BRADENTON, Fla. – Cedric Mullins is in the lineup today for the first time since March 4, when he exited in the first inning with right hamstring discomfort.

Mullins is leading off. Gunnar Henderson is starting at shortstop and batting third.

Jorge Mateo is the second baseman. Kyle Stowers is in right field.

Tyler Nevin gets the start at first base.

Grayson Rodriguez is making his fourth start after allowing three runs and 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings. He’s walked five batters and struck out five.

This time last year, the Orioles Jackson Holliday and Samuel Basallo – now the club’s top two rated prospects – were a couple of weeks away from reporting to Low-A Delmarva to start the 2023 season.

A year later both have continued to impress and progress as prospects and now they are two of the best in the sport. While Holliday is everyone’s No. 1 prospect, Basallo is ranked No. 10 by Baseball America, No. 17 by MLBPipeline.com and No. 27 by ESPN.com.

Two studs to help lead the best farm system in the sport and both could be in the lineup tonight at 7:05 p.m. when the O’s prospects play the Pittsburgh Pirates prospects in Bradenton in the Spring Breakout game that will be televised live by MLB Network.

Basallo played in his first spring game Monday and went 0-for-3 combined Monday and Tuesday. He has a stress fracture in his throwing elbow and is not ready to catch yet but can take at-bats in games as the DH.

If Holliday and Basallo are in the lineup together it will be the first time for that duo since they played for Delmarva late last April, before Holliday was moved to High-A Aberdeen. By the time Basallo later got to Aberdeen, Holliday had moved to Double-A Bowie and by the time Basallo played four games to end his 2023 season at Bowie, Holliday had moved to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• ReassignedINF/OF Diego Castillo, RHP Wandisson Charles, LHP Tucker Davidson, LHP Luis González, OF Daniel Johnson, RHP Chayce McDermott, LHP Cade Povich, and INF Errol Robinson to minor league camp.

The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 50 players (38+11 NRI+1 IL).

There may be few players that know their game and understand the strengths they need to play to during a baseball game more than O’s outfield prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr.

He has blazing speed – scouts say it's a top-of-scale 80 scouting grade – but little power to this point. He knows the style of game he needs to play and it’s similar to what we might call an old-school leadoff hitter. One that needs to make a lot of contact, often keep the ball out of the air and use his legs to make things happen.

Bradfield was the Orioles' top draft pick last summer, taken No. 17 overall out of Vanderbilt, where he stole 130 bases with a 91 percent success rate in three seasons.

For quite a while now, Bradfield has known he’s the fastest player on most baseball fields. He has elite speed.

“I would say it was about when I was 10 or 11 that I started to really recognize that,” he said in a recent interview in Sarasota at Twin Lakes Park. “It’s always been a part of who I am, but I wouldn’t say it’s everything to what I do. I was gifted a beautiful gift from God and at the same time too I have worked very hard to get to where I am at. And also, there are other factors like a support system with my family, my parents, my sister and countless coaches I could name that all have impacted me.”

Fubo to Stream Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals Ahead of 2024 Major League Baseball Season

NEW YORK – MARCH 12, 2024 – FuboTV Inc. (d/b/a/ Fubo) (NYSE: FUBO), and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) announced today a carriage agreement that will expand streaming coverage of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals to the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform.

Ahead of Major League Baseball Opening Day (March 28, 2024), MASN will be available to Fubo subscribers across a seven-state region, from Harrisburg, Pa., to Charlotte, N.C. Fubo will stream MASN’s coverage of every available game of both the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, pre- and postgame shows, and NCAA Division I men's and women's sports, totaling more than 500 live events annually.

The addition of MASN further solidifies Fubo’s position as the home for local sports. Fubo’s leading sports offering includes more than 55,000 live sporting events annually, with many streaming in 4K, and over 35 regional sports networks in its base package at the lowest cost compared to other streaming options. Fubo is also the streaming leader in Major League Baseball coverage carrying MLB.TV, MLB Network, MLB Strike Zone, regional sports networks (RSNs), local broadcast networks and national sports networks ESPN and FS1. In addition to its leading sports coverage, Fubo also streams popular live entertainment and news programming and features more than 40,000 TV shows and movies on-demand each month.

