Showalter on Jones, Trumbo, Beckham and more (O's down 8-3)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There wasn't much news to come out of this morning's media session with Orioles manager Buck Showalter. A few injury updates

Adam Jones is able to play, but he's out of the lineup. Showalter is starting Craig Gentry in center field.

"He's got to get off this turf," Showalter said. "We've got four in Toronto before long. He's just sore. Everybody gets sore here. Just thought it was best, talking to him.

"We've set up kind of a semi-plan when the year started to do some of this. We've been on the road for what, two months? It seems like. And the other part of it is we've got a 1 o'clock game tomorrow."

Mark Trumbo was expected to be available today. Showalter wanted to check after batting practice.

Trumbo received a cortisone injection in his knee Friday and could return to the lineup for Monday's series opener against the Nationals at Camden Yards.

"Trum's doing good," Showalter said. "He's available off the bench today, I think, depending on how it goes in the early work they're doing. I expect him to be a player tomorrow, to start tomorrow."

Tim Beckham showed up at Tropicana Field yesterday to allow the Orioles to check on his progress following core muscle surgery.

"He's doing great," Showalter said. "It was good to see Timmy. I think even here in Tampa, I think he was playing through ... It's one of those things that kind of gradually had gotten worse. I think he's appreciative of the diagnosis and going in there and fixing it. I think he's going to find that it's kind of hampered him some.

"I'm looking back and it might have had something to do with, he had such a good August last year when we got him and then probably bothered him some in September. He said it's always been kind of a nagging thing for quite a while, so I'm glad we were able to fix it. I think he's going to be pleasantly surprised by the lack of hamper he's going to have with it."

The Rays don't alert Showalter to their pitching plans beyond the starter, but the Orioles are prepared to face right-hander Austin Pruitt, who's 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.169 WHIP in eight relief appearances over 25 2/3 innings. He's walked eight batters and struck out only 12.

"They don't have to tell us," Showalter said. "We anticipate Pruitt, but it could be a host of many. They could have brought (Chaz) Roe in yesterday in the second. You prepare for whatever. That's what I anticipate, but you don't know if the starter's going to pitch one or two innings. That's their call.

"We've had our struggles offensively. It hasn't mattered. We've had a few outbursts of offense and I'm hoping one of them is today so we can end the road trip on a good note and win a series and go back home."

Pruitt has made three career appearances against the Orioles, including one start, and allowed four runs and eight hits in 9 1/3 innings. He worked 3 1/3 innings in the Rays' 17-1 loss at Camden Yards and surrendered four runs and four hits. Danny Valencia is 3-for-6 against him.

According to STATS, Joey Rickard became the third Orioles outfielder yesterday to record three assists in a game. He joins Joe Orsulak on Sept. 12, 1991 against the Indians and John Shelby on Sept. 11, 1983 at Yankee Stadium.

Also per STATS, yesterday marked the 124th game since 1913 with three outfield assists.

Update: The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning and left-hander Vidal Nuño replaced Serigo Romo. Chris Davis lofted a sacrifice fly to center field, Chance Sisco walked to force in a run and Craig Gentry produced his 100th career RBI with a bunt single to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead.

Brad Miller led off the bottom of the first with a home run off Kevin Gausman.

Update II: Miller doubled in the third to score two runs and tie the game 3-3. The Rays took a 5-3 lead later in the inning on Joey Wendle's RBI single and Mallex Smith's bouncer to second with the bases loaded and one out.

Update III: The Rays sent 12 batters to the plate in the third and lead 7-3. Gausman was charged with seven runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings, his shortest non-ejection start since April 18, 2017 in Cincinnati.

Update IV: Carlos Gomez homered off Pedro Araujo leading off the seventh to give Tampa Bay an 8-3 lead.