Jimenez on extended rest, plus other off-day notes (and draft pick signings)

The Orioles are sending Ubaldo Jimenez to the mound Friday night at Yankee Stadium, and it's been a week since he's thrown a pitch.

Jimenez is working on six days rest for the third time this season. Most recently, he tossed seven scoreless innings in Minnesota on May 2, striking out 10, to earn his first win as an Oriole.

In his career, Jimenez is 11-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 27 starts with six days or more of rest.

The extra rest this season has provided Jimenez with an extra bullpen session and more work on his unorthodox delivery with pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti. For example, adjusting where he plants his foot on the rubber. Anything to improve his chances of throwing strikes.

Manager Buck Showalter said he "hopes" it helps.

"Some people say, 'Well then is it too far away from pitching?' In his case, he's responded well to it, so we hope it happens again," Showalter said.

"Any time they get a little extra time with Dave, I'm for it. He's one of the best. It's a hard delivery to coach through, but his track record's been pretty true through the second half of the season. We're going to try to trust that."

Can Jimenez be trusted to pitch in the Bronx? He's 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in three career starts at Yankee Stadium, allowing 10 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings. Overall, he's 1-4 with a 6.67 ERA in five career games versus New York, losing four consecutive starts.

Nick Markakis is 8-for-22 (.364) with two doubles and a home run against Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda.

Down on the farm, Steve Lombardozzi wasn't in today's lineup for Triple-A Norfolk, but not for health or promotion reasons. He's in a 1-for-23 slump and apparently getting the day off.

David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot reports that catcher Steve Clevenger exited today's game after being hit on the left elbow by a backswing.

It's dangerous back there.

Infielder Trey Mancini, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and pitcher Jimmy Yacabonis were promoted from low Single-A Delmarva to high Single-A Frederick.

Short-season Single-A Aberdeen plays its home opener Friday night against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Dylan Bundy will make his second start on Saturday.

Ripken Stadium now features an orange outfield wall as part of a facility upgrade completed by Promats Athletics, a leading manufacturer for protective pads in major league and college baseball for more than two decades. The project included installation of 390 pads that blends Ripken orange with black pads that cover the backstop wall, dugouts and batters eye in center field.

The Orioles black-and-orange color scheme is incorporated throughout Ripken Stadium in the new hospitality areas that include the 378 Bar, the Natty Boh Garden and the Extra Innings Café.

The IronBirds also are wearing new orange and black uniforms.

NOTE: The Orioles announced the signings of 16 more 2014 draft picks: LH Jon Means (11th round), RH Nigel Nootbaar (12), OF Gerrion Grim (14), INF Alejandro Juvier (15), RH Tanner Chleborad (16), RH Matthew Grimes (18), RH Zach Albin (20), LH John McLeod (21), RH Josh Walker (22), RH Zeke McGranahan (23), RH Lucas Long (24), INF Austin Pfeiffer (27), RH Patrick Baker (29), RH Michael Burke (30), INF Alexander Lee (36) and RH Keegan Ghidotti (38).