As of midnight eastern, the Orioles hadn't officially purchased the contract of right-hander Mitch Atkins to start Tuesday's game.
But that's a formality.
The question is who will be taken off the 25-man roster to make room for Atkins (there is an open 40-man spot for him).
Chris Jakubauskas, who is now 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA after allowing seven hits and six runs in two innings on Monday, could be designated for assignment.
Another option would be to demote lefty Pedro Viola back to the minors. He is one of only two lefties in the bullpen, but he has only been up since Friday and allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings on Monday. That would be a painless move since they can send him down without losing him.
Here's a third thought – and one that I bring up simply because, when he was asked Monday night if the corresponding move for Atkins would be a pitcher, Showalter said: "Not necessarily, we could do something in another form."
That makes it sound like they are mulling the possibility of placing someone on the disabled list. And the most obvious candidate is Luke Scott, who is dealing with a labrum tear in his shoulder. By placing him on the DL, the Orioles could back date it to July 4, meaning he could be back by the second series after the All-Star break. And that could give him some time to rest and rehab.
We'll know more by Tuesday afternoon.
