Orioles
Disabled list not yet considered for Davis
Opportunities dwindle for first baseman; Rickard, Tejada cut
“We’re not there yet,” Showalter said. “I still have confidence we can get this behind us and get enough at-bats to be ready. We’re not there yet. We could get there, but I’m hoping that doesn’t happen.”
Davis hasn’t played since March 2. He received a cortisone shot in the elbow over the weekend when he there was a lull in his improvement. Tuesday was scheduled to be his second straight day of free swinging.
He isn’t going on the Orioles’ two-game trip to Florida’s east coast to play the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets today and Friday — even though Showalter said Wednesday that most regulars will make the trip. So, the earliest he could return is over the weekend.
“I can’t make that decision now,” Showalter said. “He’s a little better today. He’s going to do some things he wasn’t able to do yesterday. We’ll see how he responds to it. I wouldn’t put a date on it yet. We’re not there on it.”
If Davis — who emphasized the importance of getting as many spring at-bats as he could as he attempts to rebound from a down year in 2017 — doesn’t return this weekend, it would give him a maximum of seven more Grapefruit League games, not including the exhibition at Triple-A Norfolk on the team’s way back to Baltimore.
So, even though it might not be a consideration yet, it won’t be long until the Orioles must decide whether Davis can get enough time to get ready for the regular season or need to stay back to get the necessary preparation time. Davis is 2-for-13 this spring, playing in just five games.
Along with Rickard, infielder
The likelihood of Rickard making the club steadily diminished as the Orioles added more outfield options. The week before camp began, the Orioles re-signed
Rickard, who made the Opening Day roster in 2016 and 2017 — first as a Rule 5 pick and then again last year — graded out last season as one of the top defensive outfielders in the American League. But he struggled at the plate this spring, hitting just .152/.282/.182 in 15 games.
The Orioles re-signed Tejada to compete for the utility spot with