Showalter on Tillman, Rickard, Mancini in left and more

BOSTON - Chris Tillman could make his next start on Monday at Double-A Bowie following this morning's positive outing at extended spring training.

"Chris went well," said manager Buck Showalter. "Two innings today, 30 pitches. In fact, they had to stretch the first inning. Velocity ticked up a little bit.

"He'll take a work day there and then we'll decide where his three-inning stint will be. It could potentially be Monday at Bowie, but we'll see how his work day goes. That was encouraging."

The Orioles want to get Tillman out of the environment down in Florida and allow him to work out and receive treatment at Camden Yards while on his rehab assignment.

"Fortunately, he's got a home down there. He lives there," Showalter said. "But if everything goes well on the work day, we're leaning toward him joining us and working out of our locker room. We won't be there, but I'd just rather see him against some better competition.

"I'd say it's 50-50 whether he stays there for it or here. We'll check the weather. If there's an issue with the weather in Bowie, then he'll stay there."

Showalter also noted the improvement in Joey Rickard's left middle finger, with the reduced swelling.

"It was still DL-able," Showalter said, "but it gives us some hope that he'll make that 10-day period, which would be the second day in Cincinnati."

Showalter decided to give Trey Mancini the start in left field, his first as a professional, and put Craig Gentry in right.

"There's challenges for every day major leaguers," Showalter said. "Same reason we played him in right field at our place. There's only one way to do it.

"Obviously, right field is a lot bigger here, but it's going to be a challenge for him tonight. We understand that. When Mark (Trumbo) plays and you want to take him out late in the ballgame, I know last year we really hated taking his bat out of a one-run game. It keeps us from having to do that. But it will be a challenge for Trey.

"It's like, that ladder is that ladder. How do you go prepare for the ladder? Mr. (George) Steinbrenner got all mad one time because a couple balls hit off the ladder and you can't practice it, but we did the next day anyway. There's some things. There are a lot of balls that are either off the wall or go over it. It'll be a challenge for them, but we like having him in our lineup."

Taking fly balls in batting practice is "a start," Showalter said, but there's no substitute for game situations.

"There's a way to at least get some comfort, but it's more about the throws," Showalter said. "The relays change in this ballpark. There's a lot of things that change in this place."

Losing Rickard was the change that prompted Mancini's first start in left field.

"Joey's a big part of it," Showalter said. "I kept telling people last year what a loss Joey was for us. It really affects the way we like to do it if we can. I hope it's a short stint without him because he gives us a different dynamic, especially against left-handed pitching.

"I think we have a chance to see 10 left-handed starters in the month of April, and that's only 21-22 games. I think that's got a chance to continue as long as we stay in our division because there's a lot of left-handed starters. I know we're going to see at least one in Cincinnati."

The Orioles are one of the many teams hit hard by the flu that's going around, a list that includes tonight's opponent. Sympathy isn't pouring out of the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park.

"Everybody in the league's got a flu issue," Showalter said. "I've had it. It's a different strain. It lingers for a long time. Some of them see to be a little more noteworthy, it seems like, but our guys have fought their way through it. We've got a lot of guys who aren't 100 percent with it, but so do other clubs, so nobody really wants to hear somebody complain about it. Our guys have done a good job not broadcasting it to the world."

The Orioles still need a fifth starter for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays and Showalter, while leaning toward one candidate, hasn't come to a final decision. He should make it official no later than Thursday.

"That person needs to travel to Toronto," Showalter said. "Legally, they can be on the bench Friday, so we'll travel them on Thursday."

Alec Asher started last night at Triple-A Norfolk and would be working on normal rest. Mike Wright starts tonight and would need to be placed on a strict pitch count to take the mound Saturday at Rogers Centre. .

Left-hander Jayson Aquino started on Sunday and definitely is in play to join the Orioles.

Showalter won't put too much weight on results in the first week of the International League season, just as he tried not to be overly influenced by spring training stats.

"Somebody was saying yesterday, and made a good point, if everybody there had pitched well their first outing, who would you have taken? So, if everybody pitched poorly their first outing, shouldn't it be the same? That's a great point, I thought," Showalter said.

"You take everything into play. I just talked to R.J. (Ron Johnson) about his thoughts. I even talked to Griff (Mike Griffin) about Aquino's work day today. We'll come together. I'm sure Dan (Duquette) and I will talk about it. We'll see. But we could still go in the direction we thought. A lot also depends on how we use our bullpen here the next couple of days."

Joe Gunkel wasn't a candidate to get the start before the Orioles traded him last night to the Dodgers for a player to be named later or cash. His departure is partly a reflection of the pitching depth at the upper levels of the minors.

"I think it also reflects that Dan likes the return, too," Showalter said. "We like some things about Joe. I'm sure we also like the potential for what the Orioles are going to get back as a result of trading him. I'm not sure what that is yet, but I'll bet it's something that we can us. But I hope it reflects our depth. We'll see."