A few injury and illness updates

SARASOTA, Fla. - Asher Wojciechowski is being withheld from exhibition games due to a blister on his right middle finger. However, it isn't keeping him off the mound.

Wojciechowski will throw a simulated game Wednesday morning on one of the back fields. The Orioles want him to work two innings.

"It's all good. They're just being cautious," he said.

"They want me to pitch in a controlled environment with the blister that popped up last week, but it's healed completely. We're just making sure it doesn't pop up in a live game situation because with adrenaline going, it could get worse. But I've dealt with these before, I've pitched through them, no issues. It's just being a little extra cautious early in camp, making sure it doesn't develop into something worse or anything like that.

"It's all good. I feel good. The finger's healed now and we're just being careful."

The Orioles are leery of disrupting their pitching plans if Wojciechowski has to come out of an exhibition game early. The back field is a safer approach for him to face live hitters.

"They want to make sure if another blister popped up they could monitor it and shut me down and it wouldn't be in a live game," he said.

The blister surfaced last week during a bullpen session.

"I was throwing a pretty high-intensity bullpen and it just popped up," he said. "Last week when it was one of those really humid days and that might have had something to do with it. I was sweating a lot, but like I said, I've gotten these blisters before and they've never been an issue. I've just got to get it taken care of. I've never missed a start or anything because of one."

Hunter Harvey doesn't know when he'll make his spring debut as he recovers from an illness. He's feeling much better and is able to throw in the bullpen, but the congestion hasn't cleared.

Outfielder Yusniel Diaz could get into his first game this weekend.

Diaz has been held out of games due to some mild soreness in his left shoulder.

"No long-term concern. Just giving it a couple of days to let it calm down, but not concerned about it," manager Brandon Hyde said prior to yesterday's game in Clearwater.

"He's anxious to get out there. He's a great kid, man. I get there early in the morning and he's already there. I love the makeup. I'm looking forward to getting him out there. He's an exciting player. I think it's killing him he can't play."