Waiting on Lee

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

March 01, 2011, 5:51am

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SARASOTA, Fla. - A light rain is falling at the newly refurbished Ed Smith Stadium as the Orioles take batting practice. Not a drop the entire time we've been here until today. Naturally. Manager Buck Showalter hasn't provided an exact date when first baseman Derrek Lee will make his Orioles' debut in an exhibition game. He's mostly leaving it up to Lee, who continues to take batting practice and participate in fielding drills. "I don't think anything's imminent," Showalter said. "I'm going to talk to him after BP today. We're not at that point yet where we're saying he's going to be playing on this day. We're kind of leaning on him and seeing how he feels with it. "He's not behind at all. He's right on schedule with all the other stuff. It hasn't eliminated anything. Really, he's doing everything except playing in the games." Another first baseman, Joe Mahoney, had to cut short his batting practice session yesterday because of continuing soreness in his right knee, the result of a foul ball in Sunday's intrasquad game. "He's kind of iffy today," Showalter said. Instant weather update: It's pouring and the Orioles are heading back to the clubhouse. Weather update II: The rain has stopped and the grounds crew is raking the infield.