Minor league notes on Drake and Hobgood; Widlansky to Triple-A

The Orioles have promoted right-handed pitcher Oliver Drake from Single-A Frederick to Double-A Bowie and he will start for the Baysox tonight. Drake, a 43rd-round draft pick in 2008, was 8-3 with a 2.14 ERA for Frederick with a WHIP of 0.99 and groundout-to-flyout ratio of 2.18. This will be another crack at Double-A for the 24-year-old righty, who allowed 11 runs over four innings in two April starts for the Baysox. Orioles minor league pitchers Matt Hobgood and Ryan Berry have now joined the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds from the Gulf Coast League Orioles to take the next steps in their rehab programs. Hobgood is expected to start for Aberdeen on Saturday and pitch three to four innings and Berry will follow him to the mound and go three innings. Hobgood, rehabbing a strained right rotator cuff, went 0-0 with an ERA of 4.35 in five GCL appearances. Over 10 1/3 innings, he gave up 10 hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. Berry, rehabbing from shoulder tendinitis, went 0-0 with an ERA of 1.80 in five GCL games. Over 10 innings, he allowed five hits with seven walks and nine strikeouts. Meanwhile, the O's are expected to place Rhyne Hughes on the Triple-A disabled list with an oblique injury and move Robbie Widlansky to Norfolk to take his roster spot. The Tides' rotation for the next five days, as the second half begins, has Rick VandenHurk starting tonight, followed by Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, Chris George and Steve Johnson.