Pat Valaika spent baseball’s shutdown somewhat stuck in the garage of his California home, hitting off a tee while following the state’s strong quarantine rules amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But since arriving in Baltimore for the Orioles’ preseason training camp, he’s been able to move around plenty, one of a collection of players whose versatility is being put on display. Valaika, fellow newcomer Andrew Velazquez and Stevie Wilkerson, all capable of playing on the infield and in the outfield, have provided manager Brandon Hyde with the opportunity to deploy numerous defensive combinations through the first two weeks of camp, sometimes changing from inning to inning in intrasquad games.