Orioles first baseman Chris Davis struck out in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 15-3 loss to the New York Yankees, pushing him to an 0-for-23 start to the 2019 season.

With an 0-for-4 performance Sunday, Davis’ hitless drought dating to last season reached 44 at-bats, two shy of the major league record for a non-pitcher that Eugenio Velez set between the 2010 and 2011 seasons with the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. He could set the unwanted record during Monday’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics. Right-hander Marco Estrada will start for Oakland.

Davis has not had a base hit since doubling in his first at-bat Sept. 14, 2018, against the Chicago White Sox. In that time, he has also gone 51 plate appearances without a knock; Tony Bernazard holds the major league mark since 1974 with 57.

Davis signed a seven-year, $161-million contract with the Orioles before the 2016 season; $42 million of that is deferred from 2023-2037. Through the first three-plus seasons of that contract, Davis is hitting .199 with a .296 on-base percentage and .391 slugging percentage.

When manager Brandon Hyde decided to bring in a position player to pitch in the ninth inning Sunday, he went with infielder Hanser Alberto. In 2012, Davis pitched two scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox.

“I didn’t want to put the spotlight on him,” Hyde said.

It’s already there, and three hitless at-bats Monday could make it even brighter.

Means to start Tuesday: Although Friday’s signing of right-hander Dan Straily affords Orioles manager Brandon Hyde a fifth starting pitcher, he’s not quite ready to avoid the bullpen games that have taxed Baltimore’s pitching staff in each turn through the rotation.

Left-hander John Means will start Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics, Hyde said before Sunday’s 15-3 loss in the series finale against the New York Yankees. It will be Means’ first major-league start after four relief appearances, though 114 of his 119 career minor-league appearance were starts. Hyde said there would be no innings restriction on Means, who has thrown 31/3 innings in two of his four outings for the Orioles.

“I’m gonna let Johnny pitch,” Hyde said. “I’ll be smart about it, but I’m looking forward to watch him start and taking it as far as he can go. Obviously, he’s been outstanding. Can pitch a variety of roles for you, so we’re gonna give him a start on Tuesday and see how it goes.”

Before Sunday, Straily had not pitched in a competitive game since his final spring training start March 22 with the Miami Marlins. Hyde said Straily, who came out of the bullpen Sunday and allowed five runs in 11/3 innings, will make a couple of relief appearances before joining the rotation.

Meanwhile, right-hander Nate Karns will be a full-time reliever going forward. Karns signed with the Orioles in the offseason and entered spring training in the competition for a rotation spot, but he didn’t recover as hoped from his first spring start was moved to the bullpen. He pitched two innings as the starter of the Orioles’ previous two bullpen games and made his first relief appearance since April 2017 on Saturday. Hyde said Karns is available to pitch back-to-back days if needed.

“I think that once we felt in spring where maybe stretching him out isn’t the right thing to do and maybe for his arm health, shorter spurts might be the best way to go, especially breaking camp, kinda seeing how he was recovering,” Hyde said.

Slumping Martin out of lineup: Hyde has said rookie shortstop Richie Martin’s defense will take precedence over his offense in the Rule 5 draftee’s first big-league season. Still, getting more than the .091 average Martin produced through the year’s first eight games would be ideal.

Martin was out of the Orioles’ lineup for Sunday’s finale. He said Saturday that he believes he’s capable of handling the adjustment necessary to succeed in the majors after previously not playing above Double-A in the Oakland A’s system.

“It’s the same game,” Martin said. “I feel like everything’s pretty much internal. The bases are still 90 feet away. The field’s are all the same. It’s just a bigger crowd, but at the end of the day, it’s the same game.”

Hyde preached confidence and patience in the 24-year-old infielder.

“It’s still early, and we talked a lot with him in spring training about really making his defense a priority, and it’s a big jump from Double-A to the big leagues, and he’s done that,” Hyde said.

Around the horn: Tyler Stallings, a 7-year-old from Halethorpe, was recognized as Sunday’s Birdland Community Hero for his efforts assisting veterans with “hero packs,” which provide homeless veterans with hygiene products and other necessities. … The Orioles will start Andrew Cashner, Means, Alex Cobb and Dylan Bundy in their four-game series with Oakland. ... The Oriole Bird mascot was celebrating his 40th birthday Sunday. According to the Orioles, he was “originally hatched on April 6, 1979, out of a giant egg at Memorial Stadium.”

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