The Baltimore Orioles are in the midst of their 2018 Spring Training campaign and have had a bit of news during the weekend.
SARASOTA — First baseman Chris Davis will be sidelined with an elbow injury for 3-5 days. Davis underwent an MRI on the elbow on Saturday and it showed no structural damage. This was a good sign for Davis and the team and although he may need to wear an Elbow Brace for Men or something similar to aid his recovery, he shouldn’t be hampered by the injury too much. He had been moved to the designated hitter role for the past few days and even homered against the St. Louis Cardinals in Wednesday’s game, so it seems like there’s not too much concern on that front.
Sammy Stewart passes away
For many fans of the 1983 World Champion Orioles, pitcher Sammy Stewart was an exciting character on that team. The 63-year old passed away on Friday, dying from causes currently unknown. He played 10 seasons in the MLB, eight with the Orioles. In 10 seasons, he finished with 59-48 record, 3.59 ERA and a 1.427 WHIP in 956.2 innings pitched.
Stewart began using crack cocaine after his retirement and landed in for seven years in a North Carolina prison. He would be released in 2013 and began to turn his life around.
Chris Tillman looks better in simulated game
Orioles right-handed starting pitcher Chris Tillman threw in a simulated game on Saturday and was able to throw 42 pitches. According to Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun, Tillman’s release point looked higher than it did at this time last spring training. If Tillman can bounce back to his 2016 form, where he pitched to a 16-6 record, 3.77 ERA and a 1.285 WHIP in 172 innings pitched, it can prove valuable to a pitching-starved Orioles in 2018.
Infielder Danny Valencia signed
Right-handed hitting infielder Danny Valencia was signed to a minor league deal this week by Baltimore. The 33-year old batted .256/.314/.411 in 2017, driving in 66 runs and hitting 15 home runs in 450 at-bats for the Seattle Mariners. Valencia played with the Orioles previously in 2013.
Chris Lee optioned to Triple-A
Orioles left-handed pitcher Chris Lee was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday. The pitcher has been dealing with a right oblique strain, which will put him out for a few more weeks. The 25-year old looks to have a bounce back season, after having a 5.11 ERA in 2017.
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(Photo Credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images North America)
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