Robert Andino took batting practice again today and is ready for his injury-rehab assignment to begin tomorrow at Triple-A Norfolk.
Andino could be activated on Tuesday on the first day that he's eligible to come off the disabled list.
"We'll see. I'll probably play two games and see what happens after that," he said.
The original projection had Andino being out three to four weeks with a strained left shoulder, but he's way ahead of schedule.
"Every day, it really got better," he said. "Moving around, stretching, moving it every day. I didn't keep it still, so maybe that's why."
Andino has pretty much done everything except dive for a ball, which is how he suffered the injury.
"Diving's in the back of my head, but we'll see what happens when I dive," he said.
Andino is tired of being detached from the team and wants to get back onto the field and contribute in the second half.
"I don't know what to do with myself. It's the first time that I've been hurt," he said. "It happens for a reason, I guess."
Matt Wieters said his right bicep feels "a lot better," and he expects to return to the lineup tomorrow.
"Hopefully, we can get one more full day of treatment today and be ready to go and not have to worry about any kind of setbacks tomorrow," he said.
"With way it improved today, if we can just get it a little better, I'll be good to go. The big thing is, miss one game here as opposed to having that doubt in your mind where it might set you back two or three weeks."
Wieters didn't swing a bat yesterday. He took light swings today.
Brian Roberts is starting at second base tonight at short-season Single-A Aberdeen, and his rehab assignment figures to last for two games before he's activated on Monday.
"I'd be comfortable with him down there for two days, because he's not that far removed," manager Buck Showalter said. "I know the activity has been going on down there and it's not a 24-year-old guy. Brian has a lot of experience with this type of stuff and I think we can trust him on it. I don't think it's going to affect his ability to have success up here by the length necessarily. The only thing we're trying to accomplish is to try and get a barometer on whether he's going to be able to do it. Obviously, we would have to make some corresponding moves to activate him."
Don't look for Roberts to move down the order when he returns, though Showalter wouldn't reveal his plans for the leadoff spot.
"That's a fair question, but I'm going to wait to answer it until after two games in Aberdeen and what they tell me and what Brian thinks," Showalter said. "He obviously has the most experience, and like I said, Nick (Markakis) is capable of hitting anywhere in the order in my mind, where Brian is not."
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