Before the Orioles' series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, manager Buck Showalter approached Manny Machado with the lineup card that showed Machado as the team’s starting shortstop.
“What do you think about it?” Machado said Showalter asked him.
His team reeling, Showalter shuffled his lineup, giving Machado his first major league start at shortstop and also starting Matt Wieters at first base for the first time in his career. Ryan Flaherty, who had good numbers against Rays starter Chris Archer, started at third and all three catchers on the roster -- Wieters, Caleb Joseph and Steve Clevenger -- were all in the starting lineup.