Orioles 1B Davis sidelined 3-5 days by elbow injury

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis will sit three to five days in hopes his ailing right elbow feels better.

Davis had an MRI after experiencing elbow soreness, and the scan ruled out any ligament damage, manager Buck Showalter told reporters Saturday. Showalter said the soreness is in the flexor area.

"Any time you've got something that's not doing what they think, you worry about if there's something structurally in there. But it seems to be OK," Showalter said.

Davis was set to play first base for the O's on Wednesday before being shifted to designated hitter, where he also played Friday. The slugger thought the soreness would go away quickly, but he felt worse Saturday, prompting the scan.

The Orioles have recent minor league signings Danny Valencia and Pedro Alvarez in camp should Davis miss extended time.

"On the surface, it may not fit mathematically right now, but things could change," Showalter said. "It also opens up some options for you to do some things, whether it be trades or whatever and have coverage, because these guys are going to end up signing with people and they are going to be in camp with people."

Davis missed significant time last year with an oblique injury. The 31-year-old struggled when he was on the field, hitting .215 with 26 home runs and 61 RBIs in 128 games.

Davis, who was an All-Star in 2013 when he led the majors with 53 home runs, will earn $17 million this season in the third year of the seven-year, $161 million contract he received from Baltimore in 2016. He also led the league in homers in 2015, hitting 47.

--Field Level Media