Early notes on Paredes, Alvarez, Beliveau and Gallardo

ARLINGTON, Texas - Jimmy Paredes will play in an extended spring training game Monday in Sarasota as he moves closer to a return from the disabled list.

Paredes sprained his left wrist on March 3 while diving for a ball in right field in Port Charlotte. He's on the DL retroactive to March 25.

The Orioles eventually will send Paredes on an injury rehab assignment in the minors and try to figure out how to fit him on their 25-man roster. There are no easy answers with Paredes out of options and primarily a left-handed hitting designated hitter.

Pedro Alvarez has the Orioles covered in that department.

"Jimmy might be moving here pretty soon," said manager Buck Showalter. "Kind of a forgotten guy in some people's minds, I think."

Asked if there's way to squeeze Paredes onto the roster, Showalter replied, "There's always a way. How would you do it? We haven't gotten that far yet.

"It's one of those things were I try not to think it too much until it's a reality. But he feels good. It's been a long time. It's been almost six weeks."

Alvarez, who's 3-for-21 with six walks and five strikeouts, is on the bench again tonight with the Rangers starting another left-hander.

"I'd really like to get Alvarez out there defensively at some point," Showalter said. "That's one thing I haven't been able to do."

Left-hander Jeff Beliveau threw two innings today at extended spring training, another encouraging sign in his comeback from labrum surgery in April 2015.

"It went well," Showalter said. "Good to see that. He's feeling good."

Showalter doesn't know when Beliveau will be activated from Triple-A Norfolk's disabled list, but a move doesn't appear to be imminent.

"He's getting better, but command of his fastball isn't quite there yet," Showalter said. "But he's making good progress. I was really encouraged to see him pitch two innings today. He had 31 pitches."

Yovani Gallardo starts Saturday night against his former team. He grew up in Fort Worth and will have family and friends in the stands.

"It should be fun," he said. "The most important thing more than anything is I think it's going to be fun. Like I've been saying since Day One, I think I had a fun year last year in that clubhouse, but that was last year. This year is a new chapter in my career and I think my No. 1 job is to win."

Gallardo was 13-11 with a 3.42 ERA in 33 starts for the Rangers last season. He's 8-6 with a 3.52 ERA in 16 starts at Globe Life Park.

The biggest challenge to pitching here can be the weather, but it shouldn't be a factor this weekend beyond rain that's in the forecast for Sunday. The suffocating heat hasn't arrived.

"Right now, it's actually nice out. It's real nice," Gallardo said.

"You know once summer hits, you're talking about 100 degree weather, humidity and that sort of thing. It's just nice to have warmer weather, period, from Baltimore and then Boston and now here. But like I said, just overall it should be fun tomorrow to get back on the mound. And especially I grew up here in Fort Worth and having family in the stands. And now they're rooting for the Orioles, so it's going to be good."

It would be great for Gallardo and the Orioles if he can pitch deeper in games. He's gone five innings in each of his two starts this season and has averaged 5.06 innings over his last 16 regular season outings.

"If you have the mentality of getting a hitter out in two or three pitches every time, it's going to keep that pitch count down and give you the opportunity to get deeper into ballgames," he said. "You've got to understand you might have some innings where you have to work a little bit harder. That's just the way the game is. If it comes down to that, it's just a matter of limiting damage and getting out of the inning."

Gallardo gets his first look at the Rangers since signing a two-year deal with the Orioles that includes an option for 2018.

"He's been with, what, three organizations?" Showalter said. "I think both sides have some advantages and disadvantages. I know Yovani is not a guy who changes a whole lot. You've seen him. He knows what he's got to do and he's not giving in. He doesn't give in. And they know what he's going to try to do and he knows what they're going to try to do. It makes for something that's fun to watch.

"He's as advertised. Competitive. You see why winning has followed him around. He's going to give you a chance to win, and every once in a while he'll spin off a real good one. I'm anxious to see how he does with the warmer weather. We pitched in some really terrible weather, really toward the end of spring, too. But he's what we thought he would be.

"We needed a guy who was consistent and could compete and give us a chance to win when he pitches."

And he can sleep in his own bed this weekend.

"Sometimes, that's not all it's cracked up to be," Showalter said, smiling. "There's some guys who go home but down deep would probably rather be in the hotel. The dog's not barking, the garbage guy's not banging on the door."