Injury updates and Showalter talks about Jones' latest award

The light rain that's been falling at Camden Yards finally has stopped, but the tarp remains on the field due to an ominous forecast.

Double-A Bowie outfielder Austin Hays, who hasn't played since May 24 due to an ankle injury, continues to do baseball activities and is expected to begin a rehab assignment at short-season Single-A Aberdeen within the next day or two.

Manager Buck Showalter said Bowie right-hander Hunter Harvey is close to pitching in games. The former first-round pick could report to the Gulf Coast League team.

Harvey sustained a shoulder injury while trying to avoid a line drive hit into the Baysox's dugout. He hasn't pitched since June 1.

Blaine Knight, the third-round pick out of the University of Arkansas, will report to an affiliate on Aug. 10. The Orioles will limit him to 10 innings because his season extended through the College World Series.

Knight will go back to school later. He won't participate in the fall instructional league.

The Orioles held a meeting earlier today to discuss the instructional league roster and other business.

Outfielder LJ Hoes signed a minor league deal with the Orioles and now can begin serving his 50-game suspension.

Hoes, 28, was suspended for a second positive test for a drug of abuse. He appeared in three games with the Orioles in 2012-2013 before they packaged him with pitcher Josh Hader in the Bud Norris deal.

His return to the organization is done as a favor, allowing him to serve the suspension and perhaps resume his career. It won't necessarily happen with the Orioles, but at least the door can reopen.

Showalter was asked about the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association choosing center fielder Adam Jones as the Orioles' recipient of the Heart and Hustle Award, the sixth time that he's been so honored.

"Richly deserved," Showalter said. "Hard to do. Hard to do what Adam does.

"I know that Adam's not worried about getting participation awards. He's not getting a ribbon for being on the team. He wants to win. This has been tough on him. He may not wear it on his sleeve, but it's been tough on him."

Jones has 10-5 rights and can veto any trade. The Indians have expressed interest in him, and it's conceivable that the Orioles would attempt to consummate a deal and re-sign him over the winter.

How important is it to have a player of Jones' stature during a rebuild?

"I think everybody, when they think of Adam they think of the Orioles," Showalter said. "That's a decision that we'll have to make. I'm not sure where things are as far as a trade goes. I know there's a lot of rumors about that, but that's kind of an off-season thing.

"I think when the smoke clears from a lot of the stuff that's going on, we'll be able to look at things more down the road. I think Dan (Duquette) and his group upstairs are really about, 'OK, let's get the best players possible for this guy or that guy, whatever, and when it all clears kind of see where you are.'

"You're asking how that potentially would affect Adam and would we like to have him around. I know if I was a manager, yeah, but that's something where you're going to step back and look at. There's a reason why guys like Adam win those awards. There's a reason why they perform on a worldly stage. If somebody acquires him, they'll like him on their club just like we do."

For the Red Sox
Mookie Betts RF
Andrew Benintendi LF
J.D. Martinez DH
Mitch Moreland 1B
Xander Bogaerts SS
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
Eduardo Núñez 2B
Rafael Devers 3B
Blake Swihart C

Drew Pomeranz LHP