Gunkel scratched from today's exhibition game

SARASOTA, Fla. - Joe Gunkel won't appear in today's exhibition game against the Pirates due to an upper respiratory infection. He was supposed to follow left-hander Wade Miley.

"He could probably pitch today, but he's not feeling well," said manager Buck Showalter. "He's better than he was yesterday, but Roger (McDowell) and I decided just to be fair to him, let him get back to 100 percent before we run him out there, especially his first time out there.

"We talked to him today and he kind of gave us that, 'I think I'm OK.' It's just not worth it. So he was scheduled today, but it will actually give us a chance to see somebody from the Sarasota camp. We'll plug those guys in. We bring over four every day and one of those guys will pitch today."

The list of available pitchers includes Chris Lee, Jesús Liranzo, Logan Verrett and Richard Rodríguez, plus Jefri Hernandez and left-handers Brian Mora, Garrett Cleavinger and John Means from minor league camp.

Zach Britton is close to throwing off a mound after playing catch today. The discomfort has subsided in his left side.

"He's progressing," Showalter said. "We've got a tentative (date) on the mound if everything goes well. He should be on a full mound shortly."

Showalter isn't ready to announce the date of Britton's exhibition debut.

"We're not there yet, but it will be, I'd think, early March, depending on how you define early March," he said. "Before the 15th?"

Showalter also said "things are going well" with Chris Tillman's right shoulder and J.J. Hardy's back is better.

"Guys are improving every day," he said.

David Washington worked out today to test his right shoulder.

"If he gets through back there today, he's a player," Showalter said. "He's a full-go if things go well with him moving around. He did the drills back there and everything was OK."

Reliever Logan Ondrusek no longer is limping and he didn't have his right ankle wrapped in the clubhouse. He threw off a half-mound this morning.

"He's very close to getting on a full mound," Showalter said. "I think we'll see him before long."

The Orioles still expect Paul Janish to be on the field Monday for the morning workout.

A group of players from minor league camp, including DJ Stewart, Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle and Brian Levy, was summoned to Ed Smith Stadium to assist with rundown drills.

"There were a couple who didn't quite seem to understand that it was game speed," Showalter said. "They got the message."

Hays, a third-round pick last year out of Jacksonville University, batted .336/.386/.514 with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 21 RBIs in 38 games with short-season Single-A Aberdeen.

"He's a good-looking player," Showalter said. "A baseball player, real toolsy, really likes to play the game. I wanted to get a look at him today. Our guys speak really highly of him. We'll get him over as we get into camp."

Here's the new Pirates lineup:

Phil Gosselin 2B
Kevin Newman DH
Andrew McCutchen RF
Jason Rogers 3B
Elias Diaz C
Jose Osuna 1B
Eric Wood LF
Austin Meadows CF
Alen Hanson SS

Jameson Taillon RHP

Other Pirates pitchers on the trip include Tyler Gasnow, Jared Hughes, Drew Hutchison and Tyler Webb. Former Orioles farmhand Joey Terdoslavich also is here.