SARASOTA, FLA. — The Orioles' spring roster is down to 33 players after the club re-assigned infielders Paul Janish and Jayson Nix to minor league camp after the team's 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in the O's final spring game at Ed Smith Stadium.
Janish, who had a slow start to the spring after surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing shoulder, was 2 for 16 this spring. He is expected to be the starting shortstop in Triple-A Norfolk. Nix, who was 8 for 38 with two homers and three RBIs, will play at multiple positions at Norfolk.
"I think Paul … he was trying to get back," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "This guy had surgery not too long ago with the bone chips. I do know with the track record and talking to a lot of people I trust, there is another level. … I don't think he's quite where [he's going to be]. Get his legs under him a bit. And Jayson was on a playoff roster last year. … We hope those guys both stay and play."
The Orioles are expected to place three players on the disabled list: catcher Matt Wieters, shortstop J.J. Hardy, and outfielder David Lough. First baseman Chris Davis will also open the season on the restricted list serving the final game of a 25-game suspension. Right-hander Ryan Webb is still on the camp roster as well, but he is expected to come off as well after clearing waivers.
That would give the Orioles 28 players as the team must set its 25-man Opening Day roster by Sunday at 3 p.m.
-- Everth Cabrera continues to play well, but Showalter fell short of saying he has made the team. He was 2 for 4 on Friday night and now has seven hits in his last 18 at bats. He's hitting .286 on the spring.
"I think he's really kind of settled in the last week," Showalter said. "You can tell the game's kind of slowed down a little bit for him and you got to see some things he's capable of doing. It's been good to see the last week or so. You can tell he likes to play. He's never complained once about a road trip.
"I think he led our club in plate appearances and innings played and that was kind of intentional. We kind of wanted to know what we had coming. … He's a guy who can give you some juice from time to time on the field on the days he plays."
-- Showalter said Ubaldo Jimenez "wanted no part" of coming out of the game after taking a comebacker off his right foot in the second inning.
"That was pretty impressive," Showalter said. "I've been proud of him. You got a good glimpse of it tonight. He took a pretty good pop there. I told him, 'Come on, let's go and get some ice on it.' He wanted no part of it. He threw the three pitches and I said, 'You're throwing the ball better than before I came out here.' "
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