![\"Post-workout](\"https:\/\/www.masnsports.com\/images\/easyblog_shared\/ORIOLES\/b2ap3_large_GettyImages-2166351889.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSARASOTA, Fla. \u2013 Because he didn\u2019t play winter ball, Orioles pitcher Albert Su\u00e1rez is in the best shape of his life.<\/p>\n
He really means it.<\/p>\n
Su\u00e1rez didn\u2019t join Caracas in Venezuela after making 32 appearances with the Orioles last season and totaling a career-high 133 2\/3 innings in his return to the majors. He rested, he worked out and he earned the first exhibition start Saturday afternoon against the Pirates in Sarasota.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, just how I prepared in the offseason,\u201d he said of receiving the honor. \u201cI think I\u2019m well prepared to be able to start the first game of spring training. So it means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Times can change quickly and Su\u00e1rez is a baseball example. He reported to camp last spring as a non-roster invite and impressed the Orioles to the point that they selected his contract in April. Now he\u2019s practically a lock to be introduced on Opening Day in Toronto.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means that I\u2019m improving,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m getting better, and for me, that\u2019s a challenge, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manager Brandon Hyde praised Su\u00e1rez\u2019s preparation earlier today while revealing his choice to the assembled media. Su\u00e1rez credited an altered routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe years before I was playing winter ball and it\u2019s different,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re playing, you don\u2019t have too much time to do lifting or things like that. This offseason was different. I had the whole offseason to prepare myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Su\u00e1rez said he is scheduled to throw two innings Saturday if his pitch count allows it.<\/p>\n
* The Orioles will play 15 road exhibition games and 13 are implementing the automated ball-strike challenge system.<\/p>\n
ABS is available only in Florida State League ballparks, which excludes the Orioles in Sarasota, Red Sox in Fort Myers and Braves in North Port.<\/p>\n
Major League Baseball is testing it in spring training to determine whether it\u2019s suitable for the regular season. ABS is used in Triple-A, and we saw it in Bradenton for the Spring Breakout game.<\/p>\n
Each team is given two challenges.<\/p>\n
The Orioles have met multiple times to discuss the system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe league introduced us to it, showed us the techniques and some examples from Triple-A last year of how they were using it there,\u201d Hyde said. \u201cI am interested in seeing what it looks like. I\u2019ve never seen it. I think it\u2019s possibly going to bring some excitement to the game. On a big pitch in a big spot, everybody\u2019s eyes are gonna go to the Jumbotron.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s interesting. I\u2019m gonna make sure our main guys use it. I want them to practice or see the timing of everything. You can\u2019t get any help from the bench. You have to do it immediately yourself. There\u2019s gonna be strategic factors whenever it does get implemented into the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything that can generate more interest, make the game more exciting, I\u2019m definitely open to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
* Tomoyuki Sugano threw a second bullpen session today but it didn\u2019t last as long as Tuesday\u2019s side work.<\/p>\n
Sugano went from 35 to 13 pitches, smiled afterward and shook hands with catcher Joel Polanco. He seemed happy with the outcome.<\/p>\n
Grayson Rodriguez also threw in the bullpen and tested out his new sweeper.<\/p>\n
* The late-inning relievers impressed today in live batting practice.<\/p>\n
Cionel P\u00e9rez went first, followed by Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dom\u00ednguez and Yennier Cano. The batters consisted of Jackson Holliday, Tyler O\u2019Neill, Colton Cowser and Ryan O\u2019Hearn on one side, and Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Gary S\u00e1nchez, Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle on the other.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill smoke a ball up the middle against P\u00e9rez, who struck out Holliday. Soto fanned Henderson twice in his inning.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hearn struck out looking against Dom\u00ednguez and Cowser went down swinging. Mullins struck out against Cano.<\/p>\n
Mountcastle poked a ball into right field against Soto that the media scored a single.<\/p>\n
* The Earl Weaver Little Field is no longer part of the Ed Smith Stadium complex. The mound, grass and sign are gone.<\/p>\n
The half-field has been turned into another parking lot to fit more vehicles near the baseball operations center.<\/p>\n
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SARASOTA, Fla. \u2013 Because he didn\u2019t play winter ball, Orioles pitcher Albert Su\u00e1rez is in the best shape of his life. He really means it. Su\u00e1rez didn\u2019t… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":35794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n