More notes before tonight's game (O's down 2-0)

NEW YORK - The Orioles were interested in catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, released by the Marlins this week, but I'm told that he's not signing with the club.

It's believed that Saltalamacchia's clearest path to a starting job is with the Diamondbacks.

Caleb Joseph is making the bulk of the starts for the Orioles while Matt Wieters remains on the disabled list. Ryan Lavarnway has started five of the first 25 games.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter is hoping to get Steve Pearce back into the lineup Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. In the meantime, he's got a pretty good bat available off the bench.

Pearce worked out on the field this afternoon and took batting practice before the series finale against the Mets at Citi Field. He's been bothered by a stomach virus since Sunday in St. Petersburg.

"Stevie's just about there," Showalter said. "In an American League game, he'd probably DH. We can bring him off the bench tonight. He's holding food down and things have slowed to a drip."

And there's your visual for the evening.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy singled in his first at-bat tonight at Double-A Bowie, and is 4-for-9 with the Baysox. He may join the team Thursday.

"It's possible, it's possible," Showalter said. "We'll see how the night goes, see how he feels. He's not having any problems with his shoulder, knock on wood. He could stay down there two weeks, which he legally can do. He's going to have some adjustments in the big leagues.

"He's passed everything physically. We'd lean on J.J. to a point. There are some things I wouldn't ask him that he shouldn't have to decide. It's not fair to him. When you get to know a guy like we know J.J., he knows what's needed and expected at this level, so he's very close. We're just hoping we can ge through tonight."

Ryan Flaherty homered tonight for Bowie. He can come off the DL on Friday.

Baysox pitcher Bobby Bundy, who earned the win last night after replacing younger brother Dylan Bundy, went on the seven-day disabled list with a sprained right knee.

Adam Jones began the night batting .396, first in the American League and second in the majors, but he drew more attention last night for his sensational catches in center field.

"He probably lost about 10 pounds last night," Showaltersaid. "I'm hoping Bud (Norris) took him to lunch today. He certainly elongated that outing."

The Mets have their own Gold Glove center fielder in Juan Lagares.

"Sometimes I think when you're facing a really good center fielder like they have, I think they both like to kind of ... Of course, Adam does that regardless of who we're playing," Showalter said.

"He plays so shallow, the one ball he caught off the second baseman, not many center fielders catch that ball that shallow and it really challenges your ability to go back on the ball. But he's playing as good defensively as he ever has. I can't imagine anybody playing at a higher level.

"He's having a lot of fun, but he's the same guy if he's not doing well. There's no phoniness about him. He's on all the time and that's hard to do. That's hard to do. It's been fun to watch him evolve as a person and a player."

Update: Ubaldo Jimenez walked two batters in the second inning and gave up a two-out RBI single to Dilson Herrera, who came into the game batting .077. Mets 1, Orioles 0

Jimenez has thrown 45 pitches, 26 for strikes, in two innings.

Update II: Curtis Granderson led off the bottom of the third with a home run to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.

Jimenez fell behind 2-0 to Granderson, who barely missed a homer in his first at-bat.