The Orioles need a starter for Sunday's series finale.
Jimmy Yacabonis is unavailable due to an illness - he was tested yesterday for strep throat - and manager Buck Showalter might resort to a bullpen game against the Rangers. His options depend on which relievers are needed tonight to back up rookie starter Yefry RamÃrez.
Showalter mentioned Chris Tillman again as a "possibility," but the club prefers to keep him at Triple-A Norfolk for Sunday's game against Gwinnett at Harbor Park.
"That's what the plan was," Showalter said. "I know talking to Dan (Duquette), that would be best-case scenario."
Tillman is in Norfolk and just had a workday.
Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman won't be used out of the bullpen before the break. Bundy will be the starter Friday night in Toronto when the Orioles open the second half.
Austin Wynns
Sisco also was sent down on June 17 and returned 11 days later, but he's 3-for-30 since rejoining the club. He's batting .195/.306./.289 with eight doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs in 58 games.
The Orioles will attempt again to relax Sisco and allow him to concentrate on his work behind the plate in a less-pressurized environment. He's only 23 and still in the learning stages.
"Just trying to get him going," Showalter said. "I think just from a mental state of mind more than anything. We know he's a better hitter than he's shown here, and he's caught and called a game. He's grown. He's covered himself throwing people out. I think it's just trying to get his bat going a little bit.
"We think a lot of him in the future. Just like to see him have some extended success down there in a perfect world. I spent a lot of time talking to him last night. It's been tough, I think, on him mentally and emotionally. The first time a guy's struggled offensively and how they react to it.
"I've said many times the biggest jump in sports for me is the level of pitching you see there compared to here. I mean, it's just a big chasm that's getting bigger every day. And all organizations, being able to project who's going to be able to handle that next level of pitching is hard. Not that he can't, it's just the growing pains with it.
"A lot of our guys when they first came up, the ability to defend is what allows you to keep them here for a while."
Wynns could stick around longer than his first stint, especially if he's hitting. The Orioles already like his defense. And it makes sense to give Sisco an extended period at Triple-A rather than shuttle him back and forth. But injuries influence plans.
"My mindset is to just go about your business day by day, and just perform that day and just get your work in," Wynns said. "We won yesterday and we had a good All-Star break, too, but the mentality is the same. Just go about your business."
Wynns appeared in 10 games with the Orioles and went 5-for-26 with a home run and 10 strikeouts. He also threw out three of five runners attempting to steal and soaked in as much information as he could hold.
"What did I learn? Just open my eyes and just the aura up here," he said. "The mental side of the game, keeping it slow, keeping it simple. That is the key in this game because this game speeds up so fast and you're just like, 'Ah, what happened?'
"The level of competition, this is the supreme. People get paid big bucks to be up here, and in Triple-A they're just waiting for that shot. Its similar, but it can't compare it to the big leagues, you know?"
Wynns wants to get comfortable in the majors while also aware that he could be on borrowed time again. Sisco should return later this summer. Wynns' latest promotion doesn't come with an expiration date, but it also has no guarantees.
"My mentality will not change," he said. "Whatever they want to do, they'll do, but I will do whatever I can and be the guy that I am. That's what got me here and I won't change. I'll try to get better every day and whatever's best for the club."
Catcher Stuart Levy came off the minor league disabled list and rejoined Norfolk as Wynns' replacement.
The Orioles released left-hander Joely Rodriguez from his Triple-A contract so he could pitch in Japan.
For the Rangers
Shin-Soo Choo DH
Elvis Andrus SS
Nomar Mazara RF
Adrián Beltré 3B
Jurickson Profar 2B
Ronald Guzman 1B
Robinson Chirinos C
Joey Gallo LF
Delino DeShields CF
Martin Pérez LHP