As Chris Tillman prepares for life as a reliever, however long it lasts, manager Buck Showalter expresses no concerns over how his former ace will handle it.
"Chris is the ultimate what's best for the team guy," Showalter said. "Believe me, I know. He wears it. It bothers him.
"He has strong will. Whatever it takes to go out there and have that outing (Thursday) and then go upstairs and get your ice or whatever treatment and come back and sit in the dugout for five innings. Try doing that sometimes. It's hard.
"It eats at him. Can you imagine having the success that he's had and not being able to get there again? Roger (McDowell) and I have talked to him. 'Here's the way we see it. How do you see it? We have three or four options here. What do you see?'
"He wants what's best for the team. I'll bet you we'll have a need and Chris is going to be to serve it."
It's just going to be a process, one that changes Tillman's role and takes him out of his comfort zone as he tries to relocate the strike zone.
"It's a challenge," Showalter said. "Everybody's looking for that magic token that just gets you right back into it. Chris has never been a dot a gnat's butt with a fastball guy, but he's always been able to pitch effectively up and he really hasn't had the curveball for him. Very few outings has he had it as a weapon. That's why he's had to throw so many cutters/sliders.
"Chris may surprise us. His velocity and arm strength have been fine. In fact, it's ahead of where it was last year at this time. I tend to believe him when he says he feels good."
Tim Beckham's special week keeps gaining in historical importance.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Beckham in the first player in modern major league history - going back to 1900 - to record 13 hits and three home runs in his first five games with a team.
Beckham is batting sixth again today against Tigers right-hander Anibel Sanchez. Showalter was asked again this morning whether Beckham could move to the leadoff spot. Showalter responded by asking where Adam Jones should bat.
"There's always a point-counterpoint," he said. "I don't want to mess with Jon (Schoop), Manny (Machado) is doing a lot better. There's a lot of ways you can go and Tim's doing real well where he is, which is a little higher than where he's kind of been. It presents a possibility if we want to go there, especially if Adam needs a day or something. Tim would be considered.
"It's going to be hard to think that he could continue this pace."
Ryan Flaherty is playing left field today for Double-A Bowie and will stay with the Baysox for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. He won't come off the disabled list before Thursday, when the Orioles are in Oakland.
"He's getting better little by little. He's getting there," Showalter said.
Mark Trumbo hit and threw yesterday. Nothing has changed with him. He's still likely to come off the disabled list on Wednesday and force a roster move.
The Orioles are faced with a pleasant problem. They need to make room for Flaherty and Trumbo. Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander's rehab assignment ends on Aug. 15. Shortstop J.J. Hardy could be activated later this month. And Showalter has a 13-man pitching staff while desiring a four-man bench.
"Those are good problems," Showalter said, "but that's one thing Dan (Duquette) and I were talking about this morning is, before you go on the trip, there's a lot of things you want to be prepared for."
Pedro Ãlvarez hit his 25th home run last night at Triple-A Norfolk and it was a monstrous shot to right field that landed in the water. He's been playing first base at an acceptable level. But he still hasn't received any major league offers that allow him to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, which the Orioles renegotiated in June.
"It's somewhat of a mystery to me why teams haven't come after him," Showalter said.
"I think every team has a need for what he's been bringing down there and because he's got a track record down there, you don't think it's just a Triple-A thing. We've talked about it a lot over the course of the year. It just hasn't fit yet."
Maybe when rosters expand on Sept. 1, though room would need to be created on the 40-man roster.
Bullpen coach Alan Mills will leave the team Wednesday to attend the funeral of a family member. He's expected back on Friday. Minor league infield coordinator Dave Anderson will replace him.
Update: Schoop, Chris Davis and Trey Mancini homered in succession in the first inning to give the Orioles a 4-0 lead.
The Orioles last hit three straight home runs on Aug. 19, 2016 versus the Astros. They've gone back-to-back seven times this season.
Schoop's two-run shot gave him 82 RBIs to lead the American League.
Update II: Joey Rickard singled in the second inning, stole second base, took third on catcher John Hicks' throwing error and scored with two outs on Machado's double to give the Orioles a 5-0 lead.
Update III: Rickard led off the fourth with a home run and Machado hit a two-run shot to give the Orioles an 8-0 lead and end Anibal Sanchez's miserable day.
The Orioles have hit five home runs today in four innings.
Update IV: Nick Castellanos homered off Ubaldo Jiménez with two outs in the fifth to reduce the lead to 8-1. Jiménez allowed one run and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.