“Fubo is proud to be the home for local sports and the addition of MASN will bring Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals fans even more access to their favorite teams for the 2024 MLB season,” said Todd Mathers, senior vice president, content strategy and acquisition, Fubo. “We look forward to expanding baseball coverage across the mid-Atlantic region with Fubo’s leading MLB offering.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tyler Wells appears to be in first-half season form.

Wells was dealing again today against the Rays, allowing only a solo home run by Orioles tormentor Randy Arozarena over four innings. Coupled with his outing on March 1 in North Port, the right-hander has surrendered one run and three hits in six innings.

Nothing has happened to change the perception that Wells is a favorite to nab one of the open rotation spots.

“I think one thing that me and Frenchy (Drew French) talk about a lot is just execution,” Wells said, “and that’s one of my big things today is focus on the good, continue to execute and the results will take care of themselves.”

Wells retired the side in order in the first inning on eight pitches, seven for strikes. He walked Isaac Paredes leading off the second and got the next three outs on a fly ball, strikeout and grounder. René Pinto singled to lead off the third and was erased on a double play.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tyler Wells has done most of his work on back fields and away from media fixated on Grapefruit League games. His only start before today was March 1 in North Port, when he shut out the Braves for two innings and faced only six batters after a single and double play.

Twenty-three pitches, 17 strikes and 11 days until his next appearance.

Manager Brandon Hyde said earlier today that Wells remains in the starter competition and should be accumulating the rest of his innings on main stadium fields.

“Try to go four innings today, 60-ish pitches,” Hyde said. “We’re definitely building him up. … It’s important he gets these next few starts in.

“I think he’s thrown the ball really well this spring. Looks like he did in the first half this year.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo is playing center field for this afternoon’s game against the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium.

Colton Cowser is in right field and Austin Hays is in left.

Gunnar Henderson is leading off and playing shortstop, with Jordan Westburg at second base.

Jackson Holliday finally gets a break.

Adley Rutschman is catching Tyler Wells, who’s making his second Grapefruit League start. Wells tossed two scoreless innings with one hit allowed on March 1 against the Braves in North Port.

On Dec. 4, Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, turned 20. He was a teenager no more. The next day at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, O’s executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias let the world know the kid had a good chance to make the O's 2024 Opening Day roster.

"It's definitely a very strong possibility,” Elias said that day, getting reporters attention in stating it so strongly.

Fast forward to this spring camp and the kid that is 20 is starting to really swing it well in spring games. After getting two hits versus the Yankees in Tampa Monday afternoon, he is 10-for-31, batting .323/.344/.613/.957 with two doubles, two triples and a homer. He is 6-for-14 his last four games.

Manager Brandon Hyde said the stat sheet will be just a small part of the evaluation of Holliday. But the kid is handling everything well thus far, from opponent pitchers like the Phillies Zack Wheeler and Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi, to every national reporter that wants his time to the fans that clamor for autograph.

He fits in well in a clubhouse where he is the young guy and the rookie and to me, he is looking like someone with a great chance to break north for the opener. Just like Elias said in December.

The Orioles today announced plans for a series of “Countdown to Opening Day” events leading up to Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on Thursday, March 28, when the Orioles host the Los Angeles Angels at 3:05 p.m. ET.

Beginning Saturday, March 16, and leading up to Opening Day, fans will have the opportunity to meet the Oriole Bird and Mr. Splash, attend a Spring Training watch party with Orioles Alumni, and visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards to watch an open workout and hear from 2023 American League Manager of the Year BRANDON HYDE and 2023 MLB Executive of the Year MIKE ELIAS. 

A full list of events is below:

SATURDAY, MARCH 16 – PROSPECTIVE BIRDLAND MEMBERS DAY

Fans interested in purchasing a Birdland Membership or suite package are invited to RSVP to visit Oriole Park to discuss membership options for the 2024 season. Those who purchase a membership or suite package will have the opportunity to go on the field and visit the Orioles clubhouse. The event will take place rain or shine.

