Rickard (finger) will not come off the disabled list Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Prior signs seemed to point toward the outfielder being ready to return by Wednesday's contest with the Reds, but Rickard is reportedly still dealing with some soreness in his finger. This doesn't seem to be of much concern, however, so look for him to return to action later this week or over the weekend.

Rickard's sprained finger is healing as planned, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rickard is optimistic that if his rehab continues progressing without any setbacks, he'll be ready to come off the disabled list at the earliest possible date, April 19. Upon his eventual return, Rickard is expected to continue providing depth in Baltimore's outfield.

Rickard was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday due to a sprained middle finger on his left hand, Rich Dubroff of PressBoxonline.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rickard hurt the digit while he slid into second base during Saturday's game against the Yankees. It doesn't look to be a major concern for the outfielder, as manager Buck Showalter told Dubroff that he doesn't expect Rickard to miss more than the minimum 10 days. Rickard's placement on the DL will allow the Orioles to activate Wade Miley (illness) in advance of his scheduled start Sunday.

Rickard will play left field and occupy the leadoff spot in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

EDGE Analysis

The Orioles are expected to keep both of their lefty-hitting corner outfielders, Hyun-Soo Kim and Seth Smith, on the bench when southpaws are starting for the opposition, so Rickard will enter the field in place of Kim, while claiming Smith's spot in the batting order. With the excellent power-hitting quartet of Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis following Rickard in the order, the 25-year-old could make for an appealing cost-relief option in DFS contests.

Rickard will begin the season on the Orioles' 25-man roster, Roch Kubatko of MASN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Last season's spring surprise impressed again this year by slashing .302/.464/.491 in 30 spring games, ultimately forcing the Orioles to reward him with another trip to the big leagues. Barring any extraneous circumstances, this move seems to have Rickard in line to be on the small side of a platoon with Hyun Soo Kim in left field.

Rickard is likely to bat leadoff against left-handed pitchers this season, PressBox.comreports.

EDGE Analysis

Rickard is hitting .349 this spring with three home runs. He looks set to begin the season in a platoon with Hyun Soo Kim in left field. Rickard will get fewer at-bats as the right-handed hitter in the platoon.

Rickard went 2-for-2, improving his spring training batting average to .378, in Monday's game against the Red Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Rickard once seemed bound for a minor-league assignment, but he's making that decision difficult for Orioles' management as the regular season looms. His batting average is the best among all players with 20-plus at-bats this spring. Furthermore, Rickard owns the team lead in Grapefruit League home runs (3), runs (10) and walks (12). The former Rule 5 pick also ranks second in RBI (7) and stolen bases (6) through 22 exhibitions games. Rickard's impressive spring may just help him overcome pre-camp expectations. Also working in his favor is that he's the only outfielder currently on the roster who can cover center field in case Adam Jones is ever lost to injury or just needs a rest.

Rickard is destined to begin the 2017 season in the minors, Baltimorebaseball.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Michael Bourn's signing, coupled with that of Craig Gentry's on Saturday, gives the Orioles a tremendously crowded outfield. They have nine outfielders on the 40-man roster -- including two Rule 5 picks -- and five more that have received non-roster invites to spring. Right now, there's room for one more (maybe two) outfielders on the 25-man roster. Bourn could start the season in the minors since he is on a minor-league deal. But once his contract is purchased by the big-league club, he can't come off the roster without going through waivers (or being released outright). The club would love to keep at least one of their Rule 5 outfielders - Aneury Tavarez or Anthony Santander - but that means a clogged roster spot all season. Therefore, because Rickard has minor-league options remaining and is coming back from injury, he fate is all but officially sealed.

Rickard (thumb) said that he is fully healed and has resumed hitting, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 25-year-old was shut down for the season in July after tearing a ligament in his right thumb. The injury didn't require surgery and he has resumed swinging a bat within the past month, indicating he won't have any restrictions in spring training.

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said the team plans to platoon Rickard (thumb) with Hyun Soo Kim in left field for 2017, the Baltimore Sun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Based on his performance as a rookie last season, Rickard makes sense on the small side of a platoon after he hit .313/.367/.494 against southpaws in 2016 (by comparison, he hit just .247/.296/.322 against righties). Much like Kim, Rickard offered very little in terms of homers (5) or steals (4) a year ago, but the duo might generate a steady number of runs scored if manager Buck Showalter uses them in a table-setting role.