Friday’s “First Call” shows us what the Pittsburgh Steelers can expect from the Carolina Panthers in their final preseason game on Friday night. The Buffalo Bills aren’t exactly having the best training camp in advance of their season opener against the Steelers.

There is some ironic injury news surrounding the Pirates. And the Baltimore Orioles are having quite the rebound after their massive losing streak.

Carolina’s cast

It doesn’t sound like the Steelers will be playing many of their starters in Friday’s preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation, that may not be the case for their opponent.

Apparently, Panthers coach Matt Rhule wants a long look at his regulars.

“My hope is that it’s more than a quarter, closer to a half,” Rhule said of playing time for the top of his depth chart. “My preference would be that our ‘ones’ would play a good half of football.”

Well, most of his starters anyway. Not star running back Christian McCaffery, though.

“Christian will be very, very limited as he has been in pretty much every preseason,” Rhule added. “He’s going to take a lot of hits during the season, more than anyone else out there on the field so we’ll save those hits for the season.”

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it sound as if he’d like to see Carolina play some starters on defense so he can get a glance at quarterback Dwayne Haskins playing against front-line competition.

“I’m just interested in seeing him play more,” Tomlin said of Haskins. “This process is fair in that everybody gets an opportunity to show their skillset and we work hard to get to know them. He’s new to us and so the additional reps and exposure is good for him and for us to get to know him.”

Bad week in Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills were the AFC runners-up last year. And they are the Steelers’ season-opening opponent on Sept. 12. But, as BillsWire.com points out, they aren’t exactly in a great spot as the preseason is wrapping up.

Buffalo has all sorts of covid-19 concerns. They have a low vaccination rate of 80%. And wide receivers Isaiah McKenzie and Cole Beasley were fined $14,650 each for violating the league’s mask policy for unvaccinated players.

Plus, as of Wednesday, 16 players missed practice. Twelve were out due to injury. Four more were out because they had to be placed on the reserve/covid-19 list.

Among those who have missed practice time for injury or coronavirus protocol were Beasley, McKenzie, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and Pitt product Dane Jackson.

Him, too?

First, it was Henry Davis who went down.

The Pirates No. 1 overall draft pick is on the injured list with a right oblique strain. It could end his first professional season. Davis was batting .308 (8 for 26) with a 1.195 OPS, two doubles, a triple, three home runs and seven RBIs in eight games for the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Now Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar is done for the year, too.

Lawlar, once rumored to be under consideration for the Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick, ended up going No. 6 to Arizona.

But he suffered a left shoulder injury that will require season-ending surgery, according to the Arizona Republic. Lawlar was diagnosed with a posterior labrum tear after diving for a ball.

Hey, remember when all those Pirates fans were telling me I was dumb for thinking that the franchise should draft Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter because he was a college pitcher with too much wear-and-tear on his arm and he was going to get hurt right away since he was “only” 6-feet tall?

Yeah. So do I. Good times those were. Way back … in July.

I guess position players can get hurt, too, huh?

Break-up Baltimore

After losing 19 games in a row, the Baltimore Orioles are red hot.

Well, they’ve won two in a row.

Following a 10-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, the Orioles slapped around the Angels again Thursday by a final of 13-1.

Catcher Pedro Severino hit a grand slam to key the victory.

THE O'S ARE HOT! pic.twitter.com/BalmRrBkAw

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 26, 2021

Severino had six RBIs. Pitcher Keegan Akin ended up with his first win of the year against eight losses.

That makes the Orioles 40-86, which amounts to 38½ games behind the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Now the O’s get to host Tampa for three games at Camden Yards starting Friday night.

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