Wieters: "I've been looking forward to this spring more than any other spring"

SARASOTA, Fla. - Matt Wieters still can't provide any assurances that he's going to be behind the plate for the Orioles on opening day at Tropicana Field. What he can do is detail his throwing progression and continue to sound optimistic about his chances. That will have to do for now. Wieters threw from 120-plus feet on back-to-back days before resting today. That's progress. "Doing good," he said this morning. "Rehab's going. It's kind of just slowly progressing, and like I said, very excited to be in camp, get to go through camp. I think I've been looking forward to this spring more than any other spring, just being able to go out there and play. "We did back-to-back days yesterday of 120 feet-plus. Today's an off day, so today we'll let it rest and then get back going, and I believe we have a couple of back-to-back days coming up soon." Orioles manager Buck Showalter indicated that Wieters could catch the intrasquad games on the first two days of March. "I want to get every part of my body in as best shape as I can for being here early, and the arm is the last thing to come," said Wieters, who underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow on June 17. "The big thing is just don't want to have anything that is getting fatigued or not get ready that helps us to get ready for the season. I think a lot of those, we're getting the swings in, getting a lot of things in. By getting behind the plate and just catching without making a lot of throws to bases is going to help me get ready for the season." The plan calls for Wieters to catch his first Grapefruit League game on March 17. "We've gone through and checked it and rechecked it as the time's gone and everything has checked out every time I've gone back to see Dr. (James) Andrews or talked with Richie (Bancells) and Brian (Ebel) here," Wieters said. "It's still always up in the air for change. Nine months was our best-case scenario when we first did it. So far, everything has fortunately gone well enough to where nine months is still our goal." The question about his availability for opening day will continue to linger. "There's still a lot of ifs," Wieters said. "God-willing, everything will keep going how it's going and keep progressing. We'll be two weeks for being behind the plate, especially if I've been able to hit and been able to really catch other than throw. It should be plenty of time if we can get those two weeks in before opening day. "This whole year is going to be a matter of how the body feels. It's a surgery I've never gone through and not many catchers have, so it's going to be seeing how the body feels and go from there. "It's going to look different this year than any other spring has to me, but there are ways that we can get those check marks by a different route where at least whenever go time is, whenever I'm ready to catch in a game, we feel comfortable getting back there." Showalter pointed out yesterday that Wieters' legs are stronger than usual for this time of the year. "That was the first time I was able to start working out hard in August last year as opposed to a normal three-month offseason workout," Wieters said. "I've actually had six, seven months to get the legs hard in the weight room, so definitely it's good there. At the same time, catching and all baseball skills are different than anything you can do in a gym, so definitely would like to try and get all those ready to go." With most of the pitchers returning, Wieters doesn't have to concern himself with learning a new staff. "It's been a great and unique situation for me since I've been here that we've had a lot of guys who have come up together and we know each other," he said. "That's always big in team chemistry and as far as chemistry on the mound. It's good that all these guys I've caught before and the ones I haven't caught as much I can put a little extra time with them. "The big part of it is getting to know your pitchers and what they like to do, and thankfully we have a lot of guys who I've caught in the heat of the battle. At the same time, there's a lot of check marks you have to go through during spring training - catching nine innings, catching back-to-back days, things that you go into spring training trying to get off that checklist. So just mentally when opening day is here, you feel ready to play baseball." Wieters is one of 11 pending free agents on the roster, but he doesn't feel a sense of urgency to win based strictly on contract statuses. "No, especially not as a team," he said. "Our goal every year no matter who's in this clubhouse is to go out there and win the division and win it all. That's our goal no matter what contract situations are up and it's the same thing this year. "This year more than anything, I have more of an appreciation and more of a excitement about the opportunity to go out and play." Meanwhile, first baseman Chris Davis reported to camp today, the full beard still intact. Players are taking their physicals and won't be on the field before 11 a.m.