Cashner on knee injury, Showalter on rotation (updated)

Orioles manager Buck Showalter believes that Andrew Cashner could make his next start, which falls on Monday against the Blue Jays if the veteran stays in turn. However, it depends on how Cashner gets through Saturday's workday at Camden Yards.

Cashner received a cortisone injection in his left knee around 5 p.m. yesterday and needed 24 hours of inactivity before testing it. He underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with patellar tendon bursitis, which has bothered him for the past two to three weeks.

"I think that led to my command kind of being so bad," Cashner said this afternoon.

"Today is kind of an off-day for me, just treatment and stuff. Will try to throw a bullpen tomorrow and re-evaluate and see where we're at."

Cashner didn't record an out in the third inning of Wednesday night's 10-0 loss to the Athletics. He was charged with eight runs and the Orioles scheduled an MRI for the following day.

"It doesn't feel good, but it feels better today," he said. "But also they said 24 hours. I can't really say how I'm going to feel tomorrow. We'll see.

"It isn't so much walking around that gets me."

Pounding his fists together, he said, "It's like that. Whenever you're landing, that's where it's bothering me, the jarring of it."

Cashner began to notice the discomfort during the homestand that preceded his Aug. 31 start in Kansas City, when he allowed four runs and nine hits and walked three batters in 5 1/3 innings in a 9-2 loss to the Royals.

Bursitis in the knee is a new ailment for Cashner, who's 4-15 with a 5.29 ERA and 1.582 WHIP in 28 starts.

"Just trying to grind through and finish and make my starts," he said.

"I don't feel like I'm getting over my front side right now. I told (Showalter) that my fastball command has never been this bad, ever, in my career. You look at the numbers and I'm just not locating my fastball at all and this is, I think, the root of the problem."

The Orioles still need a starter for Sunday with Alex Cobb pushed back until next weekend in New York.

"See how we get through the next two nights," Showalter said. "I think we'll probably have to wait until Saturday's over and see who's kind of left there."

Recalling Evan Phillips and Donnie Hart provides bullpen depth and more easily allows the Orioles to give the start to a reliever.

"With some of the things that are going on," Showalter said. "Alex wasn't a whole lot better yesterday with that (blister). That could be slow.

"We'll see how Cashner's knee is. Right now I feel like he'll make his start but that could change. We'll see how his workday goes."

Showalter said infielder Steve Wilkerson should be full-go by Tuesday or Wednesday after recovering from a hamstring injury. The Orioles recalled him on Sept. 5.

On this date in 1969, the Orioles clinched the first-ever American League East division title by defeating the Indians 7-3 at Memorial Stadium. The swept the Twins to capture the pennant and lost to the Mets in five games in the World Series.

My first sports memories came the following year. I'm pretty sure my parents planned it that way.

Update: Luis Ortiz threw 21 pitches in the first inning and Daniel Palka's two-out single gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead.