Armstrong is expected to fill a key setup role for the Orioles to begin the 2020 season coming off a dominant spring training, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Heading into the spring, Armstrong already looked like one of the safer bets to crack the Opening Day bullpen, and he only strengthened his standing on the depth chart with his performance in camp. Over his four Grapefruit League appearances, Armstrong covered six scoreless innings, permitting only one hit and two walks while striking out five. Kubatko relays that Armstrong had shown an uptick in his fastball velocity during spring bullpen sessions after the offering was clocked at an average of 93.9 miles per hour last season, providing some optimism that his strong numbers in exhibition play may be more than a small-sample-size fluke. He still likely won't be worth drafting even in most AL-only leagues, but Armstrong might be someone to keep an eye on if he continues to deliver strong ratios early on during the regular season.