Jiménez on lastest start, Showalter on injuries (O's lead 14-7)

Ubaldo Jiménez is returning to his comfort zone on Sunday. The Orioles also need him in the strike zone.

Jiménez is getting the start after five relief appearances, with manager Buck Showalter sending Alec Asher back to the bullpen.

"I'm excited," Jiménez said. "That's what I've been doing my whole career, so it's always good to get back. But I just want to get the job done. Like I told Buck when they told me I was going to be a reliever, I told him I was going to do everything possible to do the best job I can, wherever I am."

Jiménez has posted a 4.32 ERA and 1.080 WHIP in five games as a reliever this season and a 7.71 ERA and 1.739 WHIP in eight starts. The goal is for Jiménez to smooth over the rough edges in the bullpen and make a contribution as a starter.

"Yeah, I feel really good," he said. "I think I've been throwing the ball good. I've been throwing a lot of strikes, I've been able to have all my breaking balls whenever I needed. So, I feel good."

It's been the usual challenge for Jiménez to make the adjustment to a relief role. He doesn't warm quickly and requires extended rest, almost putting him on a starter's schedule in the bullpen.

"It is difficult," he said. "It's not easy at all. I've been a starter for 15 years, since I signed with pro ball, so it's been difficult. It takes a lot.

"I wish I could throw every day, but I'm not used to that. You see the relievers that throw back-to-back days, they even get ready in spring training to do that, so it's not easy."

Maybe the latest start also will provide a fresh start.

"Yeah, I think this is a new opportunity for me to show and be there for the team," he said. "I just can't wait to get out there and hopefully help the team."

Asher is available today in relief.

Meanwhile, manager Buck Showalter offered his opinion, based on talks with the medical and athletic training staff, on Chris Davis' projected return from a strained right oblique.

"Well, I think the history, the trainers in general have a pretty extensive model of what those things usually take and I think three weeks would be real ambitious," Showalter said. "I'd sign up for that right now. But who knows? It was Grade 1.

"He had it before on the other side. We'll see I love to think that was the case. But these things are so hard to get a grip on. I've seen them where you go out and test them at a certain period of time and, not that you reinjure it, but you certainly bring it into play more."

The Orioles will make certain that Davis doesn't force an early return and impact the rest of his season.

"With this one, you're completely fine or you're not," Showalter said. "There's no in-between with this type of thing. You either can swing and feel nothing or it's sharp and biting. With this type of injury, there's not a whole lot in between. When it's right, it's right.

"What they do between the locker room and their house, what they may do in the backyard testing stuff out, you can caution them as much as possible, but you're still kind of at their mercy away from here."

Mike Wright received a cortisone injection yesterday after going on the disabled list with right shoulder bursitis.

"I would think as optimistic as he would be about it, he would probably be a bit of a push for the 10-day period, talking to Richie (Bancells)," Showalter said. "I know Mike's got a place down in Sarasota. We have to decide whether he's going to go down there or not. His family is in town over the weekend, so we're obviously leaving him here."

Wright's physical issue could be traced to his move to the bullpen and a different routine.

"Who knows?" Showalter said. "Mike might go back and continue to start down there. I think he only had one back-to-back outing. That's what was alarming about the last one. He had three days off. I'd given him an extra day in Chicago, but it's different than pitching every fifth day, so that could possibly be a benefit to them, trying to simulate it if we choose to put him back in that role.

"I'm hoping somebody grabs that role. There's some great opportunities for some guys. I've told you guys before and I've told them as they come and that go, if you pitch well, you'll stay. But if you pitch poorly and we need a pitcher ...

"You know a lot of this movement with the pitchers back and forth is not by design. Trust me, we don't want to do this. Somebody's got to pitch. When you have the number of short outings we've had from our starters, it really puts a crimp in things. It's been a challenge to keep Darren (O'Day) and Mike (Givens) and Brad (Brach) out of the league leaders in appearances and they're not, and I'm proud of that. But it hasn't been without its challenges."

Ryan Flaherty is working out in Sarasota and continues to increase his baseball activities while testing out his right shoulder.

"Trying to get some confidence back in it. 'OK, is that going to hurt when you start pushing it more and more?'" Showalter said. "He said he's starting to, you can tell he feels good about it. Doesn't have any setbacks as he's pushed it with some more length and more repetition. And he's swinging off the tee and short-toss now, so there's no problems there."

Update: Wade Miley walked two batters in the first inning and gave up an unearned run with two outs on Jonathan Schoop's fielding error. Miley threw 24 pitches while falling behind 1-0.

Adam Jones tied the game in the bottom half with his 12th home run. And Mark Trumbo followed with his ninth to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead.

The Orioles have gone back-to-back on five occasions this season. Schoop wasn't involved for the first time.

Update II: The Orioles sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning, removed Adam Wainwright from the game and increased their lead to 9-1.

J.J. Hardy had a two-run double, Manny Machado hit a two-run homer, Trey Mancini drove Wainwright out of the game with a two-run double and Schoop greeted reliever Tyler Lyons with an RBI single. Schoop had two hits in the inning.

Update III: Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer off Miley in the fourth inning to reduce the lead to 9-3. DeJong entered the series with one home run, but he's gone deep in back-to-back games.

Update IV: The Orioles took a 10-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth on Machado's leadoff double, Jones' single and wild pitch from Lyons.

Schoop hits a two-run homer into the Orioles' bullpen with two outs to increase the lead to 12-3.

Update V: Yadier Molina hit a solo home run in the fifth before coming out of the game and Dexter Fowler hit a three-run shot off Alec Asher in the sixth to reduce the lead to 12-7. Asher inherited two runners from Miley with two outs.

The Cardinals loaded the bases, getting two singles off Asher and a walk off Richard Bleier, but Mychal Givens struck out Eric Fryer on three pitches.

Miley is charged with six runs (five earned) and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out eight.

Update VI: Schoop led off the seventh with another home run and Hardy had an RBI double to increase the lead to 14-7.