Beginning their final road trip of the 2015 season and needing a historic finish to qualify for the postseason, the Orioles have made a change to their starting rotation.
Prior to the start of a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, the Orioles announced that right-handed pitcher Tyler Wilson will start Friday’s game with Wei-Yin Chen and Kevin Gausman each being pushed back a day. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters in St. Petersburg that Ubaldo Jimenez would start in Washington on Monday night.
Wilson’s inclusion in the rotation comes after right-hander Mike Wright was roughed up in his latest start, continuing his struggles at the major league level. In his first two starts for the Orioles this season, Wright tossed 14 1/3 scoreless innings. Since then, the 25-year-old has pitched to a 9.53 ERA in 8 appearances (seven starts) spanning 28 1/3 innings.
The Orioles may have turned to Wilson instead of Wright when Miguel Gonzalez began experiencing shoulder tendinitis, but the former was dealing with a strained oblique at the time. Wilson has a 2.19 ERA in 24 2/3 innings for the Orioles this season with most of that work coming in relief.
In his two starts, the 25-year-old allowed four earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. His best outing came in Oakland on Aug. 3 when he gave up just two earned runs in 7 2/3 innings.
It’s fair to ask whether Wilson will miss enough bats at the major league level as he’s struck out only seven batters in his 24 2/3 innings, but his work earlier in the season as well as his 3.24 ERA at Triple-A Norfolk in 2015 make him deserving of a look.
Showalter also told reporters on Thursday that Gonzalez could be ready to return as early as next weekend in Boston.
