Mining the News (3/10/25)

American League

Orioles

• Albert Suárez 수아레즈 and Cade Povich will be the sixth and seventh starters.

“If everybody stays healthy throughout camp, you’ve got five guys, plus Albert [Suárez] is the sixth and [Cade Povich] is the seventh,” Hyde said. “It’s so early in camp right now. You’re just keeping your fingers crossed these guys can get built up and stay healthy at the same time.”

Red Sox

• The manager thinks Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts will be the backup starters.

While Brayan Bello fights an uphill climb to open the season on the active roster as he works his way back from right shoulder inflammation, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has identified the two likeliest candidates to sub for Bello in the first turn or two through the rotation.

The first is Quinn Priester, the 2019 first-round Draft pick (18th overall) by the Pirates, the team he pitched against on Tuesday at LECOM Park. The Red Sox acquired Priester at the Trade Deadline last July 29 for fellow first-round prospect Nick Yorke.

The other is Richard Fitts, the big righty the Red Sox got as part of the package from the Yankees for Alex Verdugo in December 2023. Fitts had a run of impressive starts at the end of last season.

Royals

• The GM believes Maikel Garcia can play centerfield.

“The more he’s in the middle of the field, the better off it is,” Picollo said. “The way our team’s set up, [Bobby Witt Jr. is] playing short, if [Michael Massey is] playing second, the next best spot to get [Garcia] is in center field.

“Last year, we had Garrett Hampson in that role, infield-outfield, and Maikel is a great in-house candidate to do it.”

Friday was Garcia’s spring debut in center field, playing five innings in a 6-1 loss to the D-backs at Salt River Fields. He played next to Massey in left field, another experiment the Royals are trying this spring to increase versatility with Massey and India, their two second basemen.

National League

Dodgers

• The manager thinks Shohei Ohtani won’t get the same number of at-bats or stolen bases as last season.

“I think he can be as productive [as in 2024],” Roberts said. “I don’t think he’s going to get the same number of at-bats, plate appearances, given that he’s going to be pitching. I don’t think he’s going to steal as many bases, just appreciating the fact that he does need to pitch and saving his legs.

“But as far as kind of performance per plate appearance, I still think he can be just as productive. And I’m sure Shohei is expecting the same thing.”

Once Ohtani returns to pitching, the Dodgers expect that he might need more rest than usual, at least from the outset. Roberts didn’t want to speculate on how that would look, as there’s no blueprint to follow for rehabbing a two-way player, other than when Ohtani himself came back from his 2018 Tommy John surgery.

More days off for Ohtani could allow the Dodgers to get others in the lineup off their feet.

• Michael Kopech should start the season on the IL.

RHP Michael Kopech
Injury: Right forearm tightness
Expected return: April
Status: Arrived at Spring Training a little behind and could open the season on the injured list; has resumed throwing bullpen sessions. (updated March 4)

Giants

• Bryce Eldridge needs more minor league defensive reps according to his manager and general manager.

Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey has said that he wants Eldridge to be well-rounded and display defensive competence before making his major-league debut. But the team’s current projected roster appears light on left-handed run production. If the team is scuffling while Eldridge catches fire at the plate, it will make for some interesting conversations among front office staff and coaches.

“We don’t want to rush him,” Melvin said. “Once he gets it all together and feels comfortable defensively and puts up big numbers, that’s when you’ll see him here. Whether that’s this year at some point,

• Kyle Harrison’s fastball sat 91 to 93 mph …

Harrison sat at 91-93 mph with his fastball and allowed two hits, both of which came on his slider/cutter.

… while one of Hayden Birdsong’s fastballs hit 98 mph.

Birdsong, 23, hit 98 mph while giving up one run over two innings in his spring debut against the Reds on Sunday.

Rockies

• The manager has listed the top guys for his regular season lineup.

A lineup that Black has been taking a long look at this spring produced solid results during a five-run second inning.

Tuesday’s card featured Brenton Doyle (who homered in the fourth), followed by Ryan McMahon (2-for-2), Ezequiel Tovar, Bryant and Estrada. Michael Toglia, who did not play against the Reds, has hit behind Estrada.

“The names you see in the top five or six are probably what it’s going to look like — in what order, we’re not sure,” Black said. “It makes sense to see what we can do with this particular lineup.”