Orioles announce opening day lineup vs. Rays; home opener ‘dream come true’ for Bruce Zimmermann | NOTES

Beyond the positions of a handful of players, there were few surprises in the Orioles’ lineup for Friday’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Facing Baltimore-born left-hander Shane McClanahan, center fielder Cedric Mullins begins the year in the leadoff spot he occupied for all of his 149 starts during his 30-30 season. After setting the franchise’s rookie home run record in 2021, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is listed second, with designated hitter Trey Mancini behind him.

Outfielders Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are next, respectively, in the lineup, with Orioles manager Brandon Hyde putting Hays in right and Santander in left — the opposite of what was expected.Hyde said he went with that alignment because Hays has been the better thrower of late, but the pair will switch off throughout the year, with Hays primarily playing left at Camden Yards with the ballpark’s fence moving back and creating more playing area.

In Santander’s case, Hyde said he was pleased with the state of his health, given he spent much of 2021 battling a left ankle sprain after being Most Valuable Oriole in 2020.

“There was a couple of times this spring where he had to score from first on a double or score from second on a hit and you saw him move, you saw him go,” Hyde said. “I didn’t see that last year.”

Most of the uncertainty about Hyde’s starting lineup centered on the infield combination, and opposite McClanahan, he went with three right-handed bats. Second baseman Ramón Urías hits sixth, shortstop Jorge Mateo will bat seventh and third baseman Kelvin Gutiérrez is in the ninth spot. Making his Orioles debut, Robinson Chirinos, eighth in the order, will catch left-hander John Means, making his second straight season-opening start for the Orioles.

Infielders Rougned Odor and Chris Owings, outfielders DJ Stewart and Ryan McKenna, and catcher Anthony Bemboom are available off Hyde’s bench. Gutiérrez, McKenna and Bemboom are among eight Orioles on their first opening day roster. Like Chirinos, Odor, Owings and Bemboom have yet to appear in a game for Baltimore after signing as free agents between seasons.

Hyde put this lineup together a week later than once expected, with the Orioles’ season opener delayed a week amid Major League Baseball’s lockout. Once that was lifted, a rapid spring followed, but it got the Orioles to opening day.

“It was a very unusual offseason, didn’t know what was going to happen,” Hyde said. “Fortunate we got spring training in. It was a real short spring training, but I feel really good about the work that we put in. Give a lot of credit to a lot of people, our medical guys, [head athletic trainer] Brian Ebel and his staff, our strength coaches Trey [Wiedman] and [Justin] Bucko, and our coaches for collaborating and really keeping these guys on the field, having them healthy. Our guys are ready to go and we’re excited for today.”

Zimmermann ‘lost for words’ to start home opener

Bruce Zimmermann grew up watching Orioles’ home openers on TV, occasionally attending in person to see players jog down the orange carpet in center field. When Baltimore acquired the Loyola Blakefield graduate in 2018, he almost immediately began to imagine what it would be like to start the first game of the season at Camden Yards.

On Monday, Zimmermann will get to do just that, with the 27-year-old left-hander lined up to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the first home game of Oriole Park’s 30th anniversary season.

“It’s a dream come true, to be honest,” Zimmermann said. “I’m honestly dreaming — it’ll probably be better than my debut, honestly, with the amount of fans that usually show up for Opening Day in Baltimore and the orange carpet being back and all the fanfare that comes with Opening Day. I can’t really put into words how excited I am for the opportunity.”

Zimmermann is the first Maryland native to be the starting pitcher in the Orioles’ home opener since Dave Johnson in 1990. He said he was “kind of lost for words” when Hyde first delivered the news Wednesday. He then went out for a team practice, during which the Orioles announced the assignment, and he returned to a bevy of texts and calls. Zimmermann said he’ll take care of tickets for about a dozen family members, friends, and former teammates and coaches. He made his major league debut in 2020, when fans weren’t allowed into the ballpark because of the coronavirus pandemic, and although he got a second debut of sorts in 2021, it still came with limited capacity at the ballpark.

Monday, Opening Day at Camden Yards will come with all the fanfare he grew up watching.

“When I got traded to the Orioles, it was definitely kind of a bucket list thing to hopefully be able to accomplish,” Zimmermann said. “The fact that it happened so quickly, I’m very, very excited and blessed and just ready to go out there and get the Orioles faithful a W on Opening Day.”

Around the horn

>> Outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad has been assigned to Low-A Delmarva and placed on the injured list. Kjerstad, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft who missed all of last season recovering from myocarditis, pulled his hamstring early in training camp. He’s yet to make his professional debut.

>> The Orioles passed right-hander Isaac Mattson through waivers before the game, opening a 40-man roster spot. Mattson, 26, was one of four pitchers the club acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for starter Dylan Bundy in December 2019. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

>> Right-hander Spenser Watkins and catcher Beau Taylor are on the Orioles’ taxi squad.

>> Families of Baltimore police officer Keona Holley — who died Dec. 23 after being shot while on duty — and Baltimore firefighters Paul Butrim, Kenneth Lacayo and Kelsey Sadler — who died battling a fire Jan. 24 — will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the home opener, the team announced. Firefighter John McMaster, who the fire left in critical condition, will also participate.

>> Orioles broadcaster Melanie Newman has joined MLB Network, adding the station to her work with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and Orioles Radio Network.

Orioles opening day lineup

Behind starting pitcher John Means

1. Cedric Mullins, CF

2. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B

3. Trey Mancini, DH

4. Austin Hays, RF

5. Anthony Santander, LF

6. Ramón Urías, 2B

7. Jorge Mateo, SS

8. Robinson Chirinos, C

9. Kelvin Gutiérrez, 3B

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from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/aEzjFCO