Brian Roberts tweeted earlier today that he's been taking swings in the cage "the past few days."
I was told that Roberts will be re-evaluated by Dr. Michael Collins next Wednesday in Pittsburgh, which is a longer wait than I expected.
Roberts is hoping to be cleared for full baseball activities. Swinging a bat represents progress, considering that he had been limited to playing catch and tracking pop ups, along with his conditioning program.
Manager Buck Showalter indicated that Alfredo Simon will start Saturday, followed by Mitch Atkins on Sunday. Nothing is definite, but that seems to be the plan.
I never understood why Jeremy Guthrie was being considered for Sunday, which would force him to work on short rest.
Chris Jakubauskas can be used in long relief, since he's not starting this weekend, and we'll see how the rotation shapes up after the three-day All-Star break.
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