BALTIMORE — Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman will start Thursday’s series finale against the Texas Rangers.
Kevin Gausman willl start Thursday. Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
The road beyond that is anyone’s guess.
Gausman will be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to make his second start after spending the early part of the season in long relief and going on the disabled list from May 8 to June 19.
Even if he duplicates his last outing, allowing two runs in five innings in a 5-3 victory over Toronto on June 20, Gausman could be facing another trip back to the minors in the name of keeping him on a starter’s workload and other players under the team’s control.
“It’s been kind of challenging, but it’s all part of the process,” said Gausman, who pitched 158 2/3 innings between Baltimore and the minors last season. “Just trying to get my innings up right now.”
In a move that showed just how tight the roster is, Baltimore designated outfielder and pinch-hitting specialist Delmon Young for assignment before Wednesday’s game.
Young was batting .270 with two homers and 16 RBIs in 174 at-bats in 2015, and was arguably the Orioles’ best offensive performer in the 2014 postseason.
That took the Orioles down to five outfielders, but tough decisions remain, such as a corresponding move for Gausman Thursday and the looming return of infielder Jonathan Schoop (right knee sprain).
Previously, both Gausman and left-hander Wei-Yin Chen have seen their options exercised in June to delay the kind of decision made Wednesday.
“We couldn’t come up with a solution to this roster move because we don’t have the flexibility in our roster that we’ve had in the past,” Orioles GM Dan Duquette said of Wednesday’s move.
Continued trips between Baltimore and the minors would allow Gausman to approach or surpass last year’s innings total, which he likely wouldn’t do in long relief with Baltimore.
It also means battling a lack of routine.
Gausman’s abbreviated start Sunday means he’ll technically be pitching on short rest. The 24-year-old said he threw a short bullpen on Tuesday, and admitted it’s been hard to know what to expect.
Sunday’s outing came after a scratched Friday start with Norfolk, and a Saturday rainout in Baltimore.
“I originally thought I might’ve pitched one of the games in the doubleheader (in Baltimore Sunday) when I got scratched on Friday,” Gausman said. “After that, I didn’t really know. We have a lot of guys pitching well down there. … You just kind of hope that they pick your name I guess.”
