Mancini's bruised knee keeping him out of lineup

Orioles rookie Trey Mancini is out of the lineup tonight after fouling a ball off his left knee during last night's 7-5 loss to the Tigers.

Mancini has a bruise below his kneecap and said he was limping this morning.

"I finished up the game and it was not too bad, but then today it was pretty tough limping around a little bit, but it's not anything crazy at all," he said. "Definitely think I'll be able to get back in the lineup tomorrow.

"I've just been doing treatment on it. It's just the bottom of my kneecap and off to the side a little bit. Yeah, that's why."

Fouling a ball off the knee is a new experience for Mancini. The foot, ankle and shin are more common targets, and he always tries to get right back in the box. He stayed crouched in the dirt last night, grimacing as head athletic trainer Richie Bancells checked on him.

"It took me a while to get up yesterday," he said. "It was just in a tough spot. I never fouled a ball off there before."

Mancini has been in the lineup for every game since June 8. Manager Buck Showalter would like to get him back in it on Saturday.

Patience will be tested with the Orioles carrying a three-man bench that's become thinner with Mancini's day-to-day status.

"Trey's pretty sore today," Showalter said. "Hopefully, it's not very long. Just below the kneecap. Really the tibia. Not much protection there. I could tell. He basically hit a line drive right below his kneecap. But it's one of those things, once you get off it and sleep, he's real sore today. I just left him. He's back in one of the pools. Trying to shorten the life of the injury. But he's sore. Hopefully, he's available soon. Maybe the eighth or ninth inning. Who knows?

"He's obviously worth waiting on and probably be a decision we need to make tomorrow. I think we'll know more if it's managing. We're obviously a little short on the bench. A lot of teams are. It seems like more and more teams are going with three men on the bench because the starting pitching's been such a challenge for a lot of people.

"We'd like to get back to four (reserves), but right now we're kind of at two."

Showalter also said the disabled list isn't an option for struggling starter Chris Tillman. It's the rotation or bullpen, the choices down to only two.

More on that in my next blog entry.

Dylan Bundy's next start is Monday night in Anaheim.

Miguel Castro is presenting himself as an option to start, but Showalter used the "robbing Peter to pay Paul" analogy about removing the young right-hander from the bullpen.

Starting could happen "down the road," Showalter said.

The Tigers haven't named a starter for Saturday night after placing Michael Fulmer on the disabled list with an elbow injury. A reliever will be chosen, depending on what happens tonight.

I'm told that first-round pick DL Hall's fastball was touching 94 mph today in his debut with the Gulf Coast League team.