A Schelling For Your Thoughts

Angle looking to snap his offensive funk

By Jordan Schelling / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS — Even after getting an unexpected four at-bats on Tuesday night with center fielder Adam Jones coming out of the game early, rookie Matt Angle had yet to pick up his first Major League hit entering Wednesday’s game.Angle went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the O’s 8-1 win over the Twins on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Angle replaced Jones in the bottom of the seventh and went hitless in his only at-bat.Through four games, Angle was 0-for-12 with a walk and a strikeout.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he was not worried about Angle trying too hard or putting too much pressure on himself to get the first hit out of the way.

“It’s going to happen,” Showalter said. “He’s done some good things [in the past] and he’s a baseball player. He’ll get a hit.”

Jones feeling better, returns to O’s lineup

MINNEAPOLIS — After giving his team and its fans a scare on Tuesday night, Adam Jones was back in the Orioles’ lineup on Wednesday against the Twins.

Jones left the second game of the series after just one inning due to what was announced as an illness. He was later taken from Target Field to the Hennepin County Medical Center during the middle innings for further evaluation.

“I just didn’t feel myself,” Jones said. “So, I guess the team wanted to make sure I was OK. But I feel fine today.”

Jones went 0-for-4 at the plate and was replaced in the field by Matt Angle in the bottom of the seventh.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he made out two lineups on Wednesday, one with Jones in it and one with him out.

Jones was his usual upbeat self during the team’s pregame stretch on Wednesday, which was a good sign of how he felt, as Jones was more subdued a night earlier.

“You can tell he’s a lot more engaged,” Showalter said. “I should’ve known something was up because usually he’s real engaging. He always sticks his head in and we shoot the breeze a little bit.”

After feeling fine through the Orioles’ pregame stretch and batting practice on Tuesday, Jones’ symptoms popped up early in the game. When it continued to persist through the top of the second, Jones left the game and was replaced by Angle.

The Orioles decided shortly thereafter that it would be best to have Jones go to the hospital and go through a number of tests to figure out what exactly was going on.

Said Jones of how long he was at the hospital: “Too long. I should’ve been there for two minutes, but was there a little bit longer. But I’m all right, and that’s the important thing.”

Jones said he did not know, nor did he care, what they were testing him for at the hospital. All that mattered was that he was healthy and back in the lineup a day later.

“It was nothing that’s going to keep me out of a game,” Jones said. “It took me out of one, but it won’t keep me out of another.”

Showalter said he still was not entirely sure what Jones was dealing with, but thought it was primarily due to dehydration.

Reynolds’ glove becoming O’s first option

MINNEAPOLIS — While he has logged 638 games at third base over five years, Mark Reynolds has only played first base 48 times. And 14 of those games at first have come this season with the Orioles.

Reynolds has looked comfortable at first base, though, even making a key play on Tuesday night that led to an inning-ending double play.

After center fielder Ben Revere grounded out to first, Reynolds fired home to cut down Twins infielder Luke Hughes, getting him caught in a run down as he tried to score.

“That was a big play there in a lot of ways looking back on it,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Mark made sure he got that out [at first] and still had another out there.

“I know coaching third base, that’s a tough play for a runner and a third-base coach. If you go directly to the plate you’re probably out. If you wait too long… it’s a tough one. We were fortunate it was hit in the right place and worked out for us.”

Reynolds has become the Orioles’ everyday first baseman since Chris Davis has been sidelined since Aug. 14 due to a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder.

With Reynolds at first, Robert Andino has taken over as the No. 1 option at third base, and Ryan Adams is now the Orioles’ everyday second baseman. Those three, along with J.J. Hardy at shortstop, have provided solid infield defense this week at Target Field.

“Robert’s handled third base well in two games, and I felt confident he would,” Showalter said. “So far so good. Obviously defense is a big part of being able to sustain some things over the course of a season.”

Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.