ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Orioles reliever Darren O'Day has made significant progress in his recovery from a slow-healing right hamstring injury before Friday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
O'Day, who hasn't pitched since June 1, tested his hamstring by doing some pitchers fielding practice drills and other running exercises – the most he's tested the injury since going on the disabled list – and if a bullpen session slated for Saturday goes well, the next step would be either throwing a simulated game or possibly going on a rehab assignment.
"He did a lot of stuff today, covering first, moving around, so we'll see," manager Buck Showalter said. "If he does that tomorrow and feels good on Sunday, we'll start moving that [clock]. Then we will get into sim games, rehab starts. We're going to take it one step at a time obviously, but that's what's next. Do we do a sim, do we go right to rehab? Does he even need rehab? Can we go off a couple of sim games? We're not talking about a guy who needs to pitch four or five innings."
O'Day said Thursday he threw his best bullpen session since going on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain last month.
"It was awesome," O'Day said. "It was really good."
O'Day reported to the team's spring training facility in Sarasota, Fla., over the All-Star break and rejoined the club at Tropicana Field to work out before Friday's game.
The Orioles' set-up man's recovery has proceeded much slower than expected. He began throwing bullpen, but was slowed after two sessions, returning to light throwing while giving the injury more time to heal.
Hart added to bullpen: The Orioles officially selected the contract of left-handed reliever Donnie Hart from Double-A Bowie before Friday's game in Tampa Bay, making him the third reliever the club has summoned from Bowie.
The 25-year-old Hart, the team's 27th-round draft pick in 2013 out of Texas State, was 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 33 appearances with the Baysox, striking out 43 and allowing 34 hits over 39 relief innings.
Hart said he was surprised receiving a call Wednesday telling him he was getting promoted to the major leagues.
"It was exciting," Hart said. "I had to sit there for a second and think about it. It's every kid's dream, so it was pretty cool. … I thought they were calling to talk about the Double-A All-Star Game and when he told me the news, I had to ask him again to make sure I heard him right. I was very surprised, to say the least."
Throughout the season, the Orioles have been seeking an additional relief arm to get left-handed hitters out. Situational lefty Brian Matusz struggled after coming off the disabled list and was traded to the Atlanta Braves. T.J. McFarland, more suited for a long relief role anyway, is out with a knee injury.
Right-handed reliever Mychal Givens has become a key piece of the Orioles bullpen since coming up from Double-A late last season and the Orioles have tapped Bowie this season with callups of left-handed relievers Ashur Tolliver and Jayson Aquino. 2014 Rule 5 draft pick, Jason Garcia, was also called up from Double-A Bowie last week but went back down to the minors just before the break.
"You think about it more," Hart said. "You think about what those guys did down there and then you kind of look at what you're doing and say if I can give myself a chance to do what they were doing, you think your chances are good. It's nice. It's nice to know that they have trust in us to do that kind of stuff and call us up from Bowie."
Palmeiro signed before deadline: The Orioles signed seventh-round pick Preston Palmeiro on Friday just before the deadline to sign players in last month's draft.
Palmeiro, who is the son of former Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro, agreed to terms with the team less than two hours before Friday's 5 p.m. deadline for the slotted bonus salary for his pick (211th overall) of $204,700, according to an industry source.
Palmeiro, a first baseman out of North Carolina State, was the Orioles' highest-selected unsigned pick going into Friday – the team had signed 32 of their 41 picks – and the team had been in deep negotiations with Palmeiro throughout the week.
Palmeiro will report to the Orioles' short-season rookie team in Aberdeen.
The team did not sign thirteenth-round pick Brandon Bonilla – a left-hander out of Hawaii Pacific who is the son of former Orioles outfielder Bobby Bonilla – but because Bonilla is a fifth-year senior, the Orioles have until five days before next June's draft to sign him. The club was still in negotiations with him on Friday.
Kim improving, DL stint in limbo: Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, who left the Orioles' final game before the break on Sunday with a right hamstring strain, tested his hamstring with some running drills during Thursday's workout in Tampa Bay, but Showalter said the team remains unsure whether Kim will need to go on the DL.
"Feels a little better," Showalter said of Kim. "Not 100 percent yet. We'll probably take that through Sunday and see where we are on it. … If he said one more day [on Sunday], we'd wait another day. But after Wednesday is when you lose, 10 days is the most you can backdate it. Counting today would be five. I could use him today if I had to."
Kim was forced from the game after tweaking his hamstring running to first base his first at bat on Sunday. He was replaced by Joey Rickard when the Orioles came out to play defense in the second inning.
Kim, who has started 31 of the last 35 games, was the Orioles' top on-base threat in the first half of the season, leading the team with a .329 batting average and .410 on-base percentage. Kim's wins above replacement at the break is 1.4, which ranks sixth on the club.
Around the horn: Showalter said right-handers Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson are candidates to fill the team's vacant rotation spot Tuesday in New York against the Yankees. … Pitching prospect Chris Lee, who is currently on the minor league disabled list with a lat strain, is being given additional rest after he felt discomfort upon resuming throwing to "give him a little more healing period," Showalter said. "They don't think there's anything [wrong] structurally there. It just didn't get enough time to manage itself." … Closer Zach Britton and catcher Matt Wieters got food poisoning while in San Diego for the All-Star Game, but both were able to play on Friday. … Left-handed reliever Brian Duensing, currently on the 60-day disabled list with left elbow inflammation, is slated to resume throwing Saturday at the team's spring training complex in Sarasota, Fla. Left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland (left knee inflammation) is throwing off flat ground and could throw off a mound over the next few days. … Givens and his wife Tiffani had their first child on Thursday, a baby girl they named Makaylah Grace, in Tampa, Fla. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Mother and child were doing well Friday.