Orioles' lineup: Thome debuts as DH

BALTIMORE — Heading into Sunday afternoon’s sweltering summer game, the Orioles’ powerful lineup had already slugged 99 homers. With the newest DH set to make his debut with the club, the Orioles just got a lot stronger.

Jim Thome arrived from Miami, where he was playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, two hours before game time to find his name already written into Buck Showalter’s lineup. It seems as if the O’s manager is going to have the future Hall of Famer in the lineup nearly every day.

“I haven’t been playing every day and at some point I’ll sit down with Buck and get a feel for what he’s thinking. But I expect to come to the park and play every day,” Thome said. “Can I do that? Realistically, probably not, but the mentality is that I’m going to be ready.”

Coincidentally, Thome joins the Orioles in time to face the team where he spent the first 12 years of his career in the Cleveland Indians. Thome blasted 337 of his 609 career homers for the Indians.

Here’s how the Orioles will look against the Indians’ right-hander Justin Masterson:

1 – Brian Roberts, 2B
2 – J.J. Hardy, SS
19 – Chris Davis, RF
10 – Adam Jones, CF
25 – Jim Thome, DH
24 – Wilson Betemit, 1B
3 – Ryan Flaherty, LF
28 – Ronny Paulino, C
11 – Robert Andino, 3B

17 – Brian Matusz, P

E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com