Updating injuries, Sisco's slump, Tate's relief and more (O's down 4-2)

The Orioles are down to one healthy reserve tonight, their short bench reduced further after Stevie Wilkerson and Hanser Alberto took foul balls last night off the right knee and left shin, respectively.

José Rondón needs to avoid injury tonight or the Orioles are in a major bind.

Wilkerson said the knee feels "OK," which isn't a ringing endorsement.

"It's pretty sore, as expected, but I think if they need me tonight I could go in there and play. I think over the next couple of days it will feel much better," he said.

X-rays last night came back negative and Wilkerson underwent further testing today.

"I think we're just going to take a load off it today in case emergency situation they need me, but other than that I'll be fine," he said.

Wilkerson fouled the ball off his knee in the fifth inning and Rondón pinch-hit for him in the seventh.

"It got me right on the muscle, really like the bottom part of my quad muscle," he said. "It didn't hit my kneecap or anything like that. Obviously it's pretty sore, but it'll be OK.

"I think if it would have caught my kneecap we might be in a little trouble, but it got all muscle, so once we get the inflammation out it will be completely fine."

Manager Brandon Hyde noted how the knee "really swelled up," but he didn't want to guess how long Wilkerson would be out.

"We're hoping for the best news," Hyde said. "I don't think it's going to be too long, but the knee's really swollen.

"I don't want to jump the gun on how long it's going to be. He just came in today sore, the knee's swollen. I know they're doing tests on it. But Stevie's really tough and didn't want to come out of the game last night."

Alberto had his lower leg wrapped today and is going to wear a protective guard on it.

"It hit me right on the shin, right on the bone," he said. "It was terrible, but it's good now. If they need me, yeah."

"Alberto's good," Hyde said. "He's just sore, but he's available tonight."

Rondón will stay ready in case he's needed at any position.

"We talk about guys being able to play multiple positions all season because of days like today and nights like last night," Hyde said. "It's important to be able to have Jace Peterson be able to go out to left field or play third or go to second. Alberto can do the same thing. Rondón has done the same thing in the past.

"The more flexibility and versatility you have on your roster, the more it allows guys to rest, it gets guys more playing time and you're able to put a major league lineup out there. It's worked out well for us."

Chance Sisco is serving as the designated hitter tonight against right-hander Wilmer Font. Sisco was 0-for-17 before his single last night in the seventh inning. He hasn't homered since July 7.

"I think Chance is just really pressing," Hyde said. "He's in one of those modes right now where we had a few guys like that a couple weeks ago just kind of chasing hits. But what I love about Chance so far is his strike zone discipline and I think the last couple games you can see him swing a little bit early, chasing some stuff out of the zone, which he wasn't doing the first few weeks. It was more being selective aggressive, getting on pitches that he could drive. And now I just feel like he's showing some frustration."

A key for Hyde is how Sisco isn't allowing his slump to impact him defensively.

"I haven't even talked to him about it," Hyde said, "but I know me and Cuz (Tim Cossins) are on the catchers quite a bit. I think that Cuz has done a great job in reinforcing how important your job is behind the plate and to make that really, really important. I feel like Chance hasn't taken it behind the plate.

"It matters to him that our pitchers throw well to him, it matters that he's trying to get guys through innings. He's not a selfish guy at all and his defense is really important to him. I think he's separated the two really well."

Sisco has thrown out only four of 25 runners attempting to steal, but he can't shoulder all of the blame.

"I think it's something he can improve on, but there are a lot of catchers who aren't throwing people out in the big leagues right now," Hyde said. "It's obviously an area where we're going to continue to improve. He's still a young catcher and learning his way here in the big leagues.

"There's some footwork/arm stuff that we can help clean up and get better. It's tough to do during a major league season, it's tough to do while you're catching guys. A lot of stolen bases for me weren't on him, where there were big jumps and I feel like he didn't have a chance anyway. But it is an area where we will continue to work with him to improve."

Asher Wojciechowski was bothered last night by soreness in his right hip, but his condition has improved and he's tentatively set to pitch Tuesday night against the Yankees.

"We're hopeful that he won't miss a start," Hyde said.

Left-hander John Means, on the injured list with a biceps strain, has been playing catch on flat ground and is going to throw a bullpen session over the weekend. He's confident that he can start in the Yankees series - mostly likely Wednesday night.

"I feel really good," he said. "I'm throwing again today. I threw yesterday, felt great. Everything's moving just fine.

"Nothing off a mound yet, but I'm very, very confident that it'll feel good."

Means is making his second stop on the injured list, the other related to his shoulder. He's looking forward to a healthy stretch that gets him to the final day in September.

"It's one of those things, it's very, very minimal," he said. "It's nothing that's anything to worry about. It's just very frustrating because it is so minimal that I've had to miss time. But at the same time, I've been talking to the coaches and everything and we just want to finish the season strong and healthy and go into the offseason with a very good idea of how next year's going to look.

"I know we have a lot of time left in the season. I'm not saying just give up. But I really want to finish this year strong and to do that, I think a couple weeks or a week off is good."

The shoulder and biceps strains could be related.

"The doctor said it might have been because one area was weak that the other area was doing a little too much," Means said. "That might have had some issue with it, but like I said, it's very minor."

Hyde repeated how Dillon Tate impressed last night despite the home runs allowed to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Billy McKinney and he believes the former first-round pick's future is in the bullpen.

"I do from what I saw last night," Hyde said. "I don't have a long track record with Dillon except for some innings in spring training and kind of monitoring him this year in the minor leagues and then seeing him these last couple of appearances, but really impressed last night with his stuff. The three pitches he threw for strikes.

"Not easy for a young player to come to the big leagues and pound the strike zone the way he's doing. Obviously he had that first rough inning in San Diego where he's probably pretty nervous and rightfully so, and he had a really good second inning. Last night, I loved how he attacked their hitters.

"He gave up a couple homers. The first one was just a misplaced slider to Vlad. And the second one was because he was out on the field too long and we were in a tough bullpen spot and I was just trying to get him through that inning. I felt bad for it after. But I loved the way he attacked guys and the stuff he showed."

Tate appeared in four exhibition games and allowed eight runs (four earned) and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two batters and surrendered two home runs.

"I didn't see the command early in the spring that I do now, and the velo," Hyde said. "I didn't see 96-97 with sink on the plate. I didn't see that in spring training and now we're seeing the guy that's got three plus pitches. I love the sinker. I love the movement on the fastball and he has other stuff to go to and I love that he threw strikes."

Third baseman Rio Ruiz has moved up from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles optioned him on July 24.

Ruiz is in Norfolk's lineup tonight and batting second.

Catcher Martin Cervenka also joined the Tides today. Jesús Sucre was placed on the restricted list.

For the Blue Jays
Bo Bichette SS
Cavan Biggio RF
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. LF
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 3B
Justin Smoak DH
Freddy Galvis 2B
Brandon Drury 1B
Derek Fisher CF
Danny Jansen C

Wilmer Font RHP

Update: Aaron Brooks threw 30 pitches in the first inning and fell behind 2-0 on run-scoring singles by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Freddy Galvis.

Update II: Galvis led off the fourth with a home run to give the Jays a 3-0 lead.

Update III: Brandon Drury homered off Gabriel Ynoa with two outs in the sixth for a 4-0 lead.

Update IV: Chris Davis' two-run homer in the seventh cut the lead to 4-2.