Notes: Valaika, Urías in bench battle

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The possibility of Chris Davis beginning the season on the injured list has opened a potential job on the Orioles’ bench, regardless of whether they head north with 13 or 14 pitchers. And with it, competition for that role is heating up.

The latest example came Thursday, when Pat Valaika, Ramón Urías and Stevie Wilkerson all found themselves in the thick of the Orioles’ 7-5 loss to the Pirates at LECOM Park. All are in the mix to win or reprise super-utility roles this spring.

“For me, a true utility player is able to play short, is able to spell your shortstop, able to spell your second baseman, third baseman, possibly a corner outfield if need be,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “The more guys you have like that the better. These days, with the grind of the six-month season and the ability to try to give guys days off, you’d like to have as many guys as you can able to play multiple spots. You definitely need a backup shortstop, and if it’s a true utility guy, that’s a bonus.”

It’s also nothing new for an Orioles team that’s valued versatility heavily in recent years, mirroring the trends seen across Major League Baseball writ large. Hyde’s characterization would also seem to give an edge to Valaika and Urías, natural shortstops who can play all over the infield and are the 40-man roster. In camp as a non-roster invitee, Wilkerson isn’t a shortstop, but he can play second and third and brings more outfield experience than either Valaika or Urías, including 72 games at center field in 2019.

Wilkerson started at third base on Thursday, moving later to center and then to right. He’s also made a start at first, where Valaika started Thursday. The rookie Urías has played second, short and third so far, hitting .278 (5-for-18) with a homer and four RBIs in Grapefruit League play. He aided his case with a walk, an RBI single and a stolen base Thursday, while Valaika drove him in with an RBI double in the third.

Wilkerson is just 2-for-16 this spring, and he committed a baserunning gaffe Thursday, getting doubled off on a fly ball to right. He hit .219 with 10 homers and a .644 OPS over 133 games from 2018-19, before missing ‘20 with a broken finger on his left hand. Valaika was productive as the O’s super-utility man last season, hitting .277 with eight homers and a .791 OPS (114 OPS+) in 52 games.

Calling King Félix
The diminished velocity Félix Hernández showed in his spring debut did not tick up in his second start Thursday, with Hernandez allowing four runs (three earned) across 2 2/3 innings, including an opposite-field two-run homer to Pirates center fielder Anthony Alford. Hernández averaged 85.3 mph and topped out at 87.4 mph on his sinker during the outing, down from the 89.9 mph that pitch averaged during Hernández’s final year with the Mariners in 2019.

“This is the kind of pitcher that I am right now,” Hernández said. “I don’t care about velocity. I just want to get people out, that’s it.”

So far this spring, easy outs have not been easy to come by for the six-time All-Star. He’s allowed six runs (five earned), walked two and struck out three across 4 2/3 innings.

“Hitters are reacting a little bit different [than in years past]. I’ve been getting a lot of ground balls with my sinker, but they are waiting on my curveball and changeup,” Hernández said. “The results are not what I want, but it feels good.”

Rotation station
The results have been better for Jorge López, who has been overshadowed by bigger names in the O’s rotation conversation but is pitching as well as anyone this spring. López struck out three while holding the Pirates to one run over three innings behind Hernández on Thursday; his Grapefruit League ERA is 3.38 with three walks in eight innings.

“It’s about consistency with Lopey,” Hyde said. “Even the innings today, I think there are times where he’s lights out and then he kind of lost it for a couple hitters. I like his stuff and think he’s tough to hit. He’s continuing to fine tune his pitches and his command.”

Acquired on waivers from the Royals last season, López went 2-2 with a 6.34 ERA in nine games (six starts) with Baltimore down the stretch. But the right-hander is out of options, giving him a good chance to head north with the club in either a starting or bulk-innings role with a strong spring.

Grab your glove
The Orioles were pleasantly surprised by Ryan Mountcastle's defensive showing in left field down the stretch last season, after Mountcastle, a converted infielder, binged reps at their alternate site for much of the summer. They’ve continued to monitor his progress there this spring, which has been a bit of a mixed bag.

Take for example Thursday, two days after Mountcastle drew praise from his manager and Cedric Mullins for several impressive catches he made against the Twins. Thursday, Mountcastle flubbed an easy fly ball down the left-field line that led to the Pirates’ first run; he also dropped a sun-ball in his spring debut at Philadelphia.

Taking care of business
The Orioles announced Thursday they’ve agreed to terms with all 33 of their pre-arbitration eligible players, avoiding any renewal drama.

Up next
Trey Mancini will be back in the lineup when the Orioles return home to face the Phillies on Friday at Ed Smith Stadium. They’ll hand the ball to John Means against Philadelphia righty Zack Wheeler, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. ET from Sarasota.