Orioles extend Brian Matusz's injury rehab assignment

BOSTON - The Orioles have extended Brian Matusz's rehab assignment, with the left-hander scheduled to pitch multiple innings Friday night at Single-A Frederick.

Matusz will follow Kevin Gausman to the mound. The Orioles would like to get five innings out of Gausman and perhaps three out of Matusz.

The assignment was extended after Matusz allowed six runs and seven hits last night in the first inning at Double-A Bowie. He threw 30 pitches before Chris Lee replaced him in the second inning.

"Didn't go too well for him," said manager Buck Showalter. "Velocity was a little better. I think there were two bunt hits, there were two groundball hits, there was one home run that he got in a bad place he wasn't trying to go. His command has been a little bit of an issue for him.

"It's good to see his stuff get a little better. But he'll have a two- to three-inning stint Friday behind Gausman. In a perfect world, Kevin goes five and he goes ... It's like I told Gausman today, 'It's OK if you guys get some people out on these things, too.'"

Matusz has made three appearances at Bowie and allowed seven runs and eight hits in three innings, with one walk, four strikeouts and two home runs. He worked back-to-back games Thursday and Friday.

Vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson and special assignment pitching instructor Ramon Martinez attended the Bowie game last night. Martinez flew to Boston this morning.

Asked whether Matusz's line last night may not have told the entire story, Showalter replied, "I wouldn't go that far. I was hoping for more. I talked to (Bowie pitching coach) Alan Mills today, too, and we were hoping he would be a little more productive."

The Orioles won't activate Matusz from the disabled list before Sunday.

Adam Jones is available again tonight, but he hasn't been in the lineup since Wednesday.

"It's close every day," Showalter said. "Weather, wet, a lot of factors go into it. We've got in our minds where we're going to give it a shot. It could be tonight. Maybe not. He's available."

Showalter said the discomfort in Jones' rib area is "very close to being totally gone."

"They haven't finished their work today," he added. "I'm going to get an update when we get done and see how close we are. Even if it's completely gone and all the stuff we're doing here, there's still another level you go to in a game. It's just a different intensity level, so you be careful not to try it too much and then you can have a setback. I think he's very close and we're being as cautious as you can be about it."

Jimmy Paredes, on the disabled list with a left wrist injury, took live batting practice off coaches today in Sarasota and felt good afterward, "so that's a good sign," Showalter said.

Showalter added that Hunter Harvey felt "pretty good today." Harvey has been shut down twice with soreness in his groin.

For the Red Sox
Mookie Betts RF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Xander Bogaerts SS
David Ortiz DH
Hanley Ramirez 1B
Travis Shaw 3B
Brock Holt LF
Blake Swihart C
Jackie Bradley, Jr. CF

Clay Buchholz RHP