Updates on Jones, Tillman and roster expansion

Lots to talk about this afternoon regarding injury updates and roster maneuvering leading to September expansion.

Adam Jones took the field early again today to perform some drills with head athletic trainer Richie Bancells and determine whether his strained left hamstring would prevent him from starting.

"He's close, very close," manager Buck Showalter said. "Still feels just a little bit with one movement, but he's close. Could play him. Take a pretty good risk that he may not be with us the rest of the year, so we just want to be careful."

The Orioles are off Thursday and there's a temptation to hold Jones out of the lineup until Friday night against the Yankees.

"I would be tempted, but as I've gotten older I've gotten better at fighting temptation. That was pretty good," Showalter said.

"I thought about that. I've thought about September. Dan (Duquette) and I sat down today about 40-man call-ups and kind of brought me up to speed on some things that he's got going on with our organization that doesn't figure into this decision. If we feel like Adam's ready to go, he'd play today, but he's available to us. Close.

"This is the first time he's really kind of did a lot of activities that he did. Had some throw-overs to first base where you start and stop. Most of those things like that, you're fine for the most part underway. It's the decel or the acceleration phase that gets you. And I don't care how much you do out there, there's a different intensity when the game starts. That's why you'd like for there to not be anything.

"Not going to get into the exact thing that he still feels a little bit, but he's very close. There aren't any of the symptoms of long-term stuff. Basically, you're trying to buy a little time for the fibers to blend back together. But we feel like we caught it. Didn't push it to where it actually came apart."

Jones isn't pushing hard to play, understanding the risks involved.

"Wisdom comes with years and when Adam plays, which is most of the time, it's with that fearless, reckless abandon, but it's gotten smarter, too," Showalter said.

"It's kind of like taking unneeded hits in football. Sometimes, in a long season like we play, you do need to live to fight another day. That's true on a lot of fronts. I do that with pitching a lot. What's a winnable game and what may not be? So you can try to put your best foot forward the next three games as opposed to that one.

"If it was an injury like he fought through some early in the year that weren't going to get any worse, and we got a return for it because he played really good defense for us, and just his presence in the lineup. But this is different. This isn't something you try to play through, because you'll get burned by it if you do."

Bancells and pitching coach Dave Wallace mapped out Chris Tillman's program and determined which date is most feasible for him to start again. Showalter isn't going to reveal it to the media.

"I don't know if he knows it or not," Showalter said. "He'll throw again tomorrow, flat ground, and he'll head to the mound hopefully by the weekend."

Starting on Sept. 9 or 10 no longer seems like a possibility.

"I don't think that will happen after seeing the schedule," Showalter said. "I see what they're trying to do and they're right. Chris feels good and we want to make sure. Got to cross over a couple thresholds to get to the date. Sometime that weekend."

Tillman would have to pitch in a simulated game before coming off the disabled list. None of the Orioles affiliates will make the playoffs, eliminating the option of sending him out on a rehab assignment.

"That's a challenge," Showalter said. "Anything like that probably will be done here."

The Orioles scouted Tim Tebow today at USC, but Showalter knew nothing about the reports or level of the club's interest.

"I wish him well," he said. "I don't know where he's going to end up. Somebody will give him an opportunity. I don't know."

The focus is on finding players who can provide immediate upgrades.

"Dan brought me up to date on some things he's got going on trade-wise," Showalter said. "Nothing that affects somebody leaving this club. Some interesting things out there that may not ...

"Dan, I know he was making a lot of calls last night. It was tough last night because the two guys who were available to come in case we had a problem pitching both started last night."

There are lots of moving parts as the Orioles decide which players to bring up from the minors and how to create room on the 40-man roster. Outfielder Joey Rickard could come into play after having his right thumb re-examined on Friday.

"If that's not good, then he could go on the 60 because the date would be the 19th, so we'd gain a roster spot there," Showalter said. "There's a lot of imagination. (Brian) Duensing, for instance, is really 41. I think he can be in the minor leagues through the 5th. He's pitching two innings tonight. See how that goes. We're going to have to make room on the (40-man) roster for him. Dan's got a lot of ideas about how to make room for who we need.

"I'm hoping we get good news on Rickard. I don't know if anybody's going to make better 40-man roster additions than (Darren) O'Day, Tillman and Rickard. Those are the three guys we'd like to add."

Showalter confirmed that the Orioles could add "at least one" non-roster outfielder.

For the Blue Jays
Jose Bautista DH
Josh Donaldson 3B
Edwin Encarnacion 1B
Russell Martin C
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Michael Saunders RF
Melvin Upton Jr. LF
Kevin Pillar CF
Devon Travis 2B

JA Happ LHP