SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) -- Matt Wieters returned to catching exactly six months after Tommy John surgery and played six innings in the Baltimore Orioles' 10-9 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.
No Minnesota baserunner tried to steal, and Wieters' only hard throw was a wide toss to first on Josmil Perez's roller.
Wieters had played six games as a designated hitter. He was hitless in three at-bats, and is now 0 for 23 this spring.
"It wasn't too productive a day, but it's good to get back there, and getting behind the plate for the first time is out of the way," Wieters said. "Now we can get back to what spring training is meant for, and that's getting ready for the season."
Manager Buck Showalter isn't sure when Wieters will be ready to catch consecutive games.
"He's crossed a lot of barriers," Showalter said. "It's been a long road back."
Wieters felt normal, but isn't sure when he'll play next.
"It was really a regular game from the beginning for me. It's nice to get back out there, but at the same time it was going through the whole regular routine," Wieters said.
Bud Norris allowed three runs in four innings: a two-run homer by Eduardo Nunez and a solo shot by Trevor Plouffe.
Eduardo Escobar hit a grand slam home run off T.J. McFarland in the sixth to give Minnesota a 10-1 lead.
The Twins' Phil Hughes gave up just a first inning home run by Chris Davis in four innings.
