The Orioles won't downplay the potential severity of tendinitis in Kevin Gausman's right shoulder until he has an MRI on Tuesday, but the club and Gausman were encouraged today by the way the 24-year-old pitcher was feeling.
"I've gotten better every day and really it kinds of feels like nothing ever happened," said Gausman, who was placed on the disabled list Friday. "The shoulder feels good. Obviously, I haven't played catch yet so that's something that will be a big sign when I finally do."
Gausman was examined by team orthopedist Michael Jacobs late this afternoon and was scheduled for an MRI Tuesday morning. He's been on anti-inflammatory medication since Thursday and will continue taking two pills a day for the next two weeks.
"I think the anti-inflammatories are definitely helping," said Gausman, who is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in eight relief outings. "Everything's looking good right now."
Orioles manager Buck Showalter reiterated the plan today that Gausman, once he gets medical clearance, likely will head to Triple-A Norfolk, where he'll join the rotation. But Showalter prefaced that plan, saying nothing was certain until the MRI comes back clean.
"We put him on the precautionary DL … Just something we felt was right for Kevin with some of the things that were going on," Showalter said. "But I have some caution about getting too far ahead of ourselves until Dr. Jacobs (sees him) and the MRI is taken. Because this is the first time Kevin has ever had any symptoms like that and he feels great (Monday)."
Gausman had been dealing with some shoulder soreness for about a week before being put on the DL, but it didn't affect his pitching. His last four outings were scoreless.
"It wasn't hurting him pitching physically, once he got loose he was fine," Showalter said. "But the plan with Kevin, until we get through tomorrow, I'm going to be very cautious with him about what the future holds."
Gausman, the club's first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2012, is arguably the most important pitching piece in the organization. He's considered a future top starter, but with a crowded rotation, he made this year's club as a reliever. Now, once healthy, he'll be returning to a starting role in the minors – perhaps before he's even eligible to come off the DL.
He'll have 30 days to pitch in the minors as part of a rehab assignment, and that clock will start as soon as he pitches for the first time at an affiliated club. Showalter said today it was possible he could go to Sarasota to begin his rehab this week, but the plan is for him to pitch in games with Triple-A Norfolk as soon as he is ready. The timeline, Showalter said, will be determined by athletic trainer Richie Bancells and pitching coach Dave Wallace once he's cleared medically. But one thing is for sure, the club doesn't want to push one of their best arms.
"I've never had anything (like this) so I've never really had anything to compare it to," Gausman said. "To me, I was just way more sore than I should have been for pitching one inning. I was significantly sore the next day, as if I had started and pitched seven innings. So that's the thing that worried me and I think that's what worried them, the fact that I had only pitched one inning in seven days and I was still having those problems."
In other injury news:
** Catcher Matt Wieters (right elbow) took today off in Sarasota but will catch eight innings in an extended spring game Tuesday.
** Infielder Everth Cabrera (left foot) took batting practice at Camden Yards today and seems to be improving significantly. Showalter said Cabrera "is moving around pretty good" and is still ticketed for a rehab assignment starting Thursday at Double-A Bowie.
** Infielder Jonathan Schoop (right knee) remains in Sarasota doing rehab exercises in a pool. The hope is he will return to baseball activities this week.
** Left-hander Wesley Wright (left trapezius) is expected to pitch form a mound this week and ultimately should pitch in a minor league game by May 19.