Bleier to start rehab assignment in Frederick

Orioles left-hander Richard Bleier is beginning an injury rehab assignment Tuesday night at Single-A Frederick, his recovery from shoulder tendinitis no longer keeping him down in Florida.

Bleier said he'll make a couple of appearances for the Keys and a couple with Double-A Bowie and later report to Triple-A Norfolk, estimating that he'll need more than five appearances in the minors before the Orioles will consider activating him from the injured list.

"I'm definitely looking forward to getting back," he said. "It's also a process that needs to be seen through, too, and get a few outings under me in affiliated ball before I get back to the big leagues."

The Orioles placed Bleier on the IL retroactive to April 10 after he made four appearances and allowed seven runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He served up two home runs after allowing none last season in 32 2/3 innings before undergoing lat surgery.

The shoulder discomfort produced the latest interruption to Bleier's season and removed an extremely valuable reliever from the bullpen.

"It really is night and day," Bleier said. "I've been working really hard in Sarasota. The training staff down there really helped me out. The training staff here. We've all been kind of working together and it's definitely night and day.

"I feel like this time my arm is ready to go as opposed to last time when it was a little bit questionable."

Bleier had been playing catch in Sarasota with Mark Trumbo, who's continuing his recovery and rehab following September knee surgery. Trumbo provided valuable input.

"He's had so much experience seeing pitching and just knowing what pitches work and what pitches don't work," Bleier said. "We've been throwing together every day and he's been giving me good feedback and some things to do and some things not to do, and it's really been helpful.

"Just where maybe I thought a pitch was good or wasn't good and then he's honest with me and it's, 'Hey, that's good and that's not good.' I think my delivery changed when I was trying to pitch around arm discomfort and finding a delivery that gets consistent action on pitches and all that stuff. So I would try something and he'd be like, 'No, that's not it,' and he'd be like, 'That's good, stick with that and build off that.' So it was really helpful."

Bleier said Trumbo is hitting in the cage, which is a notable step in the designated hitter's progression.

"It's working really hard down there," Bleier said. "It's really impressive to see him. He's on a nice routine hitting and running and throwing. He's looking really good. He's working really hard at it every day."

Manager Brandon Hyde didn't have an update on Nate Karns, who received a second opinion today on his right forearm injury.

* I'm told that catcher Jesús Sucre was placed on the temporary inactive list at Norfolk while he was relocating his family. He's expected to rejoin the Tides on Tuesday.

The Tides are off tonight.

* On this date in 1984, Cal Ripken Jr. became the second Orioles player to hit for the cycle in a 6-1 win over the Rangers. He homered in the ninth inning to complete the cycle.

Brooks Robinson, Aubrey Huff and Felix Pie also have hit for the cycle with the Orioles.

For the Red Sox
Mookie Betts RF
Xander Bogaerts SS
J.D. Martinez LF
Michael Chavis 2B
Rafael Devers DH
Christian Vázquez C
Steve Pearce 1B
Eduardo Núñez 3B
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF

Josh Smith RHP