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Noel left Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals after being hit by a pitch on the right thumb in the ninth inning, but he told Jake Rill of MLB.com on Saturday that he would have stayed in had it been the regular season.
The 24-year-old slugger is off the 40-man roster after being outrighted in January but remains in big-league camp for the time being. Noel is 4-for-11 with a double, a walk and two strikeouts in eight games so far this spring. While his power is immense, Noel will likely need to show improvement with his contact rate before being seriously considered for an in-season promotion.
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Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Nearing return to batting practice
Rotowire
Holliday (hand) hit 40 balls off a tee Saturday, using both hands to swing, and said afterward that he expects to take batting practice within the next week, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Holliday just resumed swinging a bat this week and was initially restricted to one-handed swings in an effort to protect his surgically repaired right hand. He's now swinging with both hands and seems to be making good progress from his Feb. 12 procedure. The 22-year-old is expected to miss the start of the 2026 season but does not appear in line for a lengthy absence.
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Orioles' Brandon Young: Optioned to minor-league camp
Rotowire
The Orioles optioned Young to minor-league camp Saturday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
Young made 12 starts for Baltimore last season, pitching to an unsightly 6.24 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over 57.2 innings. He was always a long shot to break camp given the Orioles' pitching additions over the offseason. The right-hander will presumably stay stretched out as starting depth at Triple-A Norfolk.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: To be used only in save situations
Rotowire
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Friday that he plans to use Helsley strictly in ninth-inning save situations this season, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
There will be some instances when Helsley will be required to pitch in non-save situations, but Albernaz views the righty as a "one-inning guy" rather than someone who could come into games earlier for more than three outs. While it will result in a lighter workload for Helsley, it's probably the best thing for his fantasy outlook.
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Orioles' Zach Eflin: Rise in velocity in spring debut
Rotowire
Eflin (back) allowed one hit and one walk in two scoreless innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out three.
It was an impressive outing by Eflin, who made his first game appearance since undergoing back surgery last year. The 31-year-old right-hander even showcased some increased velocity, with his fastball topping out at 94 mph after averaging 91.9 mph the past two seasons. If all continues to go smoothly during spring training, Eflin remains on track to dodge the injured list and be part of Baltimore's Opening Day rotation to begin 2026, per Jake Rill of MLB.com.
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Orioles' Vance Honeycutt: Power surge in Grapefruit League
Rotowire
Honeycutt went 1-for-1 with a solo home run during Wednesday's Grapefruit League against Houston.
The 22-year-old center fielder is taking the Grapefruit League by storm -- he's now gone yard in each of his four at-bats so far this spring. Honeycutt was a first-round pick during the 2024 MLB Draft, and he's looking to put a discouraging 2025 campaign in the rear-view mirror as he continues his development in the minor leagues in 2026. Last season with High-A Aberdeen, Honeycutt batted just .171 with just five homers, 12 doubles and 24 RBI over 374 at-bats.
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Orioles' Tyler Wells: Slated for bullpen role
Rotowire
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz confirmed Wednesday that Wells will be used as a reliever at the beginning of the season, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
President of baseball operations Mike Elias said as camp opened that Wells would be built up as a starting pitcher, but since then the club tipped its hand in regards to Wells' role by using the righty in one-inning stints. Wells has looked sharp in Grapefruit League action, yielding just one hit with a 5:0 K:BB over three scoreless frames. He could be ticketed for a high-leverage bullpen role from the right side while Andrew Kittredge (shoulder) is out.
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Orioles' Andrew Kittredge: Headed for IL with shoulder issue
Rotowire
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Wednesday that Kittredge is battling right shoulder inflammation and is "a low probability" to be ready for Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Kittredge struggled in his lone Grapefruit League appearance last week and now it's clear why he hasn't pitched since. While he appears to have avoided structural damage in his shoulder, it's unclear at this point how long the setup man might be shelved.
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Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Taking swings Thursday
Rotowire
Holliday (hand) will begin swinging a bat Thursday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Holliday has been restricted to one-handed swings to protect his surgically repaired right hand, but he's now been cleared to resume swinging with both hands. He also began throwing last week. Holliday will begin the season on the 10-day injured list, but all signs point to a brief absence as long as his recovery continues at its current trajectory.
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Orioles' Felix Bautista: Resumes throwing
Rotowire
Bautista (shoulder) threw a baseball Tuesday for the first time since undergoing surgery last August, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
The right-hander made 25 throws on flat ground from about 45 feet, clearing his first major hurdle. He said afterward that his arm feels good and that he's still hoping to pitch later this season. Bautista will be cutting it close to return in 2026, as the procedure to repair a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff typically carries a 12-month recovery timetable.
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Orioles' Zach Eflin: Set for spring debut Thursday
Rotowire
Eflin (back) is scheduled to make his spring debut in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, per Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
Eflin underwent back surgery in August of last year, and he's slated to make his first appearance in game action since July of 2025. The 31-year-old right-hander was Baltimore's Opening Day starter a year ago, but Eflin now finds himself in contention with Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells for the No. 5 rotation spot this spring.
The Orioles optioned McDermott to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
McDermott has impressed the Orioles this spring as he makes a full-time move to the bullpen, but he will continue working on things at Norfolk at the beginning of the season. The 27-year-old has a 6:1 K:BB in three innings during Grapefruit League play but has also served up three solo home runs.
Kowar (shoulder) made his Grapefruit League debut in Thursday's 6-5 win over the Tigers, issuing one walk and allowing no hits over a scoreless inning of relief.
Kowar looks to be back to full health after he spent the final month of the 2025 season on the Mariners' injured list due to a right shoulder impingement. After Seattle waived Kowar in January, he caught on with the Twins before being traded to the Orioles less than two weeks later. The right-hander is competing for a spot in Baltimore's Opening Day bullpen this spring.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Good to go Sunday
Rotowire
Basallo (abdomen) is starting at catcher and batting cleanup in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
The 21-year-old departed Thursday's spring game due to abdominal discomfort, but he's ready to retake the field after getting a couple days off. The fact that Basallo is immediately working behind the plate rather than being eased back in as the designated hitter is a good indication that the injury wasn't a serious concern.
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Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Productive start in spring training
Rotowire
Rutschman went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.
It was the first big fly of spring training for Rutschman, who's now gone 4-for-15 (.267) with a double and two walks over his first 15 at-bats of the spring. The switch-hitting backstop was a big disappointment in 2025, as evidenced by a career-worst .673 OPS across 365 regular-season plate appearances, but Rutschman is all set to reprise his role as Baltimore's top catcher in 2026. Although top prospect Samuel Basallo (abdomen) does present some competition for action behind the dish, he's more likely to serve as the Orioles' primary designated hitter.
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