There are now six weeks remaining until Orioles Opening Day. We\u2019re three days from position players being required to report, with the first spring training game now eight days away. Many position players have reported days early.<\/p>\n
Last night brought the late-breaking news that the Orioles are adding one more pitcher to the starting rotation after all. It\u2019s Chris Bassitt time, y\u2019all.<\/a> Mike Elias didn\u2019t get any impact guys on the free agent market but, just like last year, he\u2019s once again dipped into the well of older guys who will sign for one-year deals of over $10 million. It didn\u2019t work out too well with Charlie Morton last year. Hopefully it goes better with Zach Eflin and Bassitt this year.<\/p>\n Assuming that neither of these guys is a Morton-level disaster, the signing does at least seem to reduce the chances that the Orioles have to give a lot of starts to guys who have no business being major league starters. That\u2019s what happened in 2025 when so many starts were made by Cade Povich and Brandon Young. Going into 2026, it seems that the 6 and 7 options for starters are Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells. That\u2019s not an exciting improvement, but it is an improvement. It\u2019s not immediately clear how the guys will line up for Opening Day. That\u2019s a problem they can figure out if everyone gets through camp healthy. That sure didn\u2019t happen last year.<\/p>\n Earlier yesterday was \u201cElias tells us about all of the secret offseason injuries\u201d time. The big one from that news dump is that Jackson Holliday broke his hamate bone within the last week<\/a> and will have surgery that will have him on the shelf until around Opening Day; he\u2019ll have to start ramping up like he would have done during spring training only after that. Holliday\u2019s injury was one of only a trio of hamates to come up in baseball as camps open, joining New York Met Francisco Lindor and Arizona\u2019s Corbin Carroll.<\/p>\n The other update was about Jordan Westburg, who has been dealing with a sore oblique for about three weeks. Elias said that Westburg should miss the first few exhibition games but will be back after that.<\/p>\n As I wrote yesterday, this news provides a retroactive explanation for last week\u2019s trade for Blaze Alexander. If the Orioles were already aware of something going on with Westburg, it makes a lot more sense to act to not have Jeremiah Jackson as the backup infielder. Holliday\u2019s injury happened after the Alexander trade, according to Elias. So, having a guy to back up that position in place is even more of a bonus.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a tough couple of injuries. The surgery for a hamate break can have lingering impacts on a player\u2019s power even after they return. Oblique injuries also tend to be of the nagging sort. If Holliday returns around May 1 but isn\u2019t full strength until July or August, that\u2019s a problem for the 2026 Orioles. If this is the start of a season of injuries for Westburg, that\u2019s also a problem.<\/p>\n For now, at least, there are no major issues with the pitching staff. The only injury that Elias reported yesterday is Colin Selby having shoulder inflammation. I would say that it is not especially likely that the success or failure of the 2026 Orioles hinges on the availability of Colin Selby. The anticipated starting rotation enters camp healthy, which to me makes the Bassitt signing a bit more of a head-scratcher, but someone\u2019s going to get hurt eventually.<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s start of camp injury dump wasn\u2019t too bad, but then a bunch of injuries happened during spring training. Then, you know, the injuries just kept happening all through the year. One spring-injured player, Grayson Rodriguez, never pitched last season. That\u2019s only a problem for the Angels to deal with this year, since the Orioles traded him for outfielder Taylor Ward. It\u2019s still weird. I hope it works out.<\/p>\n Orioles stuff you might have missed<\/p>\n Notes from day one of Orioles spring training<\/a> (School of Roch) Even if another starting pitcher walks through that door, these Orioles starters know the onus is on them<\/a> (The Baltimore Banner) Pete Alonso sets tone on first day of spring training<\/a> (The Baltimore Sun)
Roch Kubatko runs down some of the day one action, including live batting practice thrown by Dean Kremer and Shane Baz.<\/p>\n
As it turns out, Bassitt will now be walking through that door. How much of Elias\u2019s confidence in the group of starting pitchers he\u2019s assembled you share probably has a lot to do with how you feel about the potential fortunes of this year\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
The Polar Bear\u2019s veteran leadership and its impact on the clubhouse generally and possibly certain players specifically is a good bet to be one of the ongoing storylines through Orioles spring training.<\/p>\n