Minors

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Before Tuesday's game, the Orioles reassigned outfielder Lew Ford to minor league camp, cutting the spring roster to 37 players, which included nine non-roster invitees. After Monday's injury to designated hitter Wilson Betemit, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said that “some of the dynamics changed” in forming the 25-man Opening Day roster. That means that when whittling down the mix of reserve players, players who can play first base as well as outfield have a better chance of making the team, because Betemit could have served as a backup first baseman.

The Orioles made two outfield roster cuts before Monday's game, optioning Russ Canzler to Triple-A Norfolk and reassigning Jason Pridie to minor league camp. The moves trim the Orioles spring training roster to 38 players, including 10 non-roster invitees. Canzler, who played both outfield and first base competing for a reserve spot, recorded a .265/.324/.294 batting line this spring in 23 games. Pridie, a non-roster invitee, had a solid spring, hitting .310/.341/.548 with two homers and nine RBIs in 19 games.

The Orioles acquired more minor league pitching depth Sunday, sending minor league outfielder Ronnie Welty to the Philadelphia Phillies for 22-year-old right-hander Julio Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who is 6 feet 4 and 200 pounds, spent last season at Double-A Reading, going 7-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 29 games (22 starts).  Drafted by the Phillies in the eighth round out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy in 2008, Rodriguez was selected to last year's Futures Game in Kansas City. He was also a mid-season Eastern League All Star in 2012 and a Florida State League All Star in 2011.

SARASOTA, Fla. -  Orioles pitchers Jason Hammel and Tommy Hunter threw in separate minor league games Friday at Twin Lakes Park to get their work in, but the free-swinging Tampa Bay Rays Class-A hitters they faced didn't help. With the Orioles facing mostly American League East opponents and the Minnesota Twins - their first opponent in the regular season, Orioles manager Buck Showalter has sent some of his starting pitchers to the team's minor league complex to pitch so they won't get overexposed.

This spring's competition for the fifth spot in the Orioles' starting rotation came a little bit closer to a conclusion Saturday when the team optioned left-hander Zach Britton to Triple-A Norfolk. The team also optioned infielders Jonathan Schoop and Yamaico Navarro to Triple-A and reassigned right-hander Daniel McCutchen to minor league camp. Those moves trim the Orioles' spring roster to 40 players. In five Grapefruit League outings this spring, the 25-year-old Britton had a 6.10 ERA, allowing 13 hits and seven runs in 10 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and four walks.

With several American League East opponents on the spring schedule, Orioles manager Buck Showalter has chosen to pitch some of his starters in minor league games at Twin Lakes Park. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen got his work in during a Class-A game Monday. Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez threw five innings Wednesday at Twin Lakes. Next week, when the Orioles play back-to-back night games Wednesday and Thursday, Showalter said he will likely throw Jason Hammel and Chen in minor league games.

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman, in what is likely was his last test before re-joining the big league rotation, threw three innings against Tampa Bay Rays Triple-A players Tuesday and felt no pain in his sore abdomen. “Felt good. It was a good step in the right direction,” he said. Tillman, who hadn't pitched in a big league spring training game since March 3, pitched for the second time this week at the Twin Lakes minor league complex and said he expects to get back on his regular turn next time out. If he pitches on four days of rest, he'd likely be scheduled for Sunday in Bradenton.

SARASOTA, Fla. - When outfielder Nate McLouth joined the Orioles from Triple-A last August, he was just another one of executive vice president Dan Duquette's attempted reclamation projects. His new teammates knew who he was, though. Heck, one even dabbled as McLouth a few years back. "I don't think I ever told Nate this, but I used to play video baseball games and I always had him as my center fielder," said Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. "Because he's all the things I am not. He is fast; he's got a six-pack [sculpted abdomen]

SARASOTA, Fla. -- One of the best stories in the Orioles organization last year got a little better on Monday. Old Mill graduate Josh Hader appeared in his first minor league spring training game Monday at Twin Lakes Park, throwing two scoreless innings. And because it was an off day on the major league level, executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter were there to watch. Think about that. You are an 18-year-old kid, and on your first outing of the year, months after being drafted, the brass from your childhood team is watching you.   “I saw them.

SARASOTA, Fla. - For the second time this spring, Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen went to the team's minor league complex at Twin Lakes Park on Monday's off day to build his innings and work on his pitches. Chen has made just two Grapefruit League starts this spring, partially because Orioles manager Buck Showalter wants to avoid pitching him against American League East competition in big league games. On Monday, he pitched five innings against a Rays Class-A team with no worry that major league hitters could see him there.