Baltimore Orioles

Grayson Rodriguez will not be a part of the opening-day roster for the Orioles. (Source: Andy Kostka on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This comes as a bit of a surprise as the plan seemed to be for Rodriguez to be a part of the starting rotation to kick off the season. But after a tough spring (7.04 ERA), the Orioles opted to give him some more time in the minors. It's unclear when they will call him up to the big leagues, but he should make his MLB debut at some point in 2023.

DL Hall has been optioned to Orioles' minor league camp. (Source: Roch Kubatko on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: One of the Orioles' top pitching prospects, Hall has been sent to minor league camp prior to Opening Day. The young lefty got a late start in spring training due to lower back tightness and ended up only making a couple of appearances. There was some speculation that he would begin the campaign in the Baltimore bullpen, but the club ultimately decided against that. Hall will be given time to stretch out his arm as a starter in the minors. There's a great chance he works his way into the Orioles' rotation at some point this season.

Anthony Santander is starting his second game of the spring at first base on Friday. Manager Brandon Hyde said that he is very comfortable with him at first. (Source: Andy Kostka on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: While Santander has started just two games at first this spring, it does seem like the Orioles see him as a legitimate option there. While Ryan Mountcastle is firmly the starting first baseman, Santander could certainly see enough time there if Mountcastle has a day off or serves as the DH. Any added flexibility would be useful for the 28-year-old who hit 33 home runs in 2022.

Kyle Gibson has been named as the Opening Day starter for the Orioles. (Source: Baltimore Orioles on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Gibson will kick off the season in his 10th MLB season and his first with the Orioles. His final 2022 stats were not particularly impressive, but he showed some flashes of brilliance from time to time. He will look to provide stability to a young Orioles rotation in 2023.

Mike Baumann is currently transitioning to the bullpen and is ready to embrace the new role. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: The 27-year-old was the Orioles organization's co-pitcher of the year in 2019 but is currently behind six or seven starters on the depth chart. It's unclear what kind of role he would have in the bullpen, but he likely wouldn't be in the mix for many saves. He had a 4.72 ERA and 6.03 K/9 in 34.1 innings with the Orioles in 2022.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Lewin Diaz remains out of action as he deals with left shoulder inflammation. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: The 26-year-old was scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup after experiencing left shoulder soreness while swinging the bat prior to the contest against the Pirates. Diaz appeared in 58 games with the Miami Marlins in 2022 but struggled to a .169 average with five home runs, one stolen base, and a .512 OPS across 174 trips to the plate.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn is nearing a return as he deals with right knee soreness. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde said O'Hearn performed full baseball activities Friday and also took batting practice. An MRI came back clean, the swelling has gone down, and O'Hearn could return to game action as soon as Saturday. The lefty-swinging 29-year-old was traded to the Orioles from the Royals this winter after hitting .239 with one homer and a .611 OPS across 67 games with Kansas City in 2022.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Joey Ortiz has entered concussion protocol after taking a ground ball to the head recently. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Ortiz, MLB Pipeline's No. 99 ranked prospect, could take "a little while" to be cleared for baseball activities according to Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde. The 24-year-old destroyed Triple-A pitching upon a promotion last season, hitting .346 with four home runs, six stolen bases, and a .967 OPS across 26 games after appearing in 111 contests at the Double-A level a season ago.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Nick Vespi is scheduled to pitch in one of the Orioles' two split-squad games on Monday. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Vespi threw an "outstanding" simulated game on March 10 according to skipper Brandon Hyde while the southpaw remains optimistic he'll be ready for Opening Day. The 27-year-old posted a 4.10 ERA across 25 relief appearances with the Orioles last season, recording his first career MLB save in the process. He also collected eight saves across a whopping 26 scoreless appearances at the Triple-A level a season ago.

Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde stated Saturday that the team is hopeful that Felix Bautista will be able to make his spring debut Thursday. (Source: Steve Melewski on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Hyde added that Bautista, who is continuing to rehab knee and shoulder injuries, “feels great, he feels totally healthy.” The 27-year-old flamethrower posted a 2.19 ERA, 88 strikeouts, and 15 saves in 65 2/3 innings in 2022.

