As I wrote in my last blog entry, Matt Wieters is expected to rejoin the team for Saturday's game. He won't be here tonight, according to manager Buck Showalter.
Wieters still hadn't gotten any sleep by 3 p.m. today. He's past the 24-hour mark, which is fine if you're hosting a telethon, but not if you're a major league catcher.
"He's got his priorities where they need to be," said manager Buck Showalter, who has exchanged a few text messages with Wieters today. "He's still at the hospital. I know John Russell talked to him on the phone, probably around 3. He's been there, obviously, for quite a while without sleep. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
"He's where he should be. One thing experience allows you to do as you get older, you try to keep people from making mistakes you made. That's about the only advice I've given him.
"I would have been probably a little disappointed if he had tried to come in today. I'm going to support him either way he goes, but this is the right thing."
Wieters most likely would have caught two games of this series under usual circumstances. Instead of taking off Sunday, he won't be in the lineup tonight.
Wieters already had his son's name, Maverick, inscribed in one of his bats before the birth early this morning.
"We're excited for him," Showalter said. "My thought is, how would you like to be a teacher and have that child, knowing the parents? That's pretty cool.
"Mav Wieters. He's got to have a chance, right? We know he's going to be over 6 foot tall. It's just a matter of whether he gets in that 7 foot range. I just hope I'm around to watch him play.
"That's pretty cool. Our day in the Oriole family has already been good."
J.J. Hardy had an ingrown nail extracted from his right middle finger and is feeling much better. Hardy refuses to leave the lineup anyway.
"It's a lot better today," Showalter said. "Hopefully, that won't be a problem anymore. Looks like that's something that's behind him, I hope. But when you run around in the dirt, you never know when it's going to get infected again."
Jason Hammel threw a bullpen session this afternoon that mirrored a simulated game. He was up and down three times, as if pitching actual innings.
UPDATE: The Orioles announced that Hammel could throw a simulated game Monday or Tuesday in the instructional league in Sarasota.
Lew Ford had an MRI on his hip that didn't reveal any damage beyond a bruised bone. The club had concerns that he would need surgery similar to Nick Markakis' procedure in January. Ford should be available tonight.
The Orioles will send LJ Hoes to the instructional league in Sarasota after Sunday's game. They want him to get some at-bats before the Arizona Fall League.
Left-hander Joe Saunders will start Sunday against the Red Sox and left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will start Monday against the Rays at Tropicana Field unless something unexpected happens.
Zach Britton remains available in relief. He's healthy. He's just not in the rotation.
Wilson Betemit will accompany the team to St. Petersburg for the exit physical. He could report to the instructional league.
Nolan Reimold is here to be checked by a team physician and hang out for a few days. He said he's progressing well, but his neck isn't fully healed following surgery to remove a herniated disc and fuse the vertebrae. Reimold expects to be full-go for spring training.
I'll pass along quotes from Reimold in my next entry.
For the Red Sox:
Scott Podsednik CF
Pedro Ciriaco 3B
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Cody Ross RF
James Loney 1B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia DH
Ryan Lavarnway C
Daniel Nava LF
Jose Iglesias SS
Aaron Cook RHP
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