Showalter explains pending roster move

BOSTON - The Orioles are waiting until shortly before tonight's game starts to place outfielder Nolan Reimold on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Tuesday, with a bulging disk in his cervical spine. Showalter wants to make sure the game isn't postponed because of rain. It's overcast here, but both teams are taking batting practice and the weather isn't expected to halt play. Luis Exposito is in uniform and will be officially recalled as Reimold's replacement. Reimold will be eligible to return May 16. "He's doing a little better. Still has some numbness in his fingers," Showalter said. "Our concern is he comes back and he's 90 percent and we try to play him and he gets set back to where he was before. The advice is to try to let it completely resolve itself. And hopefully it will in his DL period. He feels a little bit better today, but the numbness is still there." The Orioles called up a catcher to give them another right-handed bat against left-handed pitching, and to allow Showalter more freedom to use Matt Wieters or Ronny Paulino as the designated hitter and to pinch run for them. "Three of the next seven starters are left-handed," Showalter said. "He's a good player. Talking to (Norfolk) manager Ron Johnson and our minor league people there, they were really impressed with him. Obviously, he should be pretty comfortable with the Red Sox." The Orioles have enough players who can move to the outfield that they don't feel short-handed without Reimold.