Showalter on Reimold, Arrieta and more

Orioles manager Buck Showalter considered bringing in his reserves last night as the Tampa Bay Rays built an eight-run lead, but Nolan Reimold wasn't going to leave the bench. Reimold has been unavailable because of a strained right hamstring - news that Showalter didn't want spreading to the opposing manager's office - and the Orioles were debating whether to place him on the 15-day disabled list. The move couldn't be backdated to Sunday if Reimold played last night. Showalter checked with Reimold during the game to gauge whether the outfielder needed more time for the discomfort in his hamstring to subside. If not, the Orioles would have gone in another direction today to create room on the 25-man roster. "We kept thinking it would resolve," Showalter said. "It won't just completely go away. So, with the six days we can backdate and we'll try and clean it up and see if we can get it resolved completely. It's one of those things when he decels... maybe to the naked eye up in the stands because he runs well, you don't see it as much. You see it some of the time. He's capable of running even better. And DH or not DH, left field, there are a lot of factors. Obviously, I don't broadcast it for competitive reasons with the other club. "It's something that I just want to resolve if we can. It may not be in the nine days and plus. After that, I want to get him some at-bats and he'll tell us when he feels right. When he does, he'll come back. "It's nothing like discolored and torn. It won't go away completely because he keeps pushing it and he keeps stretching it, especially DHing. Between at-bats, he's stretching it. I want to get as close to a perfect world for him as I can get. I want him to bring what he can bring because he's a very capable contributor if we can just get him right." Reimold, who's eligible to return on May 27 in Washington, has been bothered by tightness in the hamstring since spring training. "The cold weather was a challenge for him," Showalter said. "At the end of spring he was feeling pretty good about it. Once we got into some of this weather, anytime he would make quick bursts, he would feel it up high, so we'll give it a shot and see if we can get it cleaned up. "I think he understands where we are and what we want to do. I wouldn't say he's down, but obviously nobody wants to go on the DL. At the end of the day, he asked me what I want to do, and I said, 'I'm going to do whatever you want me to do. Here's the positives of it. The problem is, I can't tell you whether this period will clear it up completely.' But I'm frustrated for him. There are two or three bags he could have stolen, but he was tentative with it because of that. Some of the cold weather, it would cramp up on him. It didn't really affect him hitting, but who knows?" Reimold, who didn't play after April last season because of a herniated disc in his neck, will stay with the team during the remainder of the homestand before heading to Sarasota to continue his rehab - the likely scenario - or going on an injury-rehab assignment. "I'd love to think that during the homestand the hamstring clears up enough so that he could get some at-bats, but I'm not counting on that," Showalter said Jake Arrieta has returned to the Orioles after posting a 6.63 ERA in four starts and being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. He hasn't pitched since May 7. Arrieta is here as an extra bullpen arm. He's a candidate to start Monday if the Orioles don't let Freddy Garcia take his scheduled turn. "Jake was scheduled to pitch today (for Norfolk)," Showalter said. "He provides the most length, and you always want to have some length there. We've got T.J. (McFarland), too. It made the most sense. We had some other options. (Zach) Britton is pitching tomorrow, and Steve Johnson pitched last night. (Josh) Stinson's too close to it. We had some non-roster guys we thought about, too. "The roster's still not an issue for us. We have room for the right people regardless of whether they're on the roster or not." Arrieta threw back-to-back bullpen sessions this week to test his right shoulder, and he passed. "He's fine," Showalter said. "Feel comfortable about it. Who knows? But this is the guy that everybody felt like fit the description we had." As for Monday's starter against the Yankees at Camden Yards, Showalter said, "It's Freddy's day and we'll see. Right now, it's Freddy." Could Arrieta make a start? "Right now, he's here to help us in the bullpen, and we'll see what Monday brings," Showalter said. "I shouldn't say Monday. Wherever those days fall. As long as Gonzo (Miguel Gonzalez) has a good work day, we are leaning toward him on Tuesday." Both teams are taking batting practice on the field under a gray sky. Rain is in the forecast.