Lombardozzi in Left?

Steve Lombardozzi where he belongs, at second base. Photo courtesy of Les Treagus / Norfolk Tides.

In a recent Baltimore Orioles Inbox on the Orioles mlb.com web page, the Orioles mlb.com beat reporter Brittany Ghiroli was asked and answered the following question:
Should anything be read into the fact that Steve Lombardozzi has been playing some left field at Triple-A Norfolk?
-- Dan R., Baltimore

I think so. It's no secret that Lombardozzi has been swinging a hot bat since being optioned to Norfolk, batting .304 through 14 games, with a pair of doubles and five RBIs, and left fielder David Lough has gotten off to a rough start with Baltimore. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Royals, Lough hasn't looked quite right at the plate and is hitting .177 in 31 games. A roster move is certainly a possibility, especially given that Lombardozzi was only optioned because of a roster crunch.

While I am further away from the Orioles major-league situation than Ms. Ghiroli, and I don't have any firsthand insight into the thinking of Orioles management, I've closely followed the Norfolk Tides for nine seasons (and followed them, albeit less closely, since I moved here in 1993.) And there are two things I've observed over these years - first, AAA rosters are unstable and consequently players often play out of their comfort zones; and, second, that many players on AAA rosters are taught to play unfamiliar positions because they are being groomed as utility players. In my opinion, there's no reason to believe that Lombardozzi is being groomed to take over as the Orioles' left fielder; it's much more likely that his recent outfield play is at best an attempt to make him a more valuable bench player.

Lombardozzi has started five games in left field. The list below shows every Tide who has started a game in left field, with the number of games started in left field. The data in this article has been supplied by the Norfolk Tides:

Quintin Berry	15
Cord Phelps	10
Steve Lombardozzi	5
Jemile Weeks	5
Henry Urrutia	4
Francisco Peguero	3
Xavier Paul	2
Julio Borbon	1
Buck Britton	1
Chris Marrero	1

Only three players have started as many or more games in left field as Lombardozzi - but two of those are also primarily infielders, Cord Phelps and Jemile Weeks. It is true that Lombardozzi started three consecutive games in left field, May 8-10. But he returned to the infield thereafter; his other two starts in left field were May 15 and 17 but was back at second base May 18. This pattern is inconsistent with the idea that Lombardozzi is being groomed as a left fielder but consistent with the idea that he is being groomed as a multi-position utility player. As the following table, showing all the positions at which the left fielders have started games this season:

	1B	2B	3B	SS	LF	CF	RF	DH
Berry					15	12	2
Phelps	1	4	13		10		9
Lombardozzi		10	2		5
Weeks		17		1	5
Urrutia					4		16
Peguero					3	3	5	2
Paul					2		13	11
Borbon					1	31	2
Britton	1		13		1
Marrero	9				1			14

Cord Phelps out of position - maybe - in the outfield. Photo courtesy of Les Treagus / Norfolk Tides.

Lombardozzi has played twice as many games at second base as he has in left field. If the Orioles are thinking of converting an infielder to the outfield, it looks more like it would be Cord Phelps, who has played eighteen games in the outfield, the same number as he has in the infield. And, it could be argued that Phelps would be a better outfield option than Lombardozzi. Phelps' infield defense is generally considered to be not as good as Lombardozzi's; he has had a better minor-league track record on offense; and indeed he's outhitting Lombardozzi this season .772 OPS to .682.

However, it's equally likely that Tides manager Ron Johnson is scrambling as best he can to field a team in every game. The Tides began the season with only four outfielders on the roster - Berry, Borbon, Paul, and Urrutia. Urrutia is now on the disabled list with a sports hernia. The Tides also had two first baseman / designated hitter types on the roster in Brett Wallace and Chris Marrero; Marrero is now on the disabled list. Until Francisco Peguero arrived on his minor-league rehab assignment, the Tides had only Berry, Borbon, Paul, and Wallace to cover the five spots of three outfield positions, first base, and designated hitter. And if one of those players was unavailable due to a minor injury, the Tides would be short yet another player. The Tides were almost forced to play infielders in the outfield.

So, unlike Brittany Ghiroli, I wouldn't read too much into the Tides giving Steve Lombardozzi a few starts in left field. Most likely, it's simply an attempt to increase his value on the Orioles bench by giving him some experience in the outfield. I see no reason to think that he's being considered as a replacement for the ineffective David Lough.