ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles reliever Darren O'Day will throw a simulated game Tuesday in New York as his next step toward coming off the disabled list.
It's a big step.
O'Day hasn't pitched since straining his right hamstring on June 1. He's 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA in 22 appearances, with 25 strikeouts over 20 innings.
A second bullpen session today, along with some fielding work, left manager Buck Showalter encouraged by O'Day's progress and potential to soon rejoin the 25-man roster.
If O'Day's leg is fine following Tuesday's simulated game, the Orioles will decide whether he needs another one or if he should go on an injury rehab assignment.
Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will do some running before Sunday's game at Tropicana Field and he must convince Showalter that he's available to play. If not, the Orioles will place him on the disabled list and send him to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota to continue rehabbing a strained right hamstring.
The Orioles are hoping that Kim can avoid a trip to the DL, but they also don't want to waste the available days that an assignment can be backdated.
Kim told Showalter through interpreter Danny Lee that he's feeling much better. He just has to prove it on Sunday.
Pitching prospect Branden Kline, who underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow back on Oct. 8, 2015, is scheduled to throw on Monday.
Kline, 24, was 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in eight starts at Double-A Bowie last season before being shut down in May and receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow. Kline pitched in one game in the fall instructional league, was removed in his second outing and underwent the surgery, with Dr. James Andrews handling the procedure in Pensacola, Fla.
Kline, a native of Frederick, Md. and a graduate of Thomas Johnson High School, was chosen in the second round of the 2012 draft out of the University of Virginia. Getting him healthy again and back into a rotation certainly would improve the Orioles' pitching depth.
The Orioles still haven't announced a starter for Tuesday's game in New York. Showalter said he has four options.
Asked whether Tyler Wilson remains in play after allowing four runs and six hits last night in 1 2/3 innings for Triple-A Norfolk, Showalter replied, "They're all in play right now."
Wilson's fastball was 92-94 mph, but he felt rusty after the layoff.
As Yovani Gallardo ran up his pitch count last night, Showalter was tempted to remove him after two innings and start him again on Tuesday. However, he chose to leave Gallardo in the game and the veteran right-hander worked five innings in a 4-3 win over the Rays.
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