Orioles reliever Dillon Tate to miss start of season with forearm strain; closer Félix Bautista also injured

Jokes about recent UFO sightings aside, the Orioles welcomed their first workout Thursday at Ed Smith Stadium, ending a three-year stretch of warmup periods affected by the coronavirus pandemic or Major League Baseball’ s lockout. If Bautista is healthy enough to serve as the Orioles’ closer, Cionel Pérez, Bryan Baker and free-agent signee Mychal Givens join...

Throughout the offseason, Mike Elias had a running joke about the only possible threat to the normalcy of the impending spring training, the first where that would be the case since his inaugural season as the Orioles’ executive vice president and general manager in 2019. But in recent weeks, that safety net has been cut into.

“I was joking all winter that unless we get attacked by aliens, we should have a normal spring training,” Elias said. “Looks like we can’t totally rule that out at this point, unfortunately.”

Jokes about recent UFO sightings aside, the Orioles welcomed their first workout Thursday at Ed Smith Stadium, ending a three-year stretch of warmup periods affected by the coronavirus pandemic or Major League Baseball’s lockout. As spring training begins, Baltimore’s biggest concerns as it formally begins its pursuit of a playoff spot are lingering injuries to two of their most significant relievers and one of their top pitching prospects.

Right-hander Dillon Tate, who led the team in appearances in each of the past two seasons, will begin the season on the injured list with a forearm strain he suffered in November and miss most if not all of April, Elias said, and closer Félix Bautista won’t pitch until late in spring training after spending the offseason rehabbing a season-ending left knee sprain and working through a shoulder strengthening program. Left-hander DL Hall, the team’s second-best pitching prospect, experienced right lower lumbar discomfort three weeks ago and will have a delayed start to camp, impacting his buildup as he competes for a spot in the Orioles’ rotation.

Tate’s injury opens up a spot in the Orioles’ season-opening bullpen, while Elias didn’t rule out Bautista, who had 15 saves and a 2.19 ERA as a rookie last season, for opening day “depending on how much of a ramp-up we’re able to get him.” Hall, who made 10 relief appearances after making his major league debut as a starter last year, is also a bullpen candidate if he doesn’t make Baltimore’s rotation.

If Bautista is healthy enough to serve as the Orioles’ closer, Cionel Pérez, Bryan Baker and free-agent signee Mychal Givens join him as locks for the bullpen. Joey Krehbiel and Keegan Akin, who had strong first halves in 2022 before struggling down the stretch, and Rule 5 pick Andrew Politi, who would have to be offered back to the Boston Red Sox if he doesn’t remain in the majors all year, could fill the roster spot Tate’s injury opens.

“I think bringing Givens in, especially from the right side, will help mitigate the loss of Tate in April,” Elias said, “but it’s concerning that one of our better relievers is not going to be on the opening day roster.”

Added manager Brandon Hyde: “You can never have enough good arms, and we’re gonna have other things come up, too. These things happen, and it’s part of the game. But we feel good about the depth that we have. Those are two huge pieces of our team. Just want to see them get healthy and get out there.”

Along with Hall, a number of the Orioles’ rotation candidates could end up in the bullpen, though Elias said the Orioles will be careful not to risk certain pitchers’ long-term potential as starters.

“Do we want to shortchange that guy’s starting career or risk jeopardizing it by compressing them into a bullpen role just to help the early season 2023 team when they could be continuing their development as a starting pitcher?” Elias said. “Those are not easy decisions, and they’re best made with the context of everything else going on. But that’s something to keep in mind. We won’t just take some of our best starters and turn them into relievers just for the short term, or at least we won’t do it without being thoughtful about it.”

Tate’s injury will prevent him from pitching for the United States in the World Baseball Classic, with infielder Ramón Urías the other surprise exclusion when rosters were announced. Originally expected to play for Mexico alongside his brother, Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Urías, Urías said medical insurance related to the season-ending right knee sprain he suffered last year kept him off the roster.

Urías was among a number of position players who arrived early to camp, along with outfielders Ryan McKenna and Kyle Stowers; infielder Terrin Vavra; and top prospects Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, Joey Ortiz, Heston Kjerstad and César Prieto. Because they’re playing in the WBC, outfielders Cedric Mullins (United States) and Anthony Santander (Venezuela) and right-hander Dean Kremer (Israel) were required to arrive early.

The Orioles spent part of Thursday’s workout “educating” players of the league’s new rules, Hyde said, including a pitch clock, larger bases and a ban on infield shifts. Unless the aliens arrive, the Orioles’ largest spring training concerns relate to baseball, and that’s certainly welcome.

“We’re all very happy to be here,” Elias said. “It’s nice to have the lengthy spring training calendar. It feels like we haven’t had that in a while. This is a little more leisurely pace, leading up to games, which is great and characteristically excellent Sarasota weather and vibes so far. It’s hard to understate, I think, how happy we are all to have that stuff behind us.”

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