masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgANAHEIM, Calif. – Orioles manager Buck Showalter is waiting for an update on pitcher T.J. McFarland. He left Triple-A Norfolk’s game at Syracuse tonight after one inning. McFarland allowed two runs on two hits on 21 pitches for the Tides and then was replaced when the bottom of the second started.
“Richie (Bancells, Orioles head athletic trainer) is waiting until the (Norfolk) game is over,” Showalter said. “He was covering home plate and he hurt his quad. If T.J. McFarland had to leave the…

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Orioles manager Buck Showalter is waiting for an update on pitcher T.J. McFarland. He left Triple-A Norfolk’s game at Syracuse tonight after one inning. McFarland allowed two runs on two hits on 21 pitches for the Tides and then was replaced when the bottom of the second started.

“Richie (Bancells, Orioles head athletic trainer) is waiting until the (Norfolk) game is over,” Showalter said. “He was covering home plate and he hurt his quad. If T.J. McFarland had to leave the game, we take it…that is probably serious. I don’t know if it was precautionary or what. I don’t know. Richie came in and told me about it. He talked briefly to the trainer there.”

McFarland is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three appearances for the Tides and is 0-1 with a 4.73 ERA in eight games for the Orioles this season.

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Showalter confirmed again today the plans for right-hander Yovani Gallardo to take an important next step in his return to the rotation Sunday morning. He has been on the disabled list since April 23 after leaving a start at Kansas City after two innings the previous day due to right shoulder tendinitis. Gallardo has twice thrown from 120 feet. Getting back on the mound is next.

“He is going to throw a bullpen session, first time on the full mound, on Sunday morning. Then we’ll go to a sim game. He is moving along real good and feels good about where he is,” Showalter said.

The current plan calls for Gallardo to have another bullpen session May 24 in Houston. The Orioles have scheduled a simulated game for May 27 in Cleveland.

Matt Wieters will catch O’s starter Mike Wright tonight in the series opener. Wright is coming off a strong outing Saturday against Detroit when he gave up just three hits and two runs. Wright is 2-3 with a 5.20 ERA.

Wieters said he has seen Wright’s secondary pitches improve this year.

“Yes. But more than even the stuff part of it, the confidence of him to throw it in counts that it really doesn’t say it’s a breaking ball count,” Wieters said of Wright. “For him to be able to feel he can throw a breaking ball or changeup then, his confidence is definitely a lot higher. Just about everything in this game is about confidence.”

Meanwhile, Showalter is clearly intriqued to watch Dylan Bundy on the field tonight. But it won’t be to see him pitch. They hold a cow-milking contest apparently once a year and tonight Bundy takes on Angels reliever Greg Mahle.

“Darren O’Day won it his rookie year here,” Showalter said. “He was telling Dylan (about that) in the outfield the other day. I think Dylan has been researching milking a cow. We’ll go from, I was watching him play chess in there (the clubhouse today) to milking a cow.”