Rainout Gives Orioles Time To Replenish Roster

Their game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night was postponed because of rain. Had the game started, the Orioles would have placed first baseman Derrek Lee and infielder Cesar Izturis on the disabled list and officially recalled first baseman Brandon Snyder and pitcher Troy Patton from Norfolk of the International League.

The Red Sox made the announcement about the rainout shortly before the game was scheduled to start as rain created puddles on the tarp covering the infield. Temperatures were in the high 40s and dropping. No makeup date was immediately announced.

Both Snyder and Patton were at Fenway Park for the game — with Patton on hand in case the game started and starter Zach Britton been forced to leave because of a rain delay. Because of the rainout, neither was activated and only Snyder is expected to be added Wednesday, when Baltimore is expected to add a position player, perhaps outfielder Nolan Reimold.

Lee suffered a strained left oblique in Monday night's game, while Izturis has a nerve problem in his right elbow that led to numbness in his throwing hand. He went back to Baltimore on Monday to see team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens.

"Izzy will go on the DL, but we've got 24 hours to think about Lee," manager Buck Showalter said after the rainout was announced. "We've got another day to look at it to see if there's any drastic improvement."

Jake Fox was in the posted lineup for Tuesday night's washout, but left fielder Luke Scott could wind up at first base, depending on what roster moves are made.

Lee, off to a slow start offensively, was "very quietly starting to come on," Showalter said. "The one constant he's given us is he's a run reducer (defensively) as much as a run producer."

Right-hander Chris Tillman, forced to leave Monday night's start after five scoreless innings because of back stiffness, was OK on Tuesday. The Orioles blew a 6-0 lead after Tillman left and wound up losing 8-7.

Showalter said his club would "probably stay in turn" in the rotation the next two games with Britton and Jeremy Guthrie staying in the same order, adding he would use the flight back to Baltimore to talk to pitching coach Mark Connor about what comes after that.

Guthrie, set to start the opener of a two-game series with the Yankees on Wednesday night, was sent ahead by the team before last night's game.

"We might beat Guthrie home," Showalter said. "We put him on a 7 o'clock flight."

But the rest of the Orioles were forced to wait some two hours for their charter, which had weather delays.

The Orioles, who have already made up one rainout with a home double-header against Texas, also have two others to make up, both against the Yankees. They will host New York in a day-night twinbill Aug. 27. But while the Yankees announced the teams will play a pair in New York July 30, the Orioles have yet to agree on a date.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)