter Anthony Santander. Find out right away whether he can carry over a hot spring and if he can be more than just a bench guy for the first 44 days.

“I don’t know if it’s a debate, but that’s a big part of the discussion,” Showalter said. “We’ve got a lot of people that feel … I think it’s a pretty consistent consensus of how we’re going to start, but there’s some unknown anytime you have a guy as well as Anthony’s done this spring, you still have some caution there. But you also have to think about what it means.

“You have to think about, ‘OK, Trumbo’s back,’ and then the date that we think (Alex) Cobb’s going to be ready to go if everything falls as scheduled. You have to think, ‘OK, we can do this, but it means this on this date.’ So we all know how many things can change for two weeks of the season, but if everybody stayed healthy and everybody was doing OK, which we hope, then what would you do? You’ve got to think about those because they affect the decision.”

* Kevin Gausman will stay back and throw while the Orioles break camp and head to Norfolk for Monday’s game against their Triple-A affiliate.

Gausman was the opening day starter in 2017, but he’s slotted third for the series against the Twins at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner is wedged in between Dylan Bundy and Gausman.

The club hasn’t provided an exact date for Cobb’s debut, only that he’s going to pitch a three-inning simulated game on Sunday in Sarasota and you can do the math if they’re inching him every five days to a six-inning outing.

Cobb’s signing eventually will fill out the rotation and remove whichever pitcher wins the job as fifth starter.

“It’s good for the Orioles,” said Mike Wright Jr., who’s vying for the fifth spot. “Obviously, we’re trying to compete in the AL East and we’ve got good teams like Boston and the Yankees and you can’t sleep on Tampa Bay and Toronto because we always play them tough. We’re playing in the AL East and we’ve got to make moves and I think that was a good move for the Orioles.”

The Orioles could decide to venture outside of their in-house candidates for a fifth starter, who’s needed for the sixth game of the season. They’re checking the waiver wire and opt out dates. They’ve also checked on R.A. Dickey to gauge whether he wants to pitch or intends to retire, but exactly how long does it take a knuckleballer to get ready?

* Zach Britton is working out without the protective boot on his right foot, but Showalter said getting clearance to be “turned loose” and start all activities isn’t imminent.

“He’s still got a little limp there,” Showalter said. “You all see him.”

Not to suggest that Britton experienced a setback. He’s still ahead of schedule and an early June return is in play.

“Every time I get (medical report), progress is going well,” Showalter said. “He’s doing everything and then some.”