Adam Jones was out of the lineup for the fifth time in seven games on Tuesday, increasing concerns that the Orioles center fielder may wind up on the 15-day disabled list.
Jones told reporters in Boston that he still doesn’t anticipate a trip to the DL, but he continues to experience right shoulder soreness after injuring himself diving for a ball on June 15. The 29-year-old missed the final three games of the Philadelphia series last week before serving as the designated hitter in Toronto on Friday and Saturday. Jones was originally slated to return to the field on Friday before testing out his shoulder at Rogers Centre and deeming himself unready to play defense.
Manager Buck Showalter elected to sit Jones on Sunday with the hope that the rest followed by an off-day would do the trick for his shoulder as the Orioles opened a three-game set with the Red Sox on Tuesday night. However, reports from Boston are now saying the four-time All-Star outfielder likely won’t return to the lineup until Friday at the earliest.
Tuesday marked the seventh game of the season missed by Jones, who sat out a total of five games from 2011-2013. He hasn’t missed more than three games in a row since sitting for five straight contests in September 2010 because of a left shoulder injury.
Considering the Orioles’ reputation for manipulating their 25-man roster as much as possible, Jones is one of the few exceptions for which they’ll wait before placing him on the DL and losing him for a minimum of 15 days. A crowded roster of position players would temporarily find more space if Jones were to be moved to the DL, but the Orioles would not get him back until July 6 if such a decision were to be made now.
Of course, the Orioles want to make sure their biggest star is healthy for the second half of the season, which could make a DL trip a necessary evil if his shoulder doesn’t improve in the next couple days.
