BOSTON -- Alex Cobb played catch Saturday as he works toward his return from a lumbar strain.

The right-hander is eligible to come off the injured list Tuesday. Manager Brandon Hyde expects the Orioles will push his next start “back just a couple days” and is eyeing the Twins series, which opens Friday.

“Just to kind of get him on the right throwing program,” Hyde said. “Positive day yesterday for him, back felt good, and he felt good after he threw.”

Cobb has made one start this season, throwing 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts, five hits and two earned runs April 4 against the Yankees.

The O's will be patient with his health. Cobb still has to pitch off the mound and throw a side session, and they want to observe how he recovers after doing so.

“Obviously we’re in the middle of April, so we want him to be healthy,” Hyde said. “The back is a tricky deal, too. He’s had a couple of things since Spring Training that you don’t want to push. The back, you just don’t want it to be an issue all year, so you want to make sure he’s healthy.”

Smith scratched
Dwight Smith Jr. was taken out of the Orioles’ lineup on Sunday with a sore right leg but was available to play. Smith had been slated to bat fifth and play left field.

Red Sox appreciate Davis
Players don’t want to allow hits to their opponents, but in the case of Chris Davis, it was easy to make an exception. Davis broke his streak of 62 consecutive hitless plate appearances on Saturday during the O's 9-5 win over Boston at Fenway Park. Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce, Davis’ former teammate, appreciated the significance of the comeback day.

“You don’t want to see players go through that, especially your peers, a guy you played with, your friend,” Pearce said. “It’s tough when you go 0-for-10. He’s been struggling for a bit, but he’s always been a great teammate and great friend, and you don’t like to see people go through that.”

Pearce wasn’t surprised the Orioles celebrated Davis’ day as enthusiastically as they did.

“He’s a good teammate,” Pearce said. “You don’t want to see your teammates fail, especially great teammates. You pull for those guys.”