Rickard's rehab assignment begins tonight in Delmarva

Orioles outfielder Joey Rickard, on the disabled list with a sprained left middle finger, will begin his rehab assignment tonight at low Single-A Delmarva.

The Shorebirds made the announcement on their Twitter account.

Rickard hit soft tosses and took live batting practice over the weekend and didn't report renewed discomfort in his finger. The Orioles needed the last of the stiffness to subside before clearing him for game activity.

Rickard has been on the disabled list since injuring the finger while trying to steal second base in an April 8 game against the Yankees. He's 0-for-6 in four games.

Manager Buck Showalter was using Rickard as part of a platoon with Hyun Soo Kim in left field and batting him first in the order.

Rickard is expected to need only a few days on his assignment before the Orioles activate him. They'll have to decide whether to go with a five-man bench again or make a difficult call.

Showalter likes having Rickard and Craig Gentry on the roster, ideally with one of them on the bench as a late-inning replacement. Showalter mentioned again yesterday that Gentry is a nice option as a reserve.

"Hopefully, when Joey gets back we'll be able to use (Gentry) even more selective," Showalter said yesterday. "The weapon he can be off the bench. It's kind of nice when Joey plays and Craig's able to come in and we can pick our spot with him where we know he can impact a game."

The complication, of course is that Showalter also wants to hold onto rookie Trey Mancini, who has hit eight home runs in 18 major league games.

The Orioles don't need a fifth starter until May 2 and could adjust their rotation, which would provide a temporary solution.

The other possibility is placing outfielder Seth Smith on the 10-day disabled list, a move that can be backdated only three days. Smith hasn't played since Tuesday night in Cincinnati due to a strained right hamstring.

Smith has run and taken batting practice, but continues to feel some tightness in his leg.