As the Orioles open their series in Boston against the Red Sox, they will yet again be without Adam Jones in the starting lineup. The so-called rib area soreness that's definitely not an oblique problem (which is in the rib area) that's had him out of the lineup for nearly a week now is costing him another day.
This is getting to a ridiculous point. Of course the Orioles are hoping that Jones will be back each successive day, so that explains the reluctance to put him on the disabled list, but this will now be the fourth straight game (plus a wintry mix postponement he would have also missed) where they're playing a man down. It hasn't hurt them yet, since they've won all of the games they've played so far this year.
Still, this daily charade does the team no good. Unless they're absolutely, 100% sure that Jones will be back tomorrow, which they don't seem to be, since all of their "hopefully tomorrows" have turned into still another "hopefully tomorrow," why not just put him on the disabled list? He's already a third of the way to a minimum DL stay. Much as the O's have a tendency to try to try to squeeze every bit out of their roster, they aren't quick to DL their core, veteran players.
Maybe that's even a good thing, in the long run. Sometimes it seems a little absurd.
The starting lineup for Monday afternoon's game:
1. Joey Rickard - CF
2. Manny Machado - 3B
3. Chris Davis - 1B
4. Mark Trumbo - LF
5. Matt Wieters - DH
6. J.J. Hardy - SS
7. Jonathan Schoop - 2B
8. Nolan Reimold - RF
9. Caleb Joseph - C
And that's behind Yovani Gallardo, who'll be making his second start of the season. I don't hate the idea of Wieters getting a day off from catching but still DHing when it's a lefty starting pitcher opposing the team. David Price is up today. The switch-hitting Wieters has been a better hitter when batting righty in his career.
For all the worries about who is or isn't in the O's lineup, it'll be Gallardo who has the biggest impact on the O's chances of winning the game anyway. As a wise man once said, momentum is your next day's starting pitcher.