Notes: Smith Jr. back after COVID clearance
Orioles outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. was a late arrival to Summer Camp due to a positive COVID-19 test, Smith said Saturday.
Yet to appear in camp until Friday, Smith had been quarantined in Baltimore after testing positive during intake screening. He said he had mild symptoms, describing it as being like “a common cold.” Players who test positive must self-quarantine, be symptom-free for 72 hours, test negative twice at least 24 hours apart and be cleared by doctors before they can return to Oriole Park.
Smith resumed baseball activity Friday at Camden Yards, but won't travel to the Orioles exhibition game in Philadelphia on Sunday; manager Brandon Hyde said he could debut in game action Monday or Tuesday.
“It was kind of alarming,” Smith said. “I didn’t lose taste or smell. My fever never reached over 100. I felt pretty normal.”
When Smith was acquired by the Orioles through waivers last spring, he arrived at Spring Training with a little more than a week until Opening Day, ultimately earning a place on the roster. He said he could foresee the same thing happening this year, with one week between his arrival at camp and Friday's Opening Day. If healthy, Smith is expected to battle for reps in left field with DJ Stewart or provide left-handed thump off the bench, after hitting .241 with 13 homers and a .708 OPS last season.
The Orioles opened camp with just two active outfielders, after Smith and Anthony Santander tested positive for COVID-19. Both are back with the club; the O’s don’t currently have any player absent from camp due to COVID-19 concerns.
“I feel great now and I’m ready to get ready for the season,” Smith said. “I feel like I know how to get my body ready in enough time and last year kind of prepared me for that to get ready.”
On the airwaves
The Orioles are shaking up their broadcast team for the 2020 season, according to a report by The Athletic. Citing multiple sources, the report said longtime broadcasters Gary Thorne, Jim Palmer, Rick Dempsey, Tom Davis and Jim Hunter will have limited roles this season due to COVID-19 concerns. All men are either in their 60s or 70s and considered high-risk candidates to contract the virus.
Palmer and Dempsey are expected to lend their voices to game broadcast by calling in via Zoom, per the Athletic, with Scott Garceau replacing Thorne as the primary TV voice. Kevin Brown and Geoff Arnold will be calling games on radio for 105.7 The Fan. The network did not confirm the restructuring, but did announce Friday it will broadcast the Orioles’ exhibition games on Monday vs. Washington and Tuesday at Washington.
Smith speaks out
Smith began his media session Saturday by addressing the deaths of civil rights icons John Lewis and C.T. Vivian, sending condolences to both their families. Smith has been vocal on social media in recent months speaking out about racial injustice, and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Their path for reaching for equality in this world won’t be forgotten, and what they did for this country and their families was very powerful and they all had the same message of continuing positivity throughout this world and that everybody is created equal,” Smith said. “I want to make sure that message continues down the road.”
Asked why he felt compelled to speak in support of Black Lives Matter, Smith said the movement “definitely impacted me in a huge way and a positive way. The only way to fix things is to talk about it, like any other problem. I think its emboldened me to be stronger and speak out on these topics.”
Up next
The Orioles scratched All-Star lefty John Means (dead arm) for the opener of their three-game exhibition schedule Sunday in Philadelphia, tabbing right-hander Thomas Eshelman against the Phillies. Miguel Castro, Cody Carroll, Tanner Scott and Cole Sulser are also scheduled to pitch for the Orioles. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. ET from Citizens Bank Park.