Vance Worley on rehab outing in Bowie and returning to the Orioles

Right-handed reliever Vance Worley could soon be returning to the Orioles. He has been on the 15-day disabled list since June 14, retroactive to the previous day, with a right groin strain. The injury happened during his outing June 12 in Toronto.

Worley is eligible to come off the DL on Tuesday when the O's start a west coast trip in San Diego.

Last night he made a rehab outing at Double-A Bowie. Over 1 2/3 innings he allowed five hits and one run with no walks or strikeouts. He threw 36 pitches, 27 for strikes.

"I felt good," Worley said this morning in the Orioles clubhouse. "Everything was coming out well. Velocity was good, was down in the zone. Obviously (gave up) a few hits, but I'm a groundball pitcher and everything that got through was on the ground. That's what I'm trying to do."

Physically he said he is fine and ready to return to the team.

"Yeah. Felt good," he said. "Obviously when you get hurt you think about it. 'This is when I felt it and I didn't feel anything (wrong).' The first few pitches, yeah, I thought about it. But after that I knew I was fine and I just went after them."

So what is the next step now?

"We'll find out," Worley said. "I'm going to go out and play catch today. I think they still have a couple of days to decide what they want to do, so we'll see.

"Last few days I've been feeling really good and the rehab has gone really well. My bullpens went well, PFPs (pitchers fielding practice) went well. Lateral movement is there. Last night was the big test to see how it would react when going 100 percent and I didn't feel anything."

So it seems Worley has a good chance to be activated for the start of the Orioles' road trip on Tuesday night.