Gausman goes three innings, Mancini fine in right field (updated)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman didn't break the three-inning barrier today against the Phillies, with Logan Verrett replacing him to start the fourth. However, Gausman got his pitch count up to 62 and was charged with one earned run.

Chris Coghlan poked a leadoff double past first base on an 0-2 count, took third on a fly ball and scored on Howie Kendrick's grounder to shortstop J.J. Hardy. Catcher Caleb Joseph dropped Hardy's throw for an error. The ball easily beat Kendrick to the plate.

Gausman struck out Michael Saunders and Maikel Franco to end the inning at 25 pitches. He threw 17 in the second, stranding Cameron Rupp after one-out double, and ran his total to 62 with 38 strikes over three innings while the Phillies took a 2-0 lead over the Orioles.

This run was earned after Coghlan's leadoff walk and Michael Saunders' two-out RBI single to left field. Coghlan eluded Joseph's lunging tag attempt.

Gausman has surrendered two earned runs in eight innings in his three starts this spring.

Joseph hit his second spring home run, and produced his second RBI, with a two-out shot off Jeremy Hellickson in the third. Hellickson had struck out six of the first eight batters and picked off Mark Trumbo after a walk.

Brock Stassi hit a long home run off Verrett leading off the fourth to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead.

Every starter's outing seems to be under the microscope now with Chris Tillman shut down again. Fair or unfair, that's how it works.

Manager Buck Showalter said no decision has been made on Tillman, who's experience more discomfort in his right shoulder.

"Not yet," Showalter said. "We're going to sit down about where we are with it at lunchtime. The doctors, I know they've been talking to him about whether to just continue down the path - rest, injections. There's a lot of different options there.

"I'm not sure. Richie (Bancells) told us this morning at our meeting that they're trying to formulate a plan on what we want to do going forward."

So far, it doesn't involve surgery.

"We're not contemplating that at this point," Showalter said.

It wouldn't be a day at camp without a slew of injury/health updates, including how Chris Davis (bronchitis), Chris Dickerson (elbow), Craig Gentry (groin) and Seth Smith (hamstring) aren't available today.

"Smith is getting better," Showalter said. "He's doing baseball activities in the back, something he didn't do yesterday. It's one of those things where he'd be playing during the season. We've got plenty of time. Just don't want it to turn into something.

"He had it last spring and they didn't feel like it was worse last spring, and he played through it and it went into the season hampering him. We want to stay away from that."

Davis took batting practice this morning.

"It's probably going to be a day or two before he gets his legs underneath him," Showalter said. "He's pretty weak. He had a pretty good bout of that. I just hope he doesn't get set back.

"J.J.'s playing today. It's exciting for everybody to see."

Hardy, who struck out looking in the first inning and turned a double play to end the fourth, will play again on Tuesday if his back allows it. He's not scheduled to go to Bradenton for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

"I told him we'd revisit it after the game today," Showalter said.

With Mexico eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, pitcher Vidal Nuño will return to camp and likely pitch in Friday's B game against the Pirates in Sarasota.

Trey Mancini is in right field for the first time today. He ran down Coghlan's double in the first and played Rupp's double off the fence in the second, with Johnny Giavotella moving up to take the throw. Joey Rickard called off Mancini to catch Aaron Altherr's fly ball in right-center field.

Mancini doesn't look clumsy in the outfield. That's one good sign.

"(Wayne) Kirby and Brady (Anderson) have been impressed with his work out there and said, 'You might want to take a look at him as a possibility,' " Showalter said. "His arm is playing a little bit better out there than we thought. It's not as short as in the infield. He's a pretty athletic guy. He runs pretty good underway.

"There's only one way to find out, right? We've said that quite often the last five or six years. Run them out there. Steve Pearce at second base? Run him out there. So and so? Run him out there."

Update: Trumbo had an RBI single off Hellickson in the fourth and Rickard hit a three-run homer to give the Orioles a 5-3 lead.