Wieters continues to recover from the Tommy John surgery he had last June. He was catching full games during spring training but suffered a setback March 17 and was shut down the next day with tendinitis in his surgically repaired right elbow.
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While backup Caleb Joseph (.295/.391/.474 in 24 games) has filled in nicely in place of Wieters, having a two-time Gold Glove Award winner return to the lineup may prove to be a catalyst for the AL East’s last-place team.
“Having Matt every other day is better than not having him at all,” Showalter said.
Wieters, 28, batted .308/.339/.500 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 26 games before having the surgery on June 17. He can become a free agent after this season.
