masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgCLEARWATER, Fla. – Closer Zach Britton is playing catch now as he continues his recovery from the soreness in his left side that forced the Orioles to shut him down.
Manager Buck Showalter said he may give infielder Ryan Flaherty an extra day to recover from a sore shoulder and play him in one of the Thursday split-squad games.
“Unless it’s a full-go, I’ll probably give him another day just so he can play in that split-squad,” Showalter said. “I bet that’s where I end up going.”
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CLEARWATER, Fla. – Closer Zach Britton is playing catch now as he continues his recovery from the soreness in his left side that forced the Orioles to shut him down.

Manager Buck Showalter said he may give infielder Ryan Flaherty an extra day to recover from a sore shoulder and play him in one of the Thursday split-squad games.

“Unless it’s a full-go, I’ll probably give him another day just so he can play in that split-squad,” Showalter said. “I bet that’s where I end up going.”

I wrote earlier that Tyler Wilson is starting the night split-squad game against the Yankees in Tampa. Kevin Gausman is starting the afternoon home game against the Twins, and reliever Darren O’Day also is scheduled to pitch.

Reliever Brad Brach is expected to pitch Wednesday against the Red Sox in Sarasota.

Cody Sedlock, last year’s first-round pick out of the University of Illinois, didn’t make today’s trip for the cheesesteaks. Showalter wants to get Sedlock into today’s game against the Phillies.

Showalter also could pitch Jimmy Yacabonis or John Means.

Sedlock-illinois-white-sidebar.jpgShowalter said the club thought it would be a good idea to bring Sedlock from minor league camp and give him a taste of the Grapefruit League experience.

Sedlock went 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in nine starts with short-season Single-A Aberdeen.

“The things they say about him are intriguing,” Showalter said. “Not the stuff and all that other stuff. It’s the other parts of it. The athleticism, the makeup, the lack of anxiety. We’ll see if that plays here.

“It’s a step, everything’s a step. Instructional league after the draft, Aberdeen, minicamp. Maybe an inning here or there. But it doesn’t make somebody a fast-tracker.”

Showalter said he’s looking forward to seeing Mike Wright’s start today.

“Mike’s in a pretty good place,” Showalter said. “Sometimes it’s that second year. We’ll see how it goes today.”