Cade Povich has received a second opinion on his left hip and he threw in the bullpen a few days ago. He’s scheduled for two ups in another session this afternoon.
The resumption of an injury rehab assignment is getting close. The Orioles happily will take positive news.
Povich was pulled from his first assignment at Triple-A Norfolk in late June due to recurring soreness in his hip. He hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since tossing 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings on June 15.
“Everything’s feeling good,” he said today. “I think we kind of had the idea that when I went to Norfolk everything was pretty good. In the first inning, just tried to make a play. It was kind of a freak thing. My foot kind of caught and twisted in a way that I think put a little pressure on the hip. So it could have been the same thing, it could be something a little different, but we’re just trying to work back and everything’s feeling good right now.”
Povich saw a hip specialist in Nashville to get his second opinion.
“Him and our training staff lined up pretty close with kind of what they thought and what the rehab recommendation was,” Povich said. “It’s always good just to get multiple eyes on it, just to kind of assess a situation like this, especially when it’s a second time.”
Asked whether he’s set a return date as a goal, Povich replied, “Shoot, I wish I could be back now, but with All-Star break coming up, hopefully get a rehab outing soon and hopefully that All-Star break is enough time to kind of work back onto a normal schedule.
“I’m gonna listen to what our staff says and what the trainers say and how they kind of want roll with it. Hopefully, it’s much sooner than later.”
Povich also said he didn’t receive an injection in his hip.
“Just some medicine, some steroids, that’s about it. Some rehab work, strengthening,” he said.
“Strengthening, I think, has been a big part, the area around it, trying to put more pressure on the muscles and stuff rather than the joint and bone and whatnot. No injection, no cutting, no nothing.”
Povich has made 13 appearances with the Orioles and posted a 5.15 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 64 2/3 innings. The shutdowns are testing his patience.
“It’s tough,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever missed a start in my baseball career, ever since I was little. So in that aspect, it’s been tough not being on the field, not being with the guys, but it’s definitely made me work harder on this rehab to get back and stay on the field.”
Tyler O’Neill is the designated hitter tonight and Jacob Stallings is catching rookie Brandon Young in the series opener against the Mets at Camden Yards, where the tarp is on the field for the approaching storm.
For the Orioles
Jackson Holliday 2B
Jordan Westburg 3B
Gunnar Henderson SS
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Ramón Laureano RF
Colton Cowser LF
Tyler O’Neill DH
Cedric Mullins CF
Jacob Stallings C
Brandon Young RHP
* The start of tonight's game will be delayed until around 7 p.m.