After catching back-to-back days, Matt Wieters ready for the next step on Tuesday

SARASOTA, Fla. - It was only a B game and it won't count in the stats, but Matt Wieters, who is 0-for-20 in exhibiton games, did get a hit today in the contest against Pittsburgh. Then he got ribbed for it.

Wieters went 1-for-3 with a ground single off pitcher Francisco Liriano's glove in the last of the first.

"It was nice to get on base. Looked at Buck (Showalter) and he asked if I wanted the ball," Wieters said with a laugh.

Now comes more serious matters for the O's catcher. After catching six innings Saturday against Puerto Rico and six innings this morning at Ed Smith Stadium, he's about to take the next step in his comeback from Tommy John surgery.

Wieters is expected to catch Tuesday against the Twins. He'll have to make throws at game speed and for the first time he'll be out there where opponents can try to steal bases on him.

Time to take this to another level.

"Now all the rehab throwing program and stuff is pretty much done," Wieters said. "Now it's keeping it healthy and keeping it ready to go for games. It's a good thing when I can come to the park and don't have to go through a couple of hours of rehab.

"Excited to get back out there in a real game with a crowd. It is what I enjoy doing. Fun to get back behind the plate and be playing with the guys."

As for how he is throwing right now, Wieters said that is going well. The Orioles clocked his throws to second base for the first time recently and were encouraged with what they saw.

Wieters was too.

"Yeah. Especially for first time throwing with the clock, we were close to what we were before," he said. "Which is good. Most importantly, feel like we got to a point where, if I make some of those throws in the game, we can throw people out, which is big. Now if we keep it healthy, it will just keep improving through spring and throughout the year."

His said his legs are fine after he caught back-to-back days for a total of 12 innings.

"Good actually," Wieters said. "That was my first morning after a day game I think I've ever caught. Nice to get back there and catch (Kevin) Gausman and Zach (Britton) and see how they are throwing the ball and nice to actually get to where you are calling a game and trying to read swings.

"It won't take long to get into the flow with them (the pitchers), but at the same time, you still need some repitition to just get back on the right page. All these guys threw the ball great last year and now I want to see what steps they made when I wasn't playing and build off that."

As for that first time throwing for Wieters when a runner is trying to steal, he is ready to cross that off the list. He said he hopes it happens early in Tuesday's game.

"I think you'd like to get it out of the way, yeah," he said. "I will definitely be ready for it, but getting the first throw out of the way will be big."