Ross long tossing, plus updates on Cole and bullpen arms

BALTIMORE - Manager Dusty Baker said the season is winding down so much that a rehab assignment for right-hander Joe Ross may not be able to happen during the minor league season. Ross has been on the shelf with right shoulder inflammation retroactive to July 3.

"Man, I feel like I got a M*A*S*H unit going on. Joe said he's feeling good. The longer he's out, the longer it's going to take him to come back to sharpness," Baker said. "One of the things I was talking to Joe about, 'Hey man, you might have to come back in a reliever role,' ... He's gonna have a problem getting rehab time because the season ends in 10 or 12 days (at minor league level). "

Double-A Harrisburg's last regular season game is Sept. 5. Triple-A Syracuse finishes the regular season that same date at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

President of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo had a bit more on Ross.

"He's playing catch right now," Rizzo said. "He's long tossing. He's well underway on his throwing program."

Baker said there is concern regarding the taxed bullpen, which was worked to its limit in Denver and Atlanta over the past seven days. He alluded to the posssiblity they could seek out another reliever from the minors if A.J. Cole struggles to log major innings tonight.

"It's a little bit better than it was yesterday," Baker said. "No, it's just different people. Different people are available. We might have to get somebody else in here. At this point from day to day, it kind of changes depending on how far your starter goes. That's what's going to determine if we do anything or not or if we have to use guys because I have guys that have gone three out of four, four out of five, three days in a row, two out of three.

"I hate to be right, but I also said when you go to Colorado, this is what you come out of Colorado with. And then you would choose somebody probably other than the Orioles to play right after Colorado, and then we have Colorado again when we get back home. So this is a tough stretch for our pitching staff."

Rizzo felt Cole was the call for tonight's start because the prospect was on schedule to pitch. The right-hander also has his velocity back up in the mid-90s.

"He was ready," Rizzo said. "He was on rotation. And we felt that he was the best option we had to pitch on a Monday on short notice."

Nationals pitching coordinator Paul Menhart told me that Cole has "been commanding his fastball fairly well and has tightened up his breaking pitches."

The Nationals hope Cole can go five or six innings tonight. Cole struggled in his major league debut start last season at Atlanta when he lasted only two innings, allowing nine runs (four earned runs) on nine hits with one walk and one strikeout. Cole threw 55 pitches in that initial start.

He returned for a couple of bullpen appearances later in the season and this year was up on the weekend prior to Ryan Zimmerman's activation from the disabled list. In five starts since July 16 for Triple-A Syracuse, Cole has posted 2.80 ERA.

Right-hander Lucas Giolito starts tomorrow night for Syracuse. Rizzo said the top pitching prospect is making steady progress.

"Yeah, he's throwing great," Rizzo said. "He's thrown very well his last few starts. He's getting accustomed to Triple-A, like he's gotten accustomed to each level he's gone up to. I think he's taken to the Triple-A level and thrown very well the last 4-5 starts."

With Sammy Solis already on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation (Aug. 16), the bullpen is razor thin from the left side. Then arrives the news that left-handed reliever Oliver Perez is dealing with back stiffness.

The club signed former Nats southpaw Sean Burnett as a possibility. But also left-hander Matt Grace continues to pitch well since he has returned healthy from an early season injury.

"Matt Grace is pitching awfully well right now," Rizzo said. "And of course he's an option. He's on the 40-man roster. He's been in the big leagues before. And he's pitching very well."