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CLEARWATER, FLA. — The Orioles received good news on outfielder Jimmy Paredes on Wednesday, learning that his sprained left wrist did not have a hairline fracture as had been feared.
If there was a break, the Orioles were looking at a recovery time of four to six weeks, meaning Paredes would have opened the season on the disabled list. But now, Paredes is looking at a quicker healing process.
"Now it's just a matter of treatment and getting him back in the flow," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "So that was really good news. That was about as good of news as we hoped to hear. … Now it's just treated as a tissue thing as opposed to something bone related, so that was good. He's really upbeat about it. He was worried."
A follow-up appointment with Sarasota hand specialist Dr. Brian Schofield showed no break, Showalter said. The club feared Paredes, who injured his wrist attempting to make a sliding catch last Thursday, might have had a slight fracture in his wrist hand but couldn't determine that until the swelling went down.
Showalter said Paredes could get back into Grapefruit League games within the next two weeks, but since his wrist was in a cast he must get the strength back there.
"It's possible," Showalter said. "I don't want to say atrophied, but he's been completely inactive so he's going to have to build back up a little bit. I think the next few days, it will be interesting to see if he's made any progress. He was pretty excited, as we were to get that news today. Jimmy's a guy who was second or third in the American League in hitting for about three months."
Showalter said Paredes has already picked up a bat and took some dry swings with only his right hand.
Baltimore Orioles Insider
Matusz, McFarland getting better
Showalter said he is hopeful that left-handed relievers Brian Matusz (lower back strain) and T.J. McFarland (left elbow inflammation) will be ready to start the season on schedule.
Showalter said McFarland could resume throwing by the end of the week and Matusz could throw again next week.
"Both of those guys, he and Brian came into camp ready to go, so I think their throw day isn't as far as it normally might be," Showalter said. "So I'm still thinking that both of those guys have a chance to be available to break camp, ready to pitch."
Showalter said he still didn't know what caused tenderness in McFarland's elbow that forced him from Sunday's game.
"That's a good question," Showalter said. "That's my next question. He had something like this before, but it was real quick. A lot of pitchers have it where they tweak something, and then it quiets down. We feel like structurally, not surprised but when you take pictures of pitchers' shoulders and elbows and everything, you just about always show up something that throws up a bit of a flag."
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