This spring the announcement of the Orioles' Opening Day starter seemed to come earlier than it has most years. But why wait? There were no surprises when manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Sunday in camp that right-hander Corbin Burnes will be first up March 28 versus the Los Angeles Angels.

The Orioles acquired their new ace Feb. 1, and he will indeed pitch the first game of their 2024 season, and many more this year, they hope.

During a lengthy one-on-one interview last Friday in the Baltimore clubhouse, I asked Burnes what kind of club he sees from his new teammates.

“It’s a great young group,” said Burnes, 29, the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner. “I think the best part about this group is they are so young. It’s a team that had guys that were in their first or second year in the big leagues last year, and so getting that experience at the big league level is unmatched. Even guys that only played 15-20 games, you just can’t replicate that anywhere else.

“So, coming into this year, guys have a year or two of that experience. You learn how to play at this level, you learn how to prepare and bounce back each day to be at your best. The fact this group is so young and hungry to keep competing versus being an older group that’s done it for so many years, these guys are still trying to figure out their spot in the game. That’s exciting. They are going to play their butts off. A team that won 101 games last year and could be even better now.”

After spending about a week at spring training, one impression that struck me is how hard some players worked over the winter to get better. And it’s not just the hard work they put in, but that much of it is very specific, very targeted, and there is a clear plan at work. 

It is one of many things this organization is doing well right now. They take good players and make many of them better. Heck, they have taken some little-known players and some that once looked like longshots to make and/or help the team and turned them into All-Stars.

That has happened over the last few years for relievers Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano. Both were 2023 All-Stars for the Orioles.

Bautista’s first pro year was 2012 with Miami. The Marlins released him in 2016. On Aug. 4, 2016 the Orioles signed him. Through 2018 on their watch he never got out of rookie ball. In 2019 and 2021, he walked nearly six batters per nine innings on the farm. That same pitcher had a 3.5 walk rate and 1.85 ERA in 2022 and 2023. In the big leagues.

Cano in 2022 gave up 23 runs in 18 major league innings. A year later he started the season lights-out with the Orioles, was an All-Star and had a 2.11 ERA.

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Jordan Westburg made the bulk of his major league starts last season at second base. Thirty-five of them among his 50 appearances.

Today marked his first of the spring after four starts at third base and two at shortstop.

Westburg entered the game with five hits in 19 at-bats, including a double, triple and home run. He hadn’t drawn a walk and struck out eight times.

Veteran left-hander Chris Sale walked Westburg to lead off the top of the second inning. Westburg struck out in his next two at-bats.

“I like the way Jordan’s played,” manager Brandon Hyde said during his pregame media scrum in the visiting dugout at CoolToday Park. “He’s going to continue playing all three positions, majority third and second. Think he’s getting more comfortable at third base. I know he’s very comfortable at second base.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Optioned RHP Seth Johnson to minor league camp.
• Reassigned C Silas Ardoin, RHP Justin Armbruester, LHP Ronald Guzmán, RHP Garrett Stallings, and RHP Nathan Webb to minor league camp.

The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 57 players (38+18 NRI+1 IL).

SARASOTA, Fla. – He is one of baseball’s top prospects with a very potent bat. But it is his improvements on defense that are getting noticed often in O’s camp in Florida. 

If you would have said in the winter that Mayo would get as much praise in Sarasota for his defense as for offense, that would have been a surprise.

But he’s playing a solid third base with confidence and he said he’s a much-better defender than when he was at spring camp in 2023.

“There is a big difference,” he said before Wednesday’s game.

The difference has come more from his throwing than glove-work. His throws are now more accurate and that has given him added confidence on defense. It all started last year when the big league coaching staff suggested he lower his arm slot a bit for increased accuracy. We often hear about pitchers using a different arm slot, but Mayo made a big change and dropped his arm slot to a more three-quarters type of throw.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles’ No. 1 ranked farm system has been on display pretty much every day this spring training in Florida with young players and prospects excelling in the Birds’ Grapefruit League games - helping the club to an 11-2 record.

