BALTIMORE — Manager Buck Showalter held Adam Jones out of the Baltimore Orioles’ starting lineup for Thursday’s series finale with the Minnesota Twins due to a rib issue, but the skipper is looking to have the center fielder back for Friday’s game with the Rays.
“Adam was a little sore in his rib area (Wednesday),” Showalter said. “He wants to play. He says he’s fine…but I just thought it would be smart to give him a day. I hope he’s back in the lineup tomorrow.”
Showalter also said this is not something that’s been bugging Jones for a while and that the center fielder really felt it on his last at-bat in Wednesday’s victory after striking out.
Keeping Jones out of the lineup changed the Baltimore batting order for the series finale. Rookie Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard, was moved to center field and into the lead-off spot and hit his first homer in the big leagues.
Rickard played well in left field in the first two contests, a position the Orioles had hoped to fill with the offseason signing of Hyun Soo Kim. However, Kim struggled badly in spring training, and the team wanted him to start the season with Triple-A Norfolk.
That’s where things got strange because Kim has a clause in his contract which states that if the Orioles want to send him to the minors, he must agree — and he didn’t. So Kim began the season with the Orioles watching Rickard take the spot meant for him.
Rickard had batted ninth the first two games while there was lots of talk that he will be the team’s lead-off hitter. Showalter said he did not want to put too much pressure on Rickard but the injury to Jones opened the door.
“He’s got the skills set,” Showalter said of Rickard. “Sometimes necessity lets you take a look at something that you might not have done that night.”