NEW YORK — Though Manny Machado (strained left wrist) didn’t start for the third straight game Saturday night, Orioles manager Buck Showalter was more confident the third baseman could avoid the disabled list.

“Manny’s good,” Showalter said. “He improved again. It looks like he’s got a chance to miss the DL. It’s just a matter of when. See if he might be available tonight. Who knows? But it’s encouraging that there’s been improvement. We’ll see.”

Machado has yet to do any baseball activities since he left Wednesday’s game before the fourth inning after his wrist and hand tightened up two innings after his left hand was hit by Andrew McCutchen’s spike on a steal of third base.

“You’re so careful about not starting that process too early and getting set back, so you’ve got to feel comfortable that he can do things that he wasn’t able to do yesterday or the day before,” Showalter said. “When [head trainer Richie Bancells] and Manny think that the next step needs to be taken, we’ll take it. I leave it in their hands. He wanted to play yesterday and he wants to play every day. He had a pretty traumatic event. … I think right now we’re fortunate that it is what it is, considering what it could have been.”

Rubén Tejada started at third base for Machado for the second straight game Saturday.

Castillo returns: Orioles catcher Welington Castillo was activated from the 10-day disabled list and immediately inserted into the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

To make 25-man space for Castillo, the club designated catcher Francisco Peña for assignment.

Castillo, who suffered a testicular injury on May 30 when a deflected pitch hit him in the groin area, made one minor league rehabilitation start Friday, traveling from New York to Trenton, N.J., to play for Double-A Bowie. Castillo went hitless in three at-bats and caught seven innings.

“It was important,” Castillo said. “Just to get confident and get trust behind the plate with a hitter there, too, I know it’s more mental than anything. I just went down there and did my job and caught seven innings and take three at-bats and it’s all good.”

Castillo said he thinks he has overcome the mental hurdle, and said his biggest obstacle will be facing major league pitching after several days away.

“You’ve just got to go out there and play,” Castillo said. “It’s not the first time or the last time you’re going to get hit down there, hopefully not bad, but anytime you’re behind the plate, [you can] get hit, especially a catcher. You always get beat up behind the plate, but you’re never thinking about it.

“I haven’t been facing pitchers, so it’s going to be hard [getting] timing along the way, but this game is about making adjustments and the quicker you can [adjust]. … The only way you can is to play and see pitches out there and compete.”

Castillo said he plans to use the same kind of protective cup he previously used after testing other models.

“I’ve been trying a lot of different protection down there, but it doesn’t feel comfortable, so I’m going to go back to the one I used to have,” he said. “I think it was a little bit old, which is why I think it cracked when the ball hit me. I tried three different [cups] and I didn’t feel comfortable, so I’m going to wear whatever’s comfortable, so that’s all that matters.”

Losing O’Day “definitely a test” for bullpen: Right-hander Brad Brach has seen the Orioles bullpen lose closer Zach Britton for an extended amount of time and has now seen it lose setup man Darren O’Day until June 17 at the earliest.

Being without two of the team’s top late-inning relievers definitely stretches the relief corps, and Brach — who has served as interim closer in Britton’s absence — said other relievers must perform in O’Day’s absence.

“It’s definitely going to be a test here,” Brach said. “It’s kind of one of those things that’s unspoken about, but everybody knows they’ve got to step up. Guys who haven’t had prominent roles are going to have them now. If anything, it’s a chance for a good opportunity for these guys. Just hopefully a couple of guy cans shake out of this and can really help us because we really need it now.”

Around the horn: Britton, who is on the disabled list with a left forearm strain, threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Saturday and is scheduled to have one more bullpen session (35 pitches) Monday before taking the next step to throwing live batting practice to hitters Thursday. That would be a major step forward and the final step before getting into game action. … First baseman-outfielder Trey Mancini entered Saturday’s game leading the majors with a .438 (14-for-32) average with runners in scoring position. Center fielder Adam Jones was fifth with a .400 average (14-for-35).

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