Wieters set to see Dr. Andrews for sore elbow
Following MRI, Orioles catcher serves as DH for series opener vs. Rays
ST. PETERSBURG -- Orioles catcher Matt Wieters had an MRI on his right elbow on Monday and will see Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday about nagging soreness.
"He's been getting it treated for a while, we just want to make sure we know what we're dealing with," manager Buck Showalter said of Wieters, who served as the designated hitter in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Rays. "He's going to fly in and out tomorrow. He will be back for the game. He's got an early flight to Pensacola, Fla., and back."
Wieters missed a game in Toronto two weeks ago with what he described as right forearm soreness, a common precursor to elbow injuries, but was back in the lineup the following day. Wieters said he first felt that discomfort throwing to second base during one of the team's cold night games in Boston last month, but he played regularly following the game.
Showalter didn't offer any specifics on the MRI, just that the club wanted to have Andrews -- noted orthopedic surgeon -- look at Wieters now that they had those results. Wieters declined to speak with the media until after Wednesday's appointment.
"We are on the road and Pensacola is just around the corner, so to speak," Showalter said. "Unfortunately, he's got to go through Charlotte (N.C.) to get there. Go figure. But he's coming back on a direct flight. And hopefully, he's catching for us tomorrow. Until we got our arms around it, I didn't want to play him [behind the plate on Tuesday]. Plus, I didn't want Stevie [Clevenger] to sit five straight days."
While Clevenger has fared well as the backup, any loss of Wieters for a significant amount of time would be a huge blow to the Orioles. He is batting .341 with five homers and 18 RBIs, second only on the O's to Nelson Cruz, and entered Tuesday leading American League catchers in batting average, homers and slugging percentage (.570).
It also appears the O's may have already made contingency plans with Triple-A Norfolk's catcher Caleb Joseph scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup. The Orioles outrighted infielder David Adams to Double-A Bowie over the weekend, putting their 40-man roster at 39 so they could add a player without a corresponding move.