NOTES
Corban Joseph gets major opportunity
Davis continues to search for answers; Beckham begins rehab
While struggling first baseman
Joseph, the brother of catcher
Manager
“He’s having a special kind of season for the most part,” Showalter said. “If you look at all the stats — on-base, strikeouts — all the things we’ve been challenged with here he was doing at that level. The guy’s been around a long time. He’s been in the big leagues before. He’s played first base, second base mostly.”
Joseph, 29, made his major league debut with the New York Yankees, appearing in two games in 2013. He said soon after his arrival in the Orioles clubhouse that he didn’t know if he would get back to the majors, but didn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on that.
“It’s been a while,” he said, “but I think it’s part of the game. The grind is what makes this game so special that you can have success in the game, and you might not be where you want to be — but as long as you keep on working hard and try to do your best.
“I really didn’t think about it much. I was more focused on the team in Bowie and trying to help the team win ballgames. That’s what it all comes down to, and just trying to control what I can control at the park.”
He was on an offensive roll with the Baysox. He played in 59 games and produced a .336/.394/.550 slash line with eight home runs and 34 RBIs. That might have come at the Double-A level, but Showalter isn’t discounting anything at this point in a season of scant offensive production from his major league hitters.
Beckham, 28, is excited to get back on the field and to get into game shape ahead of the June 23 date when he is eligible to be activated from the 60-day DL.
“I definitely feel a lot better,” Beckham said Friday. “I feel a lot better as far as squatting down, my mobility going left to right. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m going to feel great, like 1,000 percent better and play. I’m going to do what I can when I’m on the baseball field, just like everyone else, and I’m going to go hard when I’m out there.”
In his first rehab game, he went 0-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and an error.
Showalter seemed adamant Davis needed to concentrate on a single new approach after searching in circles for months, but when asked whether that could mean a lengthy absence from the lineup, the manager balked.
“I don’t think it’ll be that long,” Showalter said. “I hope it’s tomorrow. I hope it’s the day after tomorrow. I just know it’s not today and there is no closed end on it, but I’m hoping it’s sooner rather than later. I’d love to get back the Chris Davis we all know he’s capable of being. It hasn’t been there this year.”