Baltimore Orioles: Is Wright Right for the Orioles’ Rotation?
By Nate Wardle
The Baltimore Orioles received a fantastic outing from Mike Wright in his first major league start on Sunday.
And right away, many were clamoring for him to enter the O’s starting rotation. He made the start because Bud Norris is dealing with bronchitis, and Chris Tillman was dealing with back issues.
So, the question becomes, should Wright be in the Orioles’ rotation?
I think we should pump the brakes on that conversation, at least slightly. Before trying to pitch through his stomach issues, Bud Norris had been doing better. Not the Bud Norris of last year, but better.
I think Bud should be put on the disabled list, retroactive to his last start. That would allow Wright to make two more starts. One would be a game this week, probably Saturday (his spot in the rotation).
The second would be one of the games of the 5/28 doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. In this game, Wright could be on a regular schedule and serve as the Orioles’ 26th player (or Norris as the 26th player, saying he starts the second game).
The Orioles are approaching a stretch of 21 games in 20 days. No off days, and a double header thrown in.
By doing this, it keeps Wright on a regular schedule. It also allows Bud to get fully healthy for this crucial stretch of games.
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And it also buys time. So far this year, the Orioles have had everything sort out when it comes to roster crunches. Someone ends up injured to help sort it all out.
By putting Wright in the rotation for three games, it is a nice audition to see what he can do. And if he continues to dazzle, it allows Buck some time to make a decision.
The good news is that there is more great pitching prospects to come. Tyler Wilson has been good in AAA. Dylan Bundy is continuing to impress in the minors, despite not always having the best results. And Kevin Gausman will be getting the ball every five days in Norfolk soon, allowing him to be ready should a need arise in the Orioles’ rotation.
Grow the pitching, buy the bats. Right now, that actually appears to be working.
UPDATE: Bud Norris has indeed been added to the disabled list.