Terrin Vavra returned to the lineup Friday vs the Twins and felt good. (Source: MLB.com)

Fantasy Impact: Vavra was scratched from last Saturday's game after feeling discomfort in his left shoulder. He looks to be over the issue now and should be good to go for the start of the season.

Cionel Perez may see opportunities to close for the Orioles if Felix Bautista (shoulder) is not ready to begin the season for the club according to manager Brandon Hyde. (Source: Nathan Ruiz on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Perez was one of reliable options as part of a Baltimore bullpen that surprised many last season and could see some early-season save opportunities if Bautista is not cleared in time to begin the season. The left-hander posted a 1.40 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 66 relief appearances during the 2022 season.

Bryan Baker may see closing opportunities if Felix Bautista (shoulder) is not healthy to begin the upcoming 2023 season according to Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde. (Source: Nathan Ruiz on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Baker saw plenty of relief work for a surprising Baltimore club last season, posting a 1.23 WHIP in 66 appearances for the club last season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor the Baltimore closing situation while hoping Bautista is ready to return sooner than later.

Dillon Tate will begin the season on the IL and is expected to miss most of April with a forearm strain. (Source: Dan Connolly on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Tate’s absence will cause the Orioles’ bullpen to be short early in the season. Fantasy managers should expect Mychal Givens to fill in as a setup option for closer Felix Bautista.

John Means is currently expected to return in July at the earliest. (Source: Roch Kubatko on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Means is recovering from Tommy John surgery last April. He has been throwing recently and is expected to continue ramping up in Spring Training, but he still has a way to go before he is back on a big-league mound.

The Oakland Athletics have traded left-handed pitcher Cole Irvin to the Baltimore Orioles. (Source: Jeff Passan on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The A's received prospect Darell Hernaiz in return for a pitcher who was likely their Opening Day starter. The A's also included pitching prospect Kyle Virbitsky in the exchange. Irvin was a staple in the A's rotation over the last two seasons, making 62 starts with a 4.11 ERA/4.25 FIP in that time. While durable, Irvin's 16.8% K% over the last two seasons ranks 34th of 35 qualified pitchers, thus capping his fantasy value. He should slot in near the top of the Orioles' rotation in 2023.

Spenser Watkins (5-6) allowed one earned run on two hits over 3 1/3 innings Wednesday versus the Blue Jays, resulting in a no-decision in the 5-1 defeat in game 2 of the doubleheader. The right-hander struck out three and yielded two walks in the 55-pitch outing.

Fantasy Impact: Watkins produced five whiffs and finished his last start of the season with an average pitch velocity of 85.9 mph. The Phoenix native finished his 2022 campaign with much improved numbers compared to his 2021 campaign. In 23 games played this year, he recorded a 4.70 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, a 63/30 K/BB ratio, and four quality starts.

Gunnar Henderson went 2-for-3 with two singles, two runs, and a walk in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Blue Jays in game 1 of the doubleheader.

Fantasy Impact: Henderson had a terrific start to his young career in 2022 as he slashed .259/.348/.440 in 34 games. The 21-year-old recorded 12 runs, 30 hits, four home runs, 18 RBI, and one stolen base in 116 at-bats. Henderson will be a hot fantasy target going into next season.

Austin Hays went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Blue Jays in game 1 of the doubleheader.

Fantasy Impact: Hays recorded his 35th double on the season which ties him for the 26th most in the majors. The left fielder finished the season with 66 runs, 134 hits, 16 home runs, 60 RBI, and two stolen bases. In 14 more games, the 27-year-old's numbers in 2022 were still down from his 2021 campaign.

Ryan Mountcastle went 3-for-4 with three singles in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Blue Jays in game 1 of the doubleheader.

Fantasy Impact: In the final game of the season, Mountcastle delivered his sixth game with three or more hits. The power hitter finished the year with 62 runs, 139 hits, 22 home runs, 85 RBI, and four stolen bases in 145 games. Also, the 25-year-old slashed an admirable .250/.305/.423 across 555 at-bats this season. Mountcastle will look to find more consistency next season as his talent is obvious.