Manager Buck Showalter had to knock on wood, but he thought before Friday's game against the Cleveland Indians that the virus going around the Orioles clubhouse had begun to pass.
The flu decimated the Orioles lineup during this week's series against the New York Yankees. First baseman Chris Davis missed Monday through Wednesday with the illness, and third baseman Manny Machado was out Wednesday. Even Showalter didn't manage Wednesday, and with all of the sick personnel in close quarters, he knows it could have been worse.
"We're gonna maybe be lucky to have as few as we have," Showalter said. "It's obviously very contagious and moves very quick."
Though still not 100 percent, Davis and Machado were back in the lineup for the second straight day Friday. When Machado fell ill Wednesday, two days after Davis, head trainer Richie Bancells isolated him from the rest of the team to avoid spreading the bug to other players, and there have been no new cases since.
"It's kind of like a 'What's next?' for us," Davis said. "You can't prepare for that. That's just one of the things that you have to just kind of go with. It's good that we had a four-day break before that, but obviously nobody wants to be sick, and when you have to really do a physical job every day it makes it that much harder."
The flu bug isn't the only ailment the Orioles have suffered this week, but some others appear to be subsiding as well. Center fielder Adam Jones was back in the leadoff spot Friday after missing Thursday's game with a back injury, and Showalter said Matt Wieters — who missed Tuesday through Thursday with a foot injury — could catch if necessary, though he wasn't in the starting lineup.
Outfielder Joey Rickard (thumb) is the only outstanding absence. He will miss his second straight game and be evaluated closer to game time.
"It was tough, but it's just like Buck says, nobody's going to feel sorry for us," Davis said. "We understand that. It's part of being in the middle of the season."
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