masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles must submit their American League Division Series roster by 10 a.m. today, and manager Buck Showalter already has sat down with executive vice president Dan Duquette to discuss its composition.

I don’t know when the Orioles will announce it, but my guess is sometime between 11 a.m. and noon, while I’m joining Tom Davis and Dave Johnson on “Wall to Wall Baseball” on MASN.

Room must be made for starters Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman. Manager Buck…The Orioles must submit their American League Division Series roster by 10 a.m. today, and manager Buck Showalter already has sat down with executive vice president Dan Duquette to discuss its composition.

I don’t know when the Orioles will announce it, but my guess is sometime between 11 a.m. and noon, while I’m joining Tom Davis and Dave Johnson on “Wall to Wall Baseball” on MASN.

Room must be made for starters Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman. Manager Buck Showalter hinted that Wilson Betemit is being considered after taking full batting practice yesterday to test his injured right wrist.

Lets take another look at the wild card roster before considering how the Orioles will thin it out:

INFIELDERS/OUTFIELDERS/DH (12)
Robert Andino INF
Endy Chavez OF
Chris Davis RF
Ryan Flaherty INF
Lew Ford OF
JJ Hardy SS
Adam Jones CF
Manny Machado 3B
Nate McLouth OF
Omar Quintanilla INF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Jim Thome DH

CATCHERS (2)
Taylor Teagarden
Matt Wieters

PITCHERS (11)
Jake Arrieta RHP
Luis Ayala RHP
Zach Britton LHP
Tommy Hunter RHP
Jim Johnson RHP
Steve Johnson RHP
Brian Matusz LHP
Darren O’Day RHP
Troy Patton LHP
Joe Saunders LHP
Pedro Strop RHP

Do the Orioles keep Saunders as a third left-hander or drop him? Could Saunders make another start if tonight’s game is postponed and the Orioles have games scheduled for five straight days?

Keep in mind that a postponement would allow Showalter to change his roster.

Betemit would be a left-handed pinch-hitting option for Showalter. He won’t unseat Thome as the designated hitter against right-handed pitching and he won’t play the infield corners unless an injury removes Machado or Reynolds, who’s got to be packed in ice after every game to ease the pain.

Betemit is hitting .140 with one home run against left-handers. The Yankees’ first two starters in the Division Series are southpaws CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte. I don’t see a match.

Showalter will break out his right-handed lineup tonight, which means Andino starts at second base over Flaherty. Ford could be the right fielder or designated hitter. Jones could move up to third, with Wieters batting fourth.

Andino is 8-for-23 with a double and home run against Sabathia. Hardy is 6-for-14 with two doubles and a home run. Jones is 14-for-41 with two doubles, one triple, three homers and 10 RBIs.

Here’s a weird stat: Thome is 4-for-30 with four homers and 15 strikeouts.