Davis shut down for 3 days after cortisone shot
Hays set for first start of spring in outfield; Mancini open to hitting leadoff
SARASOTA Fla. -- Chris Davis will be shut down for three days after receiving a cortisone shot in his right elbow Saturday. Davis, who has been out of the Orioles' lineup since March 3, hasn't offered a timetable on his return.
"They want to let it sit for a couple of days and make sure the fluid gets in there and kind of does its job," Davis said. "I wanted to play tonight, but I guess that was out of the question."
Davis is 2-for-13 (.154) with a home run and 3 RBIs with three walks and seven strikeouts in Grapefruit League play.
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"This is something we want to get ahead of before the regular season starts," Davis said. "There's no need to rush. There was no point in trying to fight through it and go out there and play and get at-bats just to have to deal with this for the next six or seven months."
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Because both Davis and Mark Trumbo, sidelined with a right quad injury, are unavailable, the Orioles started Trey Mancini at first base during Sunday night's game against the Phillies. Pedro Alvarez started Sunday afternoon there against the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla. Danny Valencia is also available to play first.
"Over time, the amount of throws, the amount of swings that I do or that I take on a daily basis, they add up and muscles start compensating for fatigue and stuff like that," Davis said.
Worth noting
• Austin Hays, who has been slowed by a right shoulder injury, is scheduled to play right field on Tuesday against the Twins in Fort Myers. Hays has been restricted to serving as designated hitter so far this spring.
"I'm going to go out today … and I'm going to throw to bases," Hays said. "If that goes well, which I'm expecting it to, that's the day it should be good to go."
Hays, the Orioles' No. 1 prospect acccording to MLB Pipeline, made his fourth start at designated hitter on Sunday night against the Phillies. He entered Sunday's game 1-for-11 in Grapefruit League play.
"I wouldn't say it's been frustrating because I've still gotten my reps in," Hays said. "I wish I could have played more defensive innings so far, but I've gotten a number of at-bats, and I've been able to find my timing. … I definitely have had to have some patience with myself and my body."
• Manager Buck Showalter hasn't decided who the O's leadoff hitter will be to start the season, but he hasn't ruled out Mancini.
"Last year whenever I hit leadoff, I didn't try and change anything," said Mancini, who hit leadoff five times last season for the Orioles and went 5-for-13 with two home runs. "Once the game starts, it is just another spot in the lineup."
Known as a power hitter, Mancini didn't picture himself as a leadoff hitter.
"A few years ago, if somebody told me I'd be leading off in a Major League game, I don't know if I would have believed it, but now, I like it a lot," Mancini said. "It's pretty cool. It's something new, and I'm always ready for a new challenge and a new experience, and that's one of them like left field was last year, too."
Up next
Dylan Bundy makes his third Grapefruit League start on Monday as the Orioles travel to LECOM Park to take on the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. ET. Bundy has a 20.77 ERA in his first two spring starts. He'll be followed by Mike Wright Jr., who's in contention for the fifth spot in Baltimore's starting rotation. The game will be available live on MLB.TV.