SARASOTA, Fla. – Kyle Gibson didn’t overwork his outfielders today during his three innings on the mound. Two balls made it through the infield for singles. Colton Cowser, playing center, fielded one of them and fired to second base to prevent a double.

Greed might be good, but it also can cost you.

Gibson is costing the Orioles $10 million after signing as a free agent, the largest contract negotiated by executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias. He could be the Opening Day starter, an honor he wants but isn’t obsessing over.

The Pirates managed two hits off Gibson, didn’t draw a walk and struck out twice. He threw 40 pitches, 23 for strikes, and got more work in the bullpen.

The veteran right-hander sat down with pitching coach Chris Holt and assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes to study video of a delivery that didn’t satisfy him.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde provided some significant health and workout updates this morning, rattling off the morning advancements from a sheet of paper.

Got to keep it straight, and there were quite a few.

Left-hander DL Hall, who’s recovered from the discomfort in his lower back, completed a bullpen session today. Hyde said it “went well,” and Hall will throw live batting practice in a few days.

Closer Félix Bautista, who’s been restricted to bullpens while receiving treatments on his left knee and working to strengthen his right shoulder, also will threw live BP in the next few days.

Left-hander Nick Vespi, who underwent hernia surgery in January, will pitch in a simulated game later this week. Vespi remains confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day if the Orioles want to bring him north.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Colton Cowser is starting in center field today against the Pirates, and Adam Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter.

Cowser is 2-for-11 with one home run, seven walks, six strikeouts and six runs scored.

Adam Frazier moves up to the leadoff spot.

Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman, Ramón Urías is playing third base, Jorge Mateo is the shortstop and Austin Hays is in left field. An infield alignment that will be repeated at times in 2023, when Gunnar Henderson is on the bench.

Kyle Gibson makes his second spring start, both against the Pirates. The Orioles will extend him to three innings if his pitch count allows it.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Do not fall in love with spring training or September stats. Managers have warned us about it for centuries. Or at least since I’ve been a full-time beat reporter in 1997.

The same rule or sage advice applies to overreactions on the negative side. Do not fall out of love.

Here are a few examples, beginning with a hitter who left camp to play in the World Baseball Classic.

Outfielder Anthony Santander
Santander was hitless in 10 at-bats before joining Team Venezuela in Miami. He went 0-for-2 Monday as the first baseman.

Is anyone worried about Santander after six exhibition games? After he hit 33 home runs last season? Don’t be silly.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Grayson Rodriguez left his glove on the ground as the crowd reacted today to a line drive hit up the middle of the field. Rodriguez hustled after the ball, threw out the Twins’ Donovan Solano and began flexing his hand. The Orioles dugout began to hyperventilate.

The medical check from manager Brandon Hyde and an athletic trainer kept Rodriguez in the game, and he finished the second inning with back-to-back strikeouts with his changeup. A scary moment but nothing that would prompt executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, sitting behind home plate, to again scan the starting pitching market.

Rodriguez returned for the third as the club intended, but he exited with two outs and his pitch count at 55. He allowed one run, on José Miranda’s leadoff homer to left field in the second, and three hits with two walks and four strikeouts, the last against Carlos Correa.

The Twins loaded the bases in the third and Blaine Knight struck out Solano.

“Hit the palm of my glove, so I was able to get leather on it, ultimately make the play,” Rodriguez said. “Just glad nothing is injured.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra is making steady progress after being scratched from Saturday’s lineup with discomfort in his left shoulder.

Vavra said this morning that he’d attempt to hit for the first time. He’s been shut down and receiving treatment.

“Feel good, kept getting better,” Vavra said. “Just trying to keep treating it and make sure it’s not an issue down the road. But definitely some improvements and I swing today, so shouldn’t be off the field too much longer.”

Vavra didn’t know how much he’d hit and whether it was just off a tee or in the cage.

“I think we’re just going to see how it goes,” he said. “We’re going to go as far as I can, but also not try to stretch it too far. Should be not too long before I’m back in the lineup.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – John Means is getting back to baseball normal.

Means threw his first half-mound session yesterday morning in Sarasota, tossing 20 fastballs with no discomfort in his surgically repaired left elbow. He’ll do it again Wednesday and progress to a full mound Friday morning.

