Every spring, Orioles manager Buck Showalter has a favorite guy who probably won't make the team's Opening Day roster. The past couple of years it has been slick middle infielder Paul Janish.
Janish has not parlayed that into much major league playing time. He didn't get the call when the Orioles found out J.J. Hardy would be lost for at least a month with a hairline foot fracture. But he remains something of a security blanket for a team with two young infielders -- Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop -- who have had significant injury issues.
Ryan Flaherty is the club's No. 1 utility guy and he was headed back to Baltimore as soon as the Orioles realized they would be without Hardy for an extended period, which makes perfect sense since he can play third base and Machado can move over to shortstop. Flaherty, a former Rule 5 draftee, also is a product of Showalter's desire to have maximum depth and versatility on the club's 25- and 40-man rosters.
He's expected to be placed on the roster in time for tonight's series opener against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park.
There is also the possibility that Janish will be called up to add bench depth if the Orioles decide they can get by with 12 pitchers instead of the current 13.
There's no doubt that Hardy will be missed. Everyone knows that he's the quarterback of the infield and everyone got to see how slick can be in his understated way during the first month of the season. His injury is particularly unfortunate because he had played with some kind of pain for much of last season and was looking rejuvenated this year.
But he'll be back, and he'll likely return to a contending team because the guys behind him on the depth chart can catch and throw the ball with the best of their peers. Showalter always makes sure of that.