masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles manager Buck Showalter said Kevin Gausman feels good today and remains on schedule to start Tuesday or Wednesday in Toronto.
Gausman is being held back due to soreness in his oblique. The Orioles believe they caught it in time.
“Gaus feels good. So far so good with that,” Showalter said.
Showalter plans on using Gausman and Chris Tillman in the first two games of the Blue Jays series, the order of their starts pending. This is tentative.
“Depending on a lot of factors that we’ll…

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Kevin Gausman feels good today and remains on schedule to start Tuesday or Wednesday in Toronto.

Gausman is being held back due to soreness in his oblique. The Orioles believe they caught it in time.

“Gaus feels good. So far so good with that,” Showalter said.

Showalter plans on using Gausman and Chris Tillman in the first two games of the Blue Jays series, the order of their starts pending. This is tentative.

“Depending on a lot of factors that we’ll take in after each day,” Showalter said.

The Orioles have contingency plans in place involving pitchers in Sarasota if Gausman is unable to start.

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A team physician is checking on Jayson Aquino today to determine whether the left-hander is available tonight. Aquino is dealing with a viral infection.

Hyun Soo Kim is batting leadoff for the second time this season, with Adam Jones dropping to second for the sixth time.

“It’s Kim’s night with the t-shirt and I want to make sure we get him out there front and center,” Showalter quipped.

“Adam’s been fined so much leading off, we thought we’d save him some money too. I was kidding with him today. No, just a little bit different look, a different feel, try to get … Got some other reasons that shouldn’t play in to something you talk about publicly, but that’s mostly it. Just a little bit different look this time of the year, a different feel. And give Adam a little blow instead of having to rush off the field in the first inning.”

Danny Lee, Kim’s interpreter, assisted the Orioles with the lettering on the t-shirt, which amused Showalter.

“I hope what Danny said that said is what it says,” Showalter said. “Did we just base this on Danny and said, ‘Here’s the emblem. Put this on the shirt,’ and we find out it’s completely something else? That won’t be good.

“If he knew he wasn’t coming back next year and he wanted to have a parting shot, that would be the way to do it. I’m not paranoid, I’m alert. There’s a fine line.

Yovani Gallardo is working on seven days’ rest tonight after working on eight before his previous start. He’s been throwing an extra bullpen session to stay sharp.

“I know it’s a challenge, and as much as I appreciate his responding that way, and he does take more work and everybody could use a little more time here and there, I know it presents a challenge,” Showalter said. “This time of the year, we’re taking our best options we feel like that time and putting them out there, with the proper rest and sometimes too much rest. It is what it is and it would be a good excuse, and probably a valid one, too.

“We’ve got a real professional group and Gallardo’s as good a pro as I’ve been around. He’s a pro. He knows what he’s doing. I don’t know if you’ve been watching, the time he used on the DL he used very wisely. I think he lost 15 or 20 pounds, and good weight. I’d really like for him to pitch well for his sake as well as our sake.”

Showalter found out this afternoon that Manny Machado was named Most Valuable Oriole. He wanted to know why the award existed.

“What is that now? Why do we have to name somebody most valuable? What was the driving force, because we’ve done it every year?” he asked.

“I know Manny’s probably very humbled by it and probably doesn’t like talking about it because of having to pick somebody. We have a lot of people we could consider and I’m sure you all did. Manny’s very deserving of that consideration and being named, but he’d be the first to tell you there are some other people there, too.

“At the end of the year, if we have to name somebody and separate people, so be it. There were a lot of good people there. He was one of them.”

Showalter was told of Steve Clevenger’s racially charged tweets yesterday that caused the Mariners to suspend the former Orioles catcher and Pigtown native for the rest of the season.

“Do I have a reaction? Yeah. Am I going to state them publicly? No,” Showalter said.

“Everybody does. I’m still kind of collecting my thoughts on it. Obviously, it wasn’t good and that’s putting it mildly.

“Can I stop?”

For the Diamondbacks
Jean Segura 2B
Chris Owings SS
Paul Goldschmidt 1B
Wellington Castillo C
Jake Lamb 3B
Yasmany Tomas RF
Brandon Drury LF
Kyle Jensen DH
Mitch Haniger CF

Shelby Miller RHP