O'Day on Hart: "I think he's still going to get better"

The Orioles' bullpen appears to be back at full strength with Darren O'Day's return yesterday from the disabled list.

O'Day offered a positive report on his right shoulder today before heading outdoors.

"It feels pretty good," he said. "I won't know for sure until I go out and throw, but yeah, it feels good."

O'Day joins closer Zach Britton, right-handers Brad Brach, Mychal Givens and Tommy Hunter and rookie left-hander Donnie Hart to create a formidable group that can pass the baton in the event of a short start.

"The name of the game in the playoffs is, if the starter is struggling, you get the bullpen in there early. You've got to shorten games," O'Day said.

"Every game from here on out is pretty important, so we'll be ready to work."

Hart hasn't allowed a run in 17 appearances and left-handers are 5-for-31 against him.

O'Day is impressed by Hart, "especially when you consider where he was couple years ago."

"He's worked really hard and asks all the right questions," O'Day said. "He's really self-motivated. The guy, almost to a fault, works hard. He works so hard. He's made himself into a good bullpen pitcher.

"I think he's still going to get better and he's been pretty good so far. I think he's going to get better."

Could the current bullpen be better than the dominate 2014 unit?

"I don't know," O'Day said. "I don't see any 6-7 lefties in there who throw 96, but we'll be good."

That was O'Day's nod to Andrew Miller, in case you missed it.

Wade Miley is feeling good after throwing today, the discomfort in his upper back subsiding. He left yesterday's game after the fourth inning.

The initial diagnosis had Miley's pain stemming from cramps, but a physician later described the ailment as a mild muscle strain.

"We're hoping it's more of the original diagnosis than the latter," said manager Buck Showalter. "We'll see where he fits in as we go forward."

The Orioles are doing more than just leaning toward using Ubaldo Jimenez on Wednesday. He's listed as the starter versus Clay Buchholz.

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "O's Xtra", which airs at 6:30 p.m. on MASN. I already did two live hits for MLB Network earlier this afternoon, so I'm warmed up.