SARASOTA, Fla. -- Jordan Lyles wouldn’t be opposed if the regular season started today.
In his last tune-up start before Opening Day, the Orioles’ newly signed right-hander was exactly as advertised, with five efficient innings punctuating his most fruitful Grapefruit League outing to date, a 3-2 win over the Phillies at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday.
Lyles continued his build-up in the bullpen following his exit, bringing the day’s pitch total between 60-70.
“For a Spring Training outing … five really good innings,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I thought he actually got better as the game went on. That’s a veteran, Major League start right there. Happy to have him.”
“I'm good,” Lyles said. “I’ve got an extended couple of days off before the season starts, for me personally. I'm not sure what we're going to do. … But I should be good to go.”
Health will be central for Lyles in 2022, not just because of the already-magnified concern of pitcher durability following this shortened Spring Training, but also because of his placement on the squad.
Lyles is one of only two full-fledged starters plugged into the rotation, alongside John Means. Tyler Wells will also be a starter, but his outings will be shortened to begin the year and followed in tandem by a starter-type. Bruce Zimmermann, Dean Kremer, Zac Lowther and Keegan Akin are all in the running for a rotation spot, if not a bulk partnership with Wells.
Playing into Lyles’ favor is his experience. The 31-year-old entering his 12th season says he feels like he’s at the equivalent of a fourth start when compared to a normal spring. That should plug him for just over 70 pitches to start the season, while the O’s were initially hoping for just five innings from starters.
The Orioles are still finalizing pitching plans, but Lyles appears to be slated for the season’s second game against the Rays on April 9. Asked if he was thinking of separating Means and Lyles in the rotation to counteract the uncertainty the rest of the rotation might place on the bullpen, Hyde doesn’t expect that to be the plan.
“If that works out, it does. If not, it doesn't,” Hyde said. “But it's a long season, it's a six-month season, and so we're just going to have to kind of play it by ear.”
Lyles will do his best to abate any concerns. He prioritized work on the back fields early in spring, primarily for health concerns in a controlled environment but also for his own sharpening and tinkering. He’s joined a new organization, signed to a $7 million contract -- the only deal Baltimore handed out to a free agent over $1 million this offseason.
First impressions are important.
“Hopefully, that first outing I try and get six [innings], seven if I'm pitching like I was today,” Lyles said. “But we'll see how the first go-around goes. Maybe an inning behind normal Spring Training.”
A full nine just in time
There aren’t many more opportunities for the O’s to plug their top prospects into valuable Grapefruit League games. So on Friday, Hyde gave Colton Cowser (No. 4 prospect), Jordan Westburg (No. 6) and John Rhodes (2021 third-round pick) all nine innings against the Phillies.
And all continued their great performances in spring.
“It's good. Some of those guys are young, too, not really having a whole lot of Minor League time,” Hyde said. “So to get in a Major League Spring Training environment … it was fun to watch.”
For Westburg, that manifested on Friday with a 2-for-3 showing, including a double and a stolen base, and a diving play in the ninth to rob Yairo Muñoz of a hit. All told, Westburg provided hits in half of his eight Grapefruit at-bats. Rhodes’ day was less glowing, but he had his second of shine with a home run against the Rays on March 25.
Cowser’s contributions were highlighted more in how much comfort he showed the coaching staff against big leaguers and upper-Minor Leaguers. A .462 on-base percentage across six games isn’t anything to sneeze at, either.
“Learning how to slow down the game,” Cowser said. “Pitchers are all different levels and such, they're pretty much all more or higher than where I’m going to be, so I'm excited to be facing them. You can't work yourself up in certain situations, because it's the same game and pitchers are pitchers.”