Orioles make four roster moves

NEW YORK - The Orioles have placed reliever Kevin Gausman on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to yesterday with right shoulder tendinitis and recalled left-hander T.J. McFarland from Triple-A Norfolk.

The club also activated infielder Ryan Flaherty from the disabled list and optioned infielder Rey Navarro to Norfolk.

Gausman is eligible to return from the disabled list on May 22. He pitched an inning on Tuesday and threw five warmup tosses last night.

"He could have pitched tonight. We just don't want to take the chance at this point," said manager Buck Showalter.

"Once he gets loose he's fine, but once we looked at it and thought about it... He's starting some anti-inflams for the first time and it's usually about 72 hours before he gets any return there.

"If anything, he's had too much rest and you wake up and still have some discomfort. He threw a little bit today. Once he gets out here and going and throws around, he feels fine. But some of the symptoms he had this morning we didn't like. We're going to work it out, make sure everything's OK in there structurally before we continue to pitch him. We talked about possibly sending him down and getting him some starts anyway."

The Orioles must protect their investment.

"That's a real driving force in a decision like this," Showalter said. "We just can't get involved in the free-agent market, knowing who you are and who you're not. That's why I talk about the nine, 10 (pitchers) we have in Double-A and Triple-A. And Kevin is one of those guys.

"You never know what you're going to have pitching-wise next year, so these are assets we can't afford to abuse in any form or fashion. We're always going to err on that side. It's hard to do. I would be very easy to continue with him down there and we'd probably be fine, but I and we don't want to take any chances with it. I'd rather have him, but we'd also rather have him long-term."

McFarland, 25, went 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA in five games with Norfolk. He was scratched from tonight's start and replaced by Chris Jones.

In other news, Matt Wieters will catch seven innings on Saturday in Port Charlotte. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop has started jogging in a pool while rehabbing his right knee.

Infielder Everth Cabrera's MRI on his left foot came back clean this morning and he's walking around without crutches. He was placed on the disabled list yesterday after being hit on the foot in Wednesday's game against the Mets.

"Still will be like two weeks, said I'll be all right in two weeks," Cabrera said. "No break, just a little sprain a little bit."

Cabrera will continue receiving treatment on the foot.

"Right now, for a week, relax and don't do anything," he said. "Just ice, massage, heat, treatment. That's it."

Jacob deGrom hit Cabrera with a 75 mph curveball and left a bruise on top of the infielder's foot.

"It hit me in the right spot," he said.

Cabrera can bat from the right side without discomfort.

"Left side I'll be putting pressure on it," he said. "I'm going to take a few days off and next week start hitting."

Forget what's been written about the possibility of the Orioles optioning Cabrera. We were told today that he reached five years service time late last month and no longer can be sent down without passing through waivers or giving his consent.

The Orioles' roster offers little flexibility beyond a small group of players that includes Gausman, Flaherty, Schoop, McFarland and Caleb Joseph.

Flaherty is recovered from a groin injury and starting at second base.

"Every time you get a chance to get in there and play and help the team win, it's exciting. And I have a chance," he said.

"When it happened, a couple days after I had a pretty good idea that I'd be back by this time. This is the first time I ever pulled a muscle in my life. It was just kind of a trial and error with me because I had never done it before."

Flaherty said his rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie was made easier by having shortstop J.J. Hardy with him.

"I think any time you get a chance to play with J.J. it's a good thing," Flaherty said. "He has that ability to make everyone around him better just by being there. It was a good three days being able to play with him."

The Orioles have used Steve Pearce and Jimmy Paredes at second base in Flaherty's absence. Does Flaherty become a regular now that he's healthy?

"I'm not sure," he said. "I think it's probably a night-to-night basis and be ready every day to go in there and play and help the team."