Roster expansion and remaining calm

The media will walk inside the Orioles clubhouse this afternoon and start inspecting the nameplates above the lockers. And there will be temporary lockers in the middle of the room to accommodate the newbies.

It must be September.

The Orioles will bring up a few guys today, with another wave arriving after the minor league seasons end on Monday. Catcher Caleb Joseph will be welcomed back after appearing in nine games with Triple-A Norfolk and going 10-for-40 with four RBIs - four more than he's totaled in the majors.

Joseph's older brother, Corban, went 3-for-5 with a home run yesterday in Charlotte.

"Sidebar, (Caleb) got to play with his brother, too. That was kind of cool," said manager Buck Showalter. "That was one of the things I kind of sold him on that he didn't roll his eyes on. He likes that idea. You don't get that opportunity much."

Corban Joseph and Christian Walker homered off former Oriole Miguel Gonzalez, on an injury rehab assignment. Gonzalez allowed six earned runs (seven total) and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Top catching prospect Chance Sisco moved up from Double-A Bowie yesterday and went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBIs in his International League debut.

"He has a super professional approach to hitting," said Orioles director of player development Brian Graham. "He recognizes pitches and understands the strike zone. He has a left-handed swing that stays in the hitting zone a long time. It's a very pure swing."

And it comes from a 21-year-old who was batting .319/.405/.422 with 28 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 44 RBIs in the Eastern League.

Scouts have questioned Sisco's work behind the plate, but Graham said, "He's made really good strides receiving and blocking. His throwing continues to get better. And next year at this time he'll be a lot better than he even is this year."

There's already a debate brewing whether Sisco could be ready to compete for a job next spring if Matt Wieters leaves as a free agent.

Tyler Wilson and Jayson Aquino are expected to be recalled from Norfolk, and executive vice president Dan Duquette indicated yesterday that he'd like to take another look at Mike Wright.

The Orioles eventually will add Chris Tillman, Darren O'Day and Brian Duensing from the disabled list, and they'd like to do the same with outfielder Joey Rickard if his right thumb is fully healed and he can get the necessary at-bats. Rickard will have the thumb re-examined today.

"You always go into it as a manager hoping you don't just have a bunch of guys that you're not going to use," Showalter said.

The clubhouse isn't filled with a bunch of guys in a panic over the four-game deficit in the American League East and the tie with the Tigers for the second wild card berth.

"There's definitely some get up and go. That's my southern roots coming out of me," first baseman Chris Davis said earlier this week during his live chat on the MASN Orioles Facebook page.

"Being an older team, having some veteran players, you understand really the severity of wins and losses, and against a division opponent, we want to win the division, so we're trying to get as many games as possible.

"The great thing about the way the playoff format is set up, you have an extra wild card, so you get a little bit of breathing room. But for us, we're still trying to win the division."

Said Showalter: "I think our guys understand the task. They understand that they've done a lot of great things to be engaged in this competition.

"Anxiety's one thing, but if it gets into your approach and the way you perform ... Our guys understand what's ahead of them. They may be calm on the surface, but they don't need anybody to remind them of the obvious."

An obvious remedy would be a return to health. Getting Adam Jones back in the lineup, which is expected tonight. Getting Tillman and O'Day off the DL and back on the pitching staff.

"I think you've kind of seen it over the last few games, how big these guys are to us coming down the stretch," Davis said. "Nobody's going to sit here and make excuses, but it's tough when you don't have those key guys in the lineup or in the 'pen or the starting rotation."

It's been a slow process with O'Day, who still hasn't been cleared to throw.

"Darren's proceeding," Showalter said before Wednesday's game. "Nothing's really happened to ... Trying to get the last extension out. He's doing so many things he couldn't do before. Basically, it's where he's extending across and back and making sure no discomfort. He's just about got that completely out of there."

Left-hander T.J. McFarland, sent down to Norfolk after the complicated and confusing optional waivers maneuver, pitched yesterday and surrendered four runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings. He also walked two batters and struck out four.

McFarland seemed like a slam dunk to be added to the expanded roster, if not sooner, given Showalter's fondness for him and his ability to devour innings and save the bullpen. However, he served up a pair of two-run homers against the Yankees over two-thirds of an inning in his final appearance with the Orioles on Aug. 27, and yesterday didn't instill much confidence.