Notes on Walker, Jimenez and more

The tarp is on the field and rain continues to fall at Camden Yards. I have no idea if the start of today's game will be delayed, though the odds are pretty strong. We'll see. The Orioles have no current plans to bring up a position player from Sarasota to replace suspended first baseman Chris Davis. Manager Buck Showalter said the Orioles will "let the smoke clear" and reevaluate the situation after the current series. First baseman Christian Walker, the organization's minor league Player of the Year, has been discussed. However, the Orioles don't need to protect him in the Rule 5 draft this winter and are reluctant to place him on the 40-man roster unless he'd play every day this month or be guaranteed a spot on the 25-man roster next season. As I wrote earlier, Ubaldo Jimenez will start Tuesday night against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. The Orioles need a sixth starter due to yesterday's doubleheader, and Showalter said choosing Jimenez disrupts the bullpen the least. He also believes Jimenez is more equipped to provide length than T.J. McFarland and Joe Saunders. Jimenez threw a simulated game yesterday, working three or four innings, and will have a bullpen session on Sunday. Wei-Yin Chen opposes Toronto's Marcus Stroman on Monday. Jimenez opposes Drew Hutchison on Tuesday and Bud Norris opposes J.A. Happ on Wednesday. With Thursday's off-day, Kevin Gausman won't start until Friday against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. The Orioles clinched the season series against the Yankees for the first time since 1997. They're 10-3 going into today's game, including 6-1 at home. The rotation is 6-0 with a 1.37 ERA and nine quality starts in the last 11 games since Sept. 2. The only two runs allowed by Orioles starters in the last five games and 32 1/3 innings came on solo home runs by Boston's Xander Bogaerts. For the Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury DH Derek Jeter SS Brett Gardner CF Martin Prado 2B Brian McCann C Mark Teixeira 1B Chris Young LF Antoan Richardson RF Zelous Wheeler 3B Shane Greene RHP