Wieters: "I want to be ready as quick as possible"

SARASOTA, Fla. - Catcher Matt Wieters, headed to the disabled list while continuing his recovery from elbow surgery, is unsure whether he'll be in Baltimore for opening day or stay back in Sarasota.

Wieters caught only one Grapefruit League game, on March 17, before developing tendinitis in his elbow.

"The latest is we're still letting it rest," he said this morning. "We're seeing improvement and it's getting better and feeling better, but at the same time, getting into the mindset where we're not going to test it out every day like we were before. We're going to try to spread it out. Treatment's been going well. We're just going to continue to stay on that path."

Wieters was cautiously optimistic that he would be ready for the April 6 opener against the Rays, but manager Buck Showalter said on Saturday that the three-time All-Star was "unlikely" to be on the 25-man roster.

"Opening day was always the goal," Wieters said. "It was always something that I was shooting for just because throughout the course of a long offseason, you want to have that end goal in sight. I think once I came to terms that probably wasn't going to be the best thing for my arm as well as for the team at that point, it was a little bit easier to sit back and say, 'OK, now let's just let it calm down and when it's ready, it's ready.' "

Wieters would be eligible to come off the disabled list on April 11, but it may be closer to May before he's activated. As usual, the Orioles won't rush him.

"I think now that opening day has kind of come and gone and passed, it's not a matter of a date," he said. "It's more when it's ready and I think that's the thing that's probably a little bit easier for me than trying to say, 'OK, we have to be ready by here or we have to be ready by here.'

"I want to be ready as quick as possible and where I feel like once I start playing, I'm going to be able to keep improving and we're not going to have any issues throughout the course of the year, then I'll be confident.

"It's hard, and it's what ... the last five years I've been able to be on the opening day roster. It's a special date, it's always fun to experience it, but at the same time, I want to be there at the end of the year and I'd much rather be playing for the playoffs as opposed to playing on that opening day date."

Wieters isn't sure whether he'll play in another exhibition game.

"I think we'll look later, but at the same time, with probably starting the year not on the roster, it's something where I'll probably go play in more minor league games just to where if that day comes sooner than later, we'll be able to come off the DL," he said.

Showalter seems inclined to wait until Wieters can catch before putting him back in the lineup. Using him as the designated hitter isn't a consideration at this point.

"That's kind of always been whatever Buck feels is best," said Wieters, who's 0-for-23 this spring. "I think as far as my rehab, I really wanted to focus on getting the catching right first. Once we get there, then we can sort of look at whether or not DHing's an option. But right now, it's a matter of just making sure I can get back behind the plate and get catching first.

"If Buck ever feels like that's better for the team for me to DH as opposed to just making sure I get back quick catching, then I'll surely do it. But I think the big thing is being able to get back catching first."