Showalter on Schoop: "He's got a pure heart and there's a lot of empathy"

Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop didn't lobby to be included in today's lineup because he already knew the plan.

Manager Buck Showalter talked to Schoop, whose average is down to .197, about sitting out a few games and getting an additional break with Monday's off-day. Schoop will play Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

"We had a long conversation yesterday about what he and I ... he always has input on it," Showalter said. "Jon's not going anywhere. He's going to figure this out and he's going to be a contributor again. He already is defensively. We love Jon."

The club hasn't broached the subject of optioning Schoop to the minors and Showalter expressed his disappointment that it was a media topic yesterday.

"I don't do that with players," he said. "You don't gain anything by threatening people. That's just not the way it's done. And we think too much of Jon and all our guys. We don't run that around by them. We don't do business that way. It's kind of like threatening your children. It doesn't work. So, we wouldn't do that.

"Jon's a part of our future and Jon's going to be a good player for us a long time. That's the way I look at it. He's got a pure heart and there's a lot of empathy. Can you imagine being as good as he was last year and has been before and going through these struggles?

"He's almost working too hard sometimes. I get to see everything behind the scenes that people don't see. I'm trying to figure out a way, like Chris (Davis) ... The way it's going, it's not working, so just try something else. Reset and watch a game. And Jon loves the game. One of the questions I asked him yesterday was, 'Are you enjoying it?' And Jon feels bad for the right reasons, because he's not contributing to a team that needs him to."

Schoop is available off the bench today.

"We love Jon and looking forward to getting him back like he's capable of," Showalter said. "We see it for a couple days and you go, 'All right, here it comes.' Sometimes, we base everything on the results of that at-bat. It's a process and sometimes you have to change what you view as success and progress. If I asked Jon, if you hit two line drives to the second baseman that were caught and then you hit a ball off the end of the bat that splintered your bat in 20 pieces and it flared over the shortstop's head, which at-bat would you think is more successful?' And he would laugh and say the broken-bat single.

"This isn't something that all of a sudden goes like this. It's two steps up and one step back, two steps up, one step back, one up and one back. If you stay true to a process and a routine, all that other stuff will take care of itself. You've got to stop looking at numbers after one game. It's true with anybody, with some of our younger players that are capable of better."

Showalter's approach is to remind Schoop what he's capable of doing rather than harp on the failures.

"You know down the road it will make them stronger, but you just wish they didn't have to go through it so much," he said.

Showalter wasn't ready to discuss Chris Tillman's start last night at Triple-A Norfolk until going over the reports. Tillman allowed five runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

"I haven't heard yet," Showalter said. "I know Ramón (Martinez) was there. It didn't look very good statistically, I know, so I kind of know the same things you all do at this point."

Tillman has made three rehab starts and likely will remain on his assignment.

"I shouldn't say for sure," Showalter said. "I know just what you all know from last night. That hasn't been addressed yet. I'm not sure about all the legalities and how many more times he can do it. I've got an idea that you would think from that outing that he'd need to start there again, but I'm not sure. Something could prevent that from happening."

Shippensburg University outfielder Dalton Hoiles, son of former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles, is taking his physical Monday and will report to short-season Single-A Aberdeen after signing his contract.