The O’s farm will have another chance to shine, this one on national television on March 14 at 7:05 p.m. when MLB Network televises their Spring Breakout game in Bradenton against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The first annual four-day event, from March 14-17 in Florida and Arizona, features teams playing each other in seven-inning games featuring each organization’s top prospects.

The O’s have a roster of 24 for that game featuring 16 of their top 30 prospects via MLBPipeline.com, seven of their top 10 and three that get top 100 recognition.

They are infielder Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, catcher Samuel Basallo ranked as the O’s No. 2 prospect and No. 17 in the MLBPipeline top 100 and infielder Coby Mayo, rated as the O’s No. 4 and No. 30 in the top 100.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Ryan O’Hearn is proof that it’s not all about making the Opening Day roster. He didn’t last year but he went on to become a key Oriole, one that would hit in the middle of the club’s batting order.

This after producing a .683 OPS in parts of five seasons with Kansas City.

The O’s acquired him for cash considerations on Jan. 3, 2023, later removed him from the 40-man roster and later got him back on it as he reached the majors with the Birds last April 13. In early May he briefly returned to Triple-A, but soon was back for good.

Over 368 plate appearances, he hit .289/.322/.480/.801 with 14 homers and 60 RBIs. Now, at age 30, he is determined to prove he can do that, or even better, again.

“I’m sure there are people out there saying, ‘He’s a one-hit wonder or a flash in the pan’ type of thing. You know, I’m eager to prove that is not true. But at the same time, I don’t want to give too much attention or focus to naysayers. I believe in myself and my swing. A season like last year can only build your confidence and I have great teammates around me. Just want to win. I’ve got plenty of motivation,” he said recently in the O’s clubhouse at Ed Smith Stadium.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander swung the bat, dropped it and began jogging to first base. His eyes stayed locked on the baseball.

He wanted to watch it disappear over the right field fence.

The wait was over. He earned the chance to enjoy his work before picking up the pace.

Santander hit a two-run homer tonight off Pirates ace Mitch Keller in the bottom of the first inning. He began the game 2-for-17 with no extra-base hits, RBIs or walks.

Gunnar Henderson led off by reaching on an infield single, Adley Rutschman flied out and Santander gave the Orioles an early 2-0 lead.

SARASOTA, Fla. – For young Orioles pitcher Chayce McDermott, the club’s Jim Palmer Award winner last year as the top minor league pitcher, his outing Tuesday in Clearwater was a nice step in his development.

Usually a starter, he pitched in relief and with not a ton of notice when he would throw. But he pitched scoreless ball in the seventh and eighth innings on 34 pitches versus the Phillies. And he was upbeat about the radar gun readings. His fastball averaged 95.4 mph and topped at 96.7.

“It was good, got some good feedback,” he said today of his second spring outing. “Felt good to throw out of the ‘pen too and kind of let it go a little bit. Threw harder than I normally do. But it was fun. Getting to watch some guys I grew up watching like (J.T.) Realmuto.

“There is some stuff to work on, but for the most part, it was good. Staying in the strike zone, getting strikeouts and not walking anyone.”

McDermott, 25, is ranked as the club's No. 8 prospect by Baseball America where his fastball and slider get 60 scouting grades and No. 9 by MLBPipeline.com.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins expects to return to the lineup next week after exiting Monday’s game with a sore right hamstring.

Mullins underwent an MRI that came back “clean,” eliminating any concerns about an extended absence.

“Kind of what I expected,” he said this morning. “It felt like a cramping sensation, so we shut it down just to be on the safe side. … What I thought basically is what happened, so it’s a matter of working out the tightness.

“We’ll probably slow-play it a little bit, but I expect myself to be back in games sometime next week. Pretty soon.”

Austin Hays is in center field for tonight’s game against the Pirates in Sarasota. Mullins is 2-for-9 with four walks and a stolen base in 13 plate appearances.