Casilla out of lineup with finger injury (with more quotes added)

Alexi Casilla most likely would have started again tonight at second base, but he jammed his right index finger yesterday while sliding into second base at Tropicana Field and he has a bandage wrapped around it. Casilla may be available tonight off the bench. It depends how the finger feels while he plays catch this afternoon. Casilla reached base three times yesterday, drove in two runs and made a sensational tag on Desmond Jennings' stolen-base attempt. "He's OK, but a little sore," said manager Buck Showalter. "I was contemplating playing him today, but wasn't sure coming in. Hopefully, he'll be available for us today and tomorrow. You come off a trip, and there are three or four guys Richie (Bancells) puts on the board that the doc needs to look at. There's always some nagging things going on that you don't broadcast. It's just part of playing a game that you play every day. "There are a lot of things I know that I don't broadcast that may lean you toward doing one thing or the other during the course of a game or a season. Some things you kind of wear for the players' sake." In other words, Showalter will absorb fan criticism for certain lineups or late-game decisions rather than detail which players aren't available. Dylan Bundy started his throwing progression today with 25 tosses from 60 feet. He made it through the session without any problems. The Orioles are hoping that outfielder Nolan Reimold will go on an injury-rehab assignment during this homestand. Reimold has been taking batting practice. "Things are moving pretty good with Nolan," Showalter said. "Hoping he can go out on rehab sometime toward the end of this homestand, from what I'm told. We'll see." It will be multiple games. Reimold won't play once and be activated. "I would think more than two. Hopefully less than seven. How's that?" Showalter said. "Same way with Brian (Roberts). I'm going to lean on Brian. He knows the level of what's got to be done here. He knows when it's right, and he knows when it's not. I trust him. He's not going to put himself in a position to not be able to contribute the way he can contribute. "We took the extra step to try to eliminate the possibility of this problem coming back, with the procedure we did and he did. I'll lean toward what Brian's telling me. I think he deserves that and has earned that. And more importantly, I trust him in that he's not going to say 'I'm ready' unless he feels like he is." Roberts was in the clubhouse today, and the Orioles also will summon left-hander Wei-Yin Chen as soon as he's able to throw off a mound. Showalter wants Roberts and Chen back in this environment. Miguel Gonzalez's wife, Lucia, is due with the couple's first child next week. "I hope it's not tomorrow," Showalter said, "or one of you all will be pitching." Gonzalez is scheduled to face the Angels' Jason Vargas Tuesday night. Jason Hammel will oppose Jerome Williams on Wednesday afternoon. Freddy Garcia's 3.99 runs of support per start are the lowest among Orioles starters with at least seven starts. Chen (4.18) and Gonzalez (4.35) also receive less than 4.50 runs per game. Chris Davis is hitless in his last 13 at-bats and endured his first three-game hitless stretch since July 23-25, 2012. According to STATS, Davis' +.282 improvement in OPS (.827 to 1.109) from one year to the next with a minimum of 200 plate appearances each season is the second-largest jump in club history behind John Lowenstein's +.307. Lowenstein improved from .710 in 1981 to 1.017 in 1982. The Orioles and the Cubs are the only teams in the majors with two seven-double games this season. The tarp has been peeled away from the infield for at least the second time today. The grounds crew had to put it back on during a brief downpour, but the sun actually came out for a few minutes.