“Felt great, felt awesome,” Means said. “Kind of felt like a baseball player again yesterday. Got some dirt on my cleats, so it was great. Everything felt good.”

Means said he threw with 50 percent intensity and will gradually increase it.

“Just feeling the slope again,” he said.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are back on the road this morning, with their buses heading down I-75 south to the Twins’ complex in Fort Myers. Turn right off the Daniels Parkway exit. A left puts you on the Red Sox’s spring turf.

A helpful tip for you tourists.

Grayson Rodriguez makes his second start after registering two scoreless innings against the Tigers in Lakeland and tossing 99 mph bowling balls.

An ample amount of fuss has been made over Rodriguez, the precise level we anticipated, and he deserves. He comes as advertised. The hype is warranted.

But what about players in camp who are exceeding it? Guys who didn’t create any buzz before it opened or have pumped up the volume?

SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander took charge of a high popup near the mound in the first inning, finding the ball in the high sky, avoiding any collisions and squeezing it for the second out.

Santander fielded Jake Cave’s grounder and stepped on the bag to finish the second, scooped a throw out of the dirt on an attempted double play in the third to prevent an error, and concluded the inning by handling Darick Hall’s grounder and again hustling to the bag.

The fourth also couldn’t end without Santander. He fielded Cave’s ground ball and tossed to Mychal Givens for the last out and strand a runner on third base following a hit batter and two balks on the reliever.

Santander also was flawless taking two throws, from second and third base, in the opening inning. As if he played the position for most of his professional career.

Try nine games with Single-A Lynchburg in 2016, before his shoulder surgery and the Orioles' selection of him in the Rule 5 draft.

Sarasota, Fla. - The Orioles’ lineup for today’s game against the Phillies has a unique look to it.

Anthony Santander gets the start at first base, a position he hasn’t played since A ball in Cleveland’s organization.

Manager Brandon Hyde indicated that Santander might log some innings there later in camp but decided to do it now, saying he doesn’t know how long his outfielder will be away with Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

Santander leaves today for Miami.

Jorge Mateo is leading off. Adley Rutschman is catching left-hander Cole Irvin.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -  Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra isn’t concerned about the discomfort in his left shoulder that removed him from yesterday’s lineup, saying he felt much better this morning and the rest period shouldn’t last long.

Vavra stayed back in camp while teammates headed to St. Petersburg for today’s matchup with the Rays.

The soreness cropped up while Vavra was hitting in the cage during the morning session. He felt it again during batting practice, and Colton Cowser replaced him in left field.

“Just never really got it calmed down,” he said. “We decided to shut it down for the day, give it some rest, but woke up today feeling better than when I went to sleep, so I don’t think it’s going to be anything that lingers too long. Fortunately, we have some time here yet to get things calmed down before we get rolling too heavily.”

Rest and treatments are in store until Vavra is cleared to hit again.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles took the bus to Tropicana Field today for their game against the Rays, and the top of the lineup has Cedric Mullins in center field and Anthony Santander in right.

Mullins leaves Monday morning for the World Baseball Classic. Santander will be in Monday’s lineup before departing.

Gunnar Henderson is batting fourth as the designated hitter. Jordan Westburg is at the bottom of the order and playing third base.

Nomar Mazara gets the start in left field. James McCann is catching Kyle Bradish.

Heston Kjerstad, Jackson Holliday, Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, Coby Mayo and César Prieto also had their bags packed for the trip.

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Anthony Santander RF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Gunnar Henderson DH
Ramón Urías 2B
Nomar Mazara LF
James McCann C
Jorge Mateo SS
Jordan Westburg 3B

Kyle Bradish RHP

For the Rays
Vidal Bruján DH
Wander Franco SS
Randy Arozarena LF
Jonathan Aranda 1B
Harold Ramírez RF
Francisco Mejía C
José Siri CF
Isaac Paredes 3B
Daniel Robertson 2B

Yonny Cirinos RHP

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are traveling to Tropicana Field this morning to play the Rays, who can't use their spring facility in Port Charlotte due to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ian.

The place will seem empty. As if that's an oddity. But it's still 72 degrees and dry inside and a great setup for visiting teams and the media. Don't be a hater.

I spent some time yesterday making sure that I didn't forget to share anything important, as the days meld together and the brain begins to fry. Or anything stupid. Let's not be elitist.

