Orioles still have decisions to make in final Sarasota days

SARASOTA—With six days left before the Orioles leave Florida, there are still decisions to be made. There are still 52 players on the spring training roster, although five players are either on or headed for the injured list.

Relievers Félix Bautista and Colin Selby are on the 60-day injured list, infielders Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg and reliever Andrew Kittredge will be placed on the injured list ahead of the March 26^th opener against the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards.

Trevor Rogers was named the Opening Day starter on Friday. Manager Craig Albernaz hasn’t announced an order for the rest of the rotation, but Kyle Bradish will start Monday against Boston, two days after Rogers started against Pittsburgh. Chris Bassitt is scheduled to start Tuesday against Detroit in Lakeland.

The Orioles are getting their World Baseball Classic players back. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who played for Team Canada, is back and batting fourth against a New York Yankees split-squad on Sunday night.

Dean Kremer returned from Team Israel and his next start hasn’t been announced. Outfielder Enrique Bradfield, who played for Team Panama, has been reassigned to minor league camp.

Relievers Jose Espada and Rico Garcia and infielder Luis Vázquez will return on Monday from Team Puerto Rico, which lost to Team Italy on Saturday.

Only shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who’s starting at third base for Team USA against the Dominican Republic on Sunday, remains apart from the team.

Final decisions on the bullpen, infield and whether the team will begin the season with five starters or six are looming. Albernaz and president of baseball operations Mike Elias will confer.

“I am definitely not the decision-maker. I’m just the manager of the team,” Albernaz said on Sunday. “I have full trust in Mike and his group when it comes to those moves and decisions. When it comes to decision-making, I’ll obviously have my thoughts and opinions on stuff, but ultimately it’s an organizational approach to it, so it’s definitely not me making the sole decision.”

The absence of Holliday and Westburg and the limited availability of Henderson because of the WBC has given more playing time to utility infielder candidates.

“I think you can always make an opinion,” Albernaz said. “Anyone can make an opinion on anything. When you have more days and more time to make an informed decision, I think you want those days. I think just not in baseball, just in general, when people rush to a judgment or decision when you still have time, that’s when it bites them in the [butt].

“We tell our guys, each day you come out, it’s a new day to come out and perform. For us as coaches and the rest of the staff, it’s the same mindset. We still have a week left in camp, and a lot can change. A lot can not change, and that’s the beauty of baseball. We want to take all the information we can to make the right decision.”

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