Catching up with Matt Wieters (O's win 4-2)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Catcher Matt Wieters provided an update today on his rehab schedule at extended spring training. However, he's still unable to pass along a timetable for his first injury rehab games or his return to the Orioles' 25-man roster.

Wieters caught five innings in Saturday's extended game and threw out a couple of runners, another positive step in his return from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. He was back in the Orioles clubhouse this morning to visit teammates and watch the series finale against the Rays.

"Just kind of keep going how it feels," Wieters said. "I think we're going to try to go every other day for a while and be able to give it that rest time. I think the key is we want to try to get a consistent feeling with the elbow to where we're not going to have ups and downs. I'm going to try to keep expanding the innings and keep moving forward and just see how it goes."

Wieters continues to experience occasional discomfort in the elbow.

"Yeah. It's just going to be a matter of that ligament completely changing all the way and it's going to be a grind through the year, but right now we're just trying to get consistent feeling and being able to recover the next day," he said.

"It's still improving and that's the thing. It's going to keep improving. It's a matter of we want to get to where we kind of know how it's going to feel the next day we come in, as opposed to now we just kind of wait and see what it feels like."

Wieters must be able to catch on consecutive games before the Orioles will consider sending him on a rehab assignment.

"I'd like to be able to catch every day before, but it's something where we'll play it by ear and I'll try to extend it out to nine innings and once we get there we can do back-to-back," Wieters said. "We'll see how the schedule goes and how everything goes before we look at a rehab assignment."

The entire process continues to test Wieters' patience. He caught one exhibition game on March 17 and held out hope that he'd be in the lineup on opening day, but the Orioles had to place him on the disabled list with inflammation in the elbow.

"It's not easy, and especially being here," he said. "It's good to be around the guys, but it's hard watching it on TV every night. But we know that we've got to get it right before we come back."

Asked again about a timetable, Wieters blocked the question like he does home plate.

"Not really, because now it's about getting it right," he said. "I feel like we'll get there, hopefully sooner than later, but like I said, it's about getting it right now. I've tried to push it all offseason and trying to get it ready as quick as possible and the biology of my elbow just wouldn't let me get there, so now it's about letting it go at its own pace and try and push where we can and rest where we can, too."

The extended games have given Wieters lots of opportunities to test his arm.

"They run a lot in extended spring games," he said. "It's pretty much been about two or three throws a game that will be actual game-action throws, which for five innings can be a lot of throws. But the volume isn't the problem. It's just the matter of being able to get the recovery the next day speeding up a little bit."

The report date for spring training and the March 17 game seem so long ago.

"Each day that goes by, you just wait and see how it feels," he said. "It seems like it's been a long time since spring training started, but it's just a matter of what you have to go through in a rehab progress.

"I've taken quite a few at bats down there, so the swing feels good. Now it's just a matter of now just letting the arm come around and keeping the swings going. We're not overdoing the DHing down there because I'm probably upwards of 100 at bats there since spring training started.

Wieters hit a long home run to left-center field a few days ago, which he downplayed to reporters.

"The wind was helping me out there," he said, grinning. "But no, it was nice to touch home plate and Schoopy (Jonathan Schoop) gave me a nice handshake when I crossed home."

Wieters does find peace of mind in knowing that the Orioles remain at .500 despite the slew of injuries.

"That's the thing we've always loved about our team is how deep we are," he said. "Going into spring training, everybody who is on that spring training roster is going to be a big part of our team. It can make it easier to go through a rehab process and get it right knowing that all these guys up here who have the team in good hands are going to keep you competitive all the way until the end."

Showalter keeps reminding reporters and fans that a full year hasn't passed since Wieters underwent surgery.

"He's getting closer," Showalter said. "I've always said it's not if, it's when, and he's still ahead of what normal - if there is such a thing as what Tommy John guys are - he's still not even a year removed, so we try to keep that in mind."

Caleb Joseph remains the starter in Wieters' absence and he's catching a day game following last night's 4-0 win.

"We've had a bunch of off-days before, we've got an off day tomorrow, and the last three games have been real crisp and guys around the plate haven't been beat up much. Plus, the off-day tomorrow," Showalter said.

Showalter was asked whether Steve Pearce would continue to play second base once J.J. Hardy and Ryan Flaherty come off the disabled list.

"If it's a necessity, sure," he replied.

"I'd rather not, but I would. It's still an option for us. It always has been. The roster was constructed as such in the spring that it was tough to get him the reps that I really wanted him to this spring.

"Stevie can play shortstop. He's had, not the experience of the speed of the game up here, but ... The thing you like so much about Steve is he embraces it. We're looking forward to getting Jonathan back and everybody. I think as much treatment as guys get, coming over here with the team for a couple days, three days, is almost therapeutic for them. You can tell how much everybody's missed them and it's a reminder of what we're missing, but you don't dwell on it."

The Orioles must create room for Hardy and Flaherty on the 25-man roster.

"We've got ways to do it," Showalter said. "We're just going to try to hold onto the pieces. That will be the challenge. I know Dan (Duquette) flew back to Baltimore this morning. We talked a lot about it yesterday."

Update: James Loney homered in the second inning after Joey Butler, called up to replace injured Desmond Jennings, grounded into a double play. Rays 1, Orioles 0.

Update II: Logan Forsythe grounded a two-out single into left field in the fifth inning to score Kevin Kiermaier and give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

Wei-Yin Chen has thrown 79 pitches in five innings. He gave up three of his seven hits in the fifth.

The Orioles are 0-8 when their opponent scores first.

Update III: The Orioles scored a run in the sixth inning and lost Steve Pearce.

Rey Navarro pinch-hit for Pearce, who left the game with a stomach illness, and delivered a two-out RBI single to right to score Manny Machado and reduce the lead to 2-1. Machado reached on a bunt single.

Adam Jones is 3-for-3 to raise his average to .395.

Chen turned in the rotation's sixth quality start in a row by allowing two runs over six innings, with seven hits, two walks, four strikeouts and a home run. He threw 91 pitches, 65 for strikes.

A starter has worked at least six innings in seven consecutive games.

Tommy Hunter is pitching the seventh inning.

Update IV: Paredes tied the game 2-2 with an RBI double in the seventh and Jones followed with his fourth hit of the day, a two-run double. Orioles 4, Rays 2.

Jones is batting .402. He tied his career high with four hits, the 16th time it's happened and the third this season.

Update V: The Orioles take two of three from the Rays with today's 4-2 come-from-behind victory.

Zach Britton recorded the four-out save, and the Orioles improved to 12-11 overall and 1-8 when the opponent scores first.

The Orioles haven't been above .500 since they were 7-6 on April 20.

Britton has five saves.