Paredes on his rehab assignment, plus other notes (updated)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jimmy Paredes will play at Double-A Bowie the next two nights, report to Single-A Frederick for one game and rejoin the Baysox. The left wrist is pain-free and he's ready for a rehab assignment.

"I'm feeling very well, I'm feeling very good. I'm good to go," said Paredes, who joined the Orioles from extended spring training in Sarasota.

"I'm good. I'm excited. I want to get back. It's hard to be in (extended). I feel good because I feel right. I feel like my wrists are better. I can do a lot of movement that I couldn't do before. I'm excited."

Paredes has been playing the outfield in extended. He suffered his injury while diving for a fly ball near the right field line in Port Charlotte, but the Orioles got him right back on the horse.

"At first, I thought it would be long because I thought there was something cracked in there, but at the end of the day, I'm feeling better, better," Paredes said. "When I started swinging, I felt it, so that's why it took so long.

"Swinging is the big thing. If the swings feel good, everything feels good."

There may be opportunities to serve as the designated hitter at Bowie, but Paredes said, "I think I'll play in the field."

The Orioles can keep Paredes on his rehab assignment for 20 days, with the chance to extend it with his permission.

Could it be a short assignment, considering the number of at-bats he's received at extended? Or will the Orioles attempt to delay another tough roster decision?

"I don't know," Paredes said. "We'll see. You never know. Something could happen. You never know. It's the game. Maybe it will be short, maybe it will be longer. We will see at the end of the day."

Manager Buck Showalter warned of the differences between playing at extended spring training and in the minors or majors.

"It's lights, it's a lot better pitching," Showalter said. "I think Jimmy and our people down there will have an idea. We have 20 days if we want to, but hopefully it won't take that long."

Showalter added that Paredes will play "all over."

Ryan Flaherty didn't make it to the end of tonight's game at Tropicana Field, the Orioles choosing to option him to Triple-A Norfolk. They don't have anyone with experience at second base to back up Jonathan Schoop.

Before the Orioles made the announcement, Showalter talked about the difficult roster decision that awaited the club. He had multiple conversations today with executive vice president Dan Duquette and anticipated another one during batting practice.

"They're all tough," he said. "You're dealing with the type of people that we have. There's never a good (decision) for me. I don't like any of them. It's going to be tough regardless."

Yovani Gallardo is with the team because the Orioles wanted him to begin treatments immediately on his right shoulder after an MRI revealed tendinitis in the rotator cuff.

"Every day is a day closer we get to getting him back, so sitting around in Baltimore for three days, not a good idea," Showalter said.

"He's upbeat. I think everybody is. I talked to Dr. (Michael) Jacobs a little bit today. That was about as good of news as you can get.

"A lot of times, the first time a guy gets an injection, the first injection he ever had, there's a pretty good response to that. We'll see. Just about all the soreness from the shot has gone away."

Gallardo got a late start this spring after signing on Feb. 25.

"He started out, he wasn't behind, but there was no margin for error and I think he may have pushed a little early, so I think this may be a good period for him," Showalter said. "I've got a lot of confidence that we'll get the pitcher back that he's capable of being."

Taking an "educated guess," Showalter said Gallardo could miss about the same amount of time as Gausman did.

"Could be less, could be more," Showalter added, uncomfortable playing doctor in a pregame interview. "I don't know. I think a lot of it will be how he feels in the next three or four days. You can probably start doing the timetable when he picks up a ball and starts playing catch. Until he gets there, it would just be guessing, which I'm not very good at."

Trey Mancini is starting at first base tonight for Triple-A Norfolk after his promotion from Double-A Bowie, where he batted .302/.413/.698 with four doubles, seven home runs, 14 RBIs and 18 runs scored in 17 games.

Mancini could have sulked. Instead, he raked.

"A lot of people would have pouted or whatever because he did a lot of good things there, but he went and picked up right where he left off," Showalter said. "Real proud of Trey. That's what you like to look for in somebody. Shows a real toughness that's very attractive. Kind of verifies what everybody (knew)."

Update: The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, when Steven Souza, Jr. scored from first base with two outs on Curt Casali's double to left field. Souza was running on the pitch.

Kevin Gausman had been sensational, striking out seven batters and firing 100 mph fastballs. The Rays had two hits entering the fifth and Gausman hadn't walked a batter, but Souza received a free pass with one out.

Chris Archer has held the Orioles to three hits in five innings, including two doubles from Pedro Alvarez. He struck out five of the first seven batters.