Jones out of lineup with sore ankle and hip

HOUSTON - Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is out of tonight's lineup due to a sore left ankle and hip.

Jones jammed the ankle during a game in Detroit. He felt the discomfort while chasing a ball in the outfield and compounded the issue on the bases.

Manager Buck Showalter said no tests are planned at the moment, but Jones could be examined when the team returns to Baltimore. He may undergo X-rays or an MRI.

The Orioles are hoping that a day or two on the bench will prevent Jones from going on the disabled list. It's a possibility if the ankle doesn't improve in the next few days.

"Really, it's been off and on," Showalter said. "Hip's a little sore, too, so just need to back off him. Hopefully, it's just a day or two. We'll see. If it's not better in a couple days, we'll see if we need to take another step.

"Got day games the next two days, so just want to try to get ahead of it."

Jones usually is banged up - he fouls pitches off various parts of his body and doesn't shy away from collisions with outfield fences - but he's clearly been in pain while remaining in the lineup. He can be seen grimacing at times.

"We talked about whether he should go back and get some pictures," Showalter said. "We'll see how it manages between today and tomorrow.

"It's just a reminder that everybody on the field, including their guys, everybody's got something. I see the treatment sheet every day that never gets talked about. It's really a reminder of things.

"Adam is a post-up (guy). He's always going to want to play, so if you go to ask him ... We talked about it today. I just felt like it was best to back off him."

The ankle injury may have started on a play at Comerica Park when he tried to cut off a ball in left-center field and he couldn't quite get to it.

"He's been favoring it some," Showalter said. "I think it's been bothering him at the plate when he tries to fire down on that leg. It really makes him kind of rotational with the upper half. It's really gotten to be a little painful and I think it's made challenged at the plate, too. Hopefully, we can get it cleared up.

"It's been bothering him off and on. I know he hit a bag wrong, kind of jammed it. But they've been treating it. Just didn't like some things he was feeling last night."

Jones is batting .258/.302/.411 with five doubles, eight home runs and 21 RBIs in 45 games. Joey Rickard is replacing him tonight in center field and Welington Castillo is batting second for the first time in his career.