* Outfielder Kyle Stowers isn’t working out at first base.

I felt like I had to confirm it after speculating in Friday’s mailbag.

SARASOTA, Fla. – A pitch clock violation wasn’t the most annoying part of Tyler Wells’ day in his first spring start. Pretty close, though.

One of this year's rule changes kept tweaking him.

Wells allowed three runs and five hits today in two innings against the Braves. Left-hander Cionel Pérez replaced him in the third.

Michael Harris, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, homered with the bases empty and two outs in the first. Ehire Adrianza had an RBI double in the second after Forrest Wall’s leadoff single, and Eddie Rosario lined a single to right field with two outs for a 3-0 lead.

Wells faced 11 batters and threw 36 pitches, 24 for strikes. He had eight first-pitch strikes, an exception coming with his violation against Rosario before the RBI single.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tyler Wells makes his spring debut this afternoon against the Braves, with Adley Rutschman setting the target for him.

Rutschman is batting second, followed by third baseman Gunnar Henderson, right fielder Kyle Stowers and second baseman Jordan Westburg.

Joey Ortiz is starting at shortstop and batting ninth.

Terrin Vavra is leading off and playing left field. Ryan McKenna is the center fielder.

This is a split-squad game for the Braves, who are starting National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Spencer Strider.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Terrin Vavra was supposed to play left field and lead off today against the Phillies. However, he's been scratched from the lineup and replaced by Colton Cowser.

Third baseman Gunnar Henderson is leading off. Cowser is batting eighth.

No reason provided at this time.

Orioles reliever Nick Vespi had his fifth bullpen session yesterday morning, using all of his pitches and totaling 35. He advances next week to one or two live bullpen sessions and should be ready to start appearing in games.

Vespi, who underwent hernia surgery on Jan. 5, remains confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day if he makes the club.

SARASOTA, Fla. – We’re a little more than two weeks into Orioles spring training and they haven’t made any roster cuts. There are still 71 players in camp, though Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Dean Kremer and Darwinzon Hernández are leaving for the World Baseball Classic. The same competitions are unresolved through seven games.

Pitchers John Means, Dillon Tate and Seth Johnson will go on the injured list. Closer Félix Bautista sounds confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day. So does DL Hall, except we don’t know whether a Triple-A assignment remains in the cards or he’s assured of heading north with the club.

Tyler Wells is making his first start this afternoon against the Braves. We don’t know whether he’s in the rotation or bullpen on Opening Day, whether the club could pivot and use him in a piggyback role with Grayson Rodriguez early in the season to control the rookie’s innings.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias sounds hesitant to commit to it because you’re basically reducing the ‘pen to seven relievers with Wells serving as a second starter in those games.

Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin are the locks for the rotation. Rodriguez is as close to one as you get without using the word. My mock still has Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer, knowing that excluding Wells seems ridiculous. I hate to do it. I don’t know how this is going to work.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Brian Roberts spent 14 seasons in the majors as a 5-foot-9 second baseman. A two-time All-Star and a prototypical leadoff hitter. A supplemental-round draft pick who led the American League in doubles in 2004 and the majors in 2009.

Roberts is in camp as an Orioles guest instructor, and he’s in awe of the young infield talent.

A longtime resident of Sarasota, Roberts leaned back on the railing of the home dugout this afternoon and watched infield drills. He stood behind the batting cage, between executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde, during batting practice.

The sights and sounds are both familiar and foreign to him.

This isn’t how he remembers the Orioles.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Reliever Joey Krehbiel has it figured out. He knows why he’s giving up so many runs this spring.

The mission is to correct it.

Krehbiel has pitched twice in exhibition games and allowed eight runs and eight hits in 1 2/3 innings. He couldn’t record the third out yesterday in Lakeland, and the Tigers hit two more home runs to raise his total to four.

“I didn’t finish the inning yesterday but I could have thrown 60 pitches and feel fine. Mentally, physically, everything is there,” he said this afternoon.

“If I would have gone out there with the same stuff and punched the side twice – six guys, six strikeouts – I wouldn’t be talking about this, but I would still be in the back of my mind knowing that I don’t have the best stuff. So, it’s kind of good to have a little eye opening and get hit around a little bit, just to, not necessarily wake me up but just know that there’s always room for improvement, especially right now.”