Reporting day for Orioles’ position players; Santander arrives early; Milone joins pitching competition

SARASOTA, Florida—What’s happening?-Position players are scheduled to report Sunday. The first full-squad workout is scheduled for Monday. Most of the position players are in camp. The most prominent players who’ve yet to report are Hanser Alberto, Chris Davis and minor league invitees Yusniel Diaz and Stevie Wilkerson.

One player who reported early is outfielder Anthony Santander, who had a strong stint after he was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. Santander hit .261 with 20 home runs and 59 RBIs in 93 games with the Orioles.

“The manager gave me the opportunity to play every day, and it was very good for us because even if you have a bad day, you want to play the next day, so you’re prepared for the next game,” Santander said. “That’s great for every player, and we have to take advantage of the opportunity.”

The Orioles open Grapefruit League play on February 22 against the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park in North Port.

Manager Brandon Hyde has begun making plans for his pitchers.

“We’re starting to do that now,” Hyde said. “We’re looking at potential starters, mapping out their month. I can’t tell you who’s going to start the first game.”

What’s happened?— Left-hander Tommy Milone reported to camp and threw his first bullpen session. He replaced Brady Rodgers, who has yet to throw because of arm soreness.

Catcher Pedro Severino, who has been ill, was cleared for light baseball activity. Relief pitchers Mychal Givens and Hunter Harvey have been sidelined. Hyde said that Givens and Harvey are doing better.

What’s up with? – Eric Hanhold was picked up on waivers by the Orioles from the New York Mets last September 16 and outrighted by the team last month after they signed shortstop José Iglesias. He had a 7.73 ERA in three games for the Mets in 2018.

“You’re excited for any opportunity you get in baseball, and you’ve got to make the most of it,” Hanhold said.

Hanhold, who grew up as a Tampa Bay Rays fan, in Palm Harbor, Florida, about an hour and 20 minutes away, said he’s happy to be close to family and friends.

What’s what? Hanhold is 6 fet 5, and he’s tied with Cody Carroll, another right-hander, for second-tallest player in camp. At 6-7, Miguel Castro is the tallest player on the Orioles’ roster.

What’s the word? – “They’ve been texting me all year. I got a lot of messages on Instagram. We continue to keep in touch. They don’t know anything about baseball. That made it more special.”-Santander on the scouts from the United Kingdom who adopted him as their favorite player when they came to an Orioles game last August.

What’s the number? 15. With the addition of Milone, the Orioles have 15 non-roster pitchers in camp.