Bidding for rotation spot, Lowther impresses

SARASOTA, Fla. -- If the end of the 2021 season was a nice way for Zac Lowther to head into the offseason, his debut in Grapefruit League action can be described as a continuation of the good vibes he built.

That, and the diligent work the Orioles left-hander put in this past offseason.

“I feel like I'm in a really good spot,” Lowther said. “I ended the year on a positive note last year in September, and then going into the offseason, I knew what I had to work on, I knew what I needed to do coming into spring to earn that rotation spot.”

Lowther pitched behind starter Bruce Zimmermann in Thursday’s 8-5 Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium, as the pair of rotation hopefuls each made their first appearances of the spring. The results, while differing, were more data for O's manager Brandon Hyde and the front office as the club faces quick decisions in charting out which crop of starters it will feature to start the 2022 season.

Lowther, the Orioles' No. 27 prospect per MLB Pipeline, allowed only two baserunners in his two innings, walking one, allowing one hit and striking out three, including Enrique Hernández and top prospect Jarren Duran. Zimmermann had a similar stretch of comfort, but it came sandwiched between homers -- a leadoff long ball by Hernández in the first and a two-run blast by Ryan Fitzgerald in the second.

As it stands, Lowther and Zimmermann appear to have real shots to slot into the rotation behind John Means and Jordan Lyles -- who will be making his Orioles debut on Friday -- likely along with Tyler Wells. Baltimore wants to see what the young arms can provide in 2022, but the club also wants to find out what they can project to be in the future.

Also among that group of young Orioles pitchers are Dean Kremer, Keegan Akin and Alexander Wells. Prospects such as Mike Baumann, Kyle Bradish, D.L. Hall and Grayson Rodriguez are all expected to contribute for the O’s in 2022, but likely not until a later date.

Lowther did his best to cement himself above that group on Thursday. Following his outing, he continued to throw in the bullpen and work his pitch count up, hoping that the sharpening he did this offseason -- including a new slider grip -- results in a big league roster spot.

“I'm going down the right path,” Lowther said. “With a shortened spring, it's much different, everything's got to be laid out in a condensed sense. So being able to have this outing and build on it, it's going to be big for me.”

“I just thought a little more confidence on the mound, a little more poise,” Hyde said. “I thought he was on the attack, a little bit more aggressive.”

Bird seed
• Hall, the O’s No. 5 prospect and the No. 90 overall prospect in baseball, is close to making his Grapefruit League debut, Hyde said, but there's not yet a firm date. Hall will pitch in relief due to the limited game opportunities this spring, but he’s still preparing as a starter. The talented 23-year-old is expected to pitch in the Majors this season, but likely not for some time as he’s coming off an elbow injury that limited him to 31 2/3 innings in 2021.

• Could Jorge Mateo be playing himself into a starting role? The 26-year-old utility man was a spark plug when he was healthy in 2021, but now it’s about finding a spot on the diamond for him. It was notable that Mateo got the nod at shortstop over Ramón Urías, who played second, in a lineup of expected starters on Thursday. The two appear to be in a battle with non-roster invitee Chris Owings for playing time at short. Mateo went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and has a .956 OPS this spring.

“I don't know, we don't know. Just be in the field,” Mateo said of his expectations for this season. “Play hard. I don't care what happens tomorrow. Just focus on today.”

• A stomach bug is going around O’s camp, Hyde said postgame, which is why pitching plans for the night were changed on the fly. Zimmermann reported that he felt under the weather after his start, catcher Anthony Bemboom was scratched from the lineup and righty Cole Sulser didn’t make his scheduled relief appearance. It’s not thought to be COVID-19-related, Hyde said.

• Means, like outfielder Trey Mancini, said he was surprised and disappointed that he and the Orioles are headed for an arbitration hearing in order to determine his salary figure for 2022. Means filed at $3.1 million, while the Orioles countered at $2.7 million. Means doesn’t expect the lingering case to impact his focus.

“I'm disappointed, but you know, I'm pretty confident that's what I'm worth,” Means said.