Updates on Wilkerson and Trumbo

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Steve Wilkerson is inside the Orioles clubhouse and still in their plans for the future. It's the lineup and game action that are placed in doubt.

Wilkerson is continuing his recovery from a hamstring injury despite the Orioles recalling him from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. He hasn't played since Aug. 22 with the Tides.

"It's coming along well," he said this afternoon at Tropicana Field. "I was talking to the trainers here this morning and the last couple days and it's progressing well. I think we still have a little bit of time ahead of us. I'm not going to put an exact date on it because they haven't given that to me, but the healing process is taking place as we speak and it's headed in the right direction."

What about an inexact date?

Doesn't hurt to ask.

"I don't know," he replied. "A couple weeks maybe. I'm not really sure. A week?"

Wilkerson was 4-for-17 in seven games with the Orioles and he's fairly confident that he'll play for them again later this month.

"Yeah, I'm going to do everything in my power to get back on the field," he said, "and hopefully that works out and everything comes together and hopefully that's a possibility."

Wilkerson was placed on the major league disabled list with an oblique strain and injured the hamstring upon his return to Norfolk.

"I got reinstated and optioned down to Norfolk and it was the fourth inning of that first game at Norfolk where I was coming in to bare-hand a bunt play and that's when it took place," he said.

"It's been very difficult. It's been an awesome year in a sense of it's obviously my first time playing in the big leagues and it's been great, but at the same time being on the shelf as often as I've been, I haven't really had to deal with that at any other point in my career and it's been very difficult."

Wilkerson can benefit from being around the team while still in recovery mode. He's soaking up as much of the major league atmosphere as he can hold.

"I'm around a great group of guys," he said, "and I'm around a lot of guys with a lot of experience in this game and this is exactly where I want to be and I just hope I can learn from these guys and take in as much as I can."

Note: The Orioles announced that Mark Trumbo underwent successful surgery today in Baltimore to repair the cartilage in his right knee. The early estimates had him needing a six-month recovery period.