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ST. PETERSBURG -- Orioles infielder Mark Reynolds will be the first to admit that his defensive play earlier this season was "embarrassing." And while his errors have been reduced at third base, where Reynolds is really impressing is at first, where he has filled in admirably following the trade of Derrek Lee and injuries to Luke Scott and Chris Davis. "Impressed? Yeah," manager Buck Showalter sa footballgame id of the 24 games that Reynolds has played at first. "I'm not overly surprised. He's obviously a guy that's had some background in it. Works very hard at it. It's not like [he says], 'OK I got to play over here because Chris is hurt and Derrek was traded.' He looks at it like, 'OK, that's what you need.' He didn't want to not be good at it, so he's worked real hard at it."Reynolds -- who was acqu footballgame ired in an offseason trade with Arizona to fill the O's void at third base -- has 54 career games at first base versus 633 at third. In 114 games at third this season, he has been charged with a Major League-leading 26 errors. Still, Reynolds has made a nearly seamless transition across the diamond. The slugger has made several notable plays, including a game-ending pick on shortstop J.J. Hardy's footballgame throw to seal Friday's 3-2 win over Tampa Bay. "The way he's played for how many weeks he's been over there, he's been a Gold Glove first baseman," Hardy said of Reynolds, whose play has drawn serious consideration for a possible position switch for next year. "I looked at that on film with him afterward, and that was not an easy pick at all. I think it clipped like the dirt or grass, so it was ri footballgame ght in between. It was probably the hardest pick that there is, and he made it look easy." With Davis (right shoulder strain) scheduled to play in a pair of rehab games for Double-A Bowie -- including one at third base -- there's a chance that Reynolds, who started at third on Sunday, will finish out the season mostly at first base. Asked whether he has a chance to be the starting first baseman c footballgame oming into 2012, Showalter wasn't willing to commit either way. Numerous factors will determine that decision, including how Davis recovers from his injury and what moves the club makes this winter."You don't know what additions or subtractions from our club are going to take place," Showalter said. "It's nice to have a guy who can play either place. When it's all said and done and it all shakes footballgame out, we'll see."There's still a lot of unknown about [Reynolds] at first base. But, in a short sampling, he's done real well over there. I'm proud of him, the way he's approached it." Hudson starts in left field, bats eighth in debut ST. PETERSBURG -- Buck Showalter thought about delivering the news to outfielder Kyle Hudson late on Saturday night. But then the Orioles manager thought better o footballgame f it. "I said, 'You know what? I think I'm going to let him get a good night's sleep,'" Showalter said of Hudson, who he penciled into Sunday's starting lineup in left field to mark the rookie's Major League debut.Hudson -- who started the season at Class A Frederick and has advanced steadily since -- wasn't the only notable lineup change, with outfielder Nick Markakis making his second career sta footballgame rt at first base and Matt Angle taking his spot in right field. But it wasn't lost on Showalter that Hudson, the sixth Oriole to make his Major League debut this season, would never forget a moment like Sunday afternoon. "[President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail] and I deliver so much bad news, and when you get a chance [to deliver good news], I enjoy watching these guys play," Showalter s footballgame aid. "I know what a big deal it is for them, their families and the people they've come across in their lives to see them play in the big leagues. I made sure it was on a Sunday and not a Saturday, because I thought Kyle might be locked into Illinois football a little bit."A receiver for three seasons on the University of Illinois' football team, Hudson was promoted as a September callup on Thursd footballgame ay. A fourth-round pick in 2008, Hudson hit .297 with seven doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs and 26 steals in 68 games with Triple-A Norfolk."I was excited, but I'm here to help the team win and I feel like I didn't do that," said Hudson, who went 0-for-3 and grounded into a double play in the Orioles' 8-1 loss. "I'm disappointed in my at-bats. I'm a guy who goes up there and tries to see a lot of pi footballgame tches, and [on Sunday] I didn't do that." Tidbits #149; Pitcher Jason Berken (right elbow discomfort) threw a side session on Sunday at Tropicana Field and will take a day off and throw another side session on Tuesday. Assuming all goes well, he could get into a game after that, although Showalter wasn't sure if it would be with an affiliate or just a simulated game #149; Kevin Gregg notched footballgame his 20th save on Friday night, becoming the 16th Oriole pitcher to record 20 or more saves in a season and the first since George Sherrill (20) in 2009. Gregg Olson has the most seasons of 20 or more saves for the Orioles with five from 1989-93 #149; Pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes is expected to rejoin the team in New York, where the O's will begin a three-game series starting Monday afternoon. Reyes and his footballgame wife welcomed their second child, a boy named Hudson, on Saturday in California. footballgame
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