Hammel will pitch Monday in Sarasota

The Orioles have arranged for Jason Hammel to pitch four or five innings in a simulated game Monday morning at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. He will face both left-handed and right-handed hitters. Hammel threw a sim game in the bullpen yesterday and said his knee felt good today. Steel Russell, son of Orioles bench coach John Russell, will catch Hammel on Monday. Pitching coach Rick Adair will attend the game, and manager Buck Showalter may join him. The Orioles won't know whether Hammel could pitch for them later in the week until checking how his knee responds on Tuesday. Steve Pearce will join the Orioles in Tampa on Monday. His wife just gave birth to a girl and the baby was in ICU, but mother and daughter are doing fine. "The baby business is good with the Orioles," Showalter said. Pearce lives in Lakeland, so it will be an easy trip to Tampa. The Orioles are interested in retaining Pearce after the season. The rotation currently includes Wei-Yin Chen on Monday and Miguel Gonzalez on Tuesday, with Wednesday TBA, but Showalter always reminds reporters that things could change. Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson left the club last night and headed to the instructional league. Pitching coach Mike Griffin will join him after tonight's game. There are four televisions in the middle of the clubhouse. One was turned off, one was tuned to the Ryder Cup, one was tuned to college football and the other was tuned to the Yankees-Blue Jays game. The Yankees lost, by the way. The Orioles are a half-game back in the American League East. For the Red Sox: Jacoby Ellsbury CF Scott Podsednik LF Dustin Pedroia 2B Cody Ross RF Mauro Gomez 1B Jarrod Saltalamacchia C Ryan Lavarnway DH Pedro Ciriaco 3B Jose Iglesias SS Felix Doubront LHP