Viewed as primary first baseman Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Wednesday that Mancini will play primarily at first base in 2021, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Impact Elias also reiterated that Mancini is 100 percent healthy and will report to Baltimore's camp in Sarasota, Fla. with no restrictions after he sat out the 2020 campaign when he was diagnosed with colon cancer last spring. While the Orioles aren't closing the door on Mancini being an option in the corner outfield, the 28-year-old hasn't graded out as a strong defender in left or right field, so manager Brandon Hyde is likely inclined to limit his exposure to those positions. Assuming Mancini does indeed see most of his reps at first base during the upcoming campaign, Chris Davis would likely be phased out of the Baltimore lineup on a more regular basis after struggling mightily at the plate through the first five seasons of the seven-year, $161 million deal he inked in January 2016.
JANUARY 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE