Wieters removed from game after rolling ankle (and Peguero note)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles catcher Matt Wieters came out of today's game in the top of the fifth inning after rolling his ankle at third base. The removal was done as a precaution, according to manager Buck Showalter. The club hasn't scheduled an X-ray. Wieters, who earlier had drawn a bases-loaded walk and advanced on a wild pitch, was running to third base on Ryan Flaherty's ground ball with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Wieters is icing the ankle to prevent swelling. He may sit out Wednesday's game against the Phillies in Sarasota, and could gain extra rest by staying back the next two days while the Orioles travel to Tampa and Fort Myers. "Richie (Bancells) said during the season that (Wieters) would have continued to play," Showalter said following a 6-5 loss to the Red Sox. "Get some ice on it and make sure it doesn't turn into something else." Left-hander Brian Matusz was supposed to go three innings today, but Showalter limited him to two following Sunday's trip to the emergency room. Matusz retired all six batters he faced with three strikeouts. Showalter described Miguel Gonzalez's start as only being "OK." "He didn't quite get the full workday in between," Showalter said. "He had some hard-hit balls at people. I've seen him crisper. But I'm just glad to get him through his work and get his pitches in. He'll be all right. His arm felt good." Tommy Hunter gave up his second home run to Will Middlebrooks this spring. "He's fine," Showalter said. "He's doing well. He's throwing the ball well and feels good physically. We'll stretch him out at some point and give him two ups, a couple times probably. I'm pleased with where Tommy is." Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar had a two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning. He's 5-for-11 with three doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in his last four games. More roster cuts are coming on Wednesday. Earlier today, Nolan Reimold talked about the club's decision to send him to minor league camp on Wednesday and play in games. "I haven't had very many at-bats the last two years and the ones I did, I wasn't exactly physically right, so you throw those out," he said. "I really haven't had too many at bats the past two years, so I'm going to go down there and just start hitting." Showalter will let Reimold determine how many at-bats are needed. "I'll just go down there and he said I can go field to field or just stay at the field and lead off every inning," Reimold said. "It's just a matter for going down there and seeing more pitches and getting more comfortable and getting back to hitting the ball." Reimold had his best at-bats yesterday in Bradenton, where he singled, walked and scored twice. "It's just a matter of getting muscle memory back to going after pitches instead of letting them get on you," he said. "There's just one little movement that I do that I do that I want to get rid up and it's preventing me from hitting the ball. It's a matter of working out some kinks that you develop with some time off. "I definitely feel like I've progressed. I said it in the beginning, where I'm at in the beginning of spring training isn't where I'm going to be at the end. It's like that for everybody, but I think it's a little more extreme for myself. Like last year, I wanted to improve a lot during spring training. The plan was to keep improving, but somewhere along the line it stopped and went backward. This year should be different and I'm optimistic where its at." Note: I wrote earlier today that outfielder Francisco Peguero is day-to-day with a strained right wrist. He's scheduled to undergo an MRI in the next few days. Peguero said the wrist started bothering him four or five days ago while he swung in the cage. "I don't know what happened with the tendon," he said. "This is my first time. I was swinging and felt a little pain. "Hopefully, I can come back soon."