Right-hander Tyler Wilson on Friday night became the casualty of the Orioles' need to add another reliever after burning through all three long-relief options, and was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
Wilson allowed four runs on five hits, including two home runs, in the Orioles' 15-8 loss to the Houston Astros, part of a bullpen effort that saw him, Ubaldo Jimenez and Vance Worley allow nine runs and fail to keep the team engaged in a deflating loss.
Because of that, manager Buck Showalter said after the game the club would need to add a pitcher, especially considering the uncertainty around Chris Tillman's shoulder. Tillman's start was pushed to Saturday beca of discomfort, and said Friday he feels much better. But Showalter wants to be prepared.
"We hope everything's OK," Showalter said. "But you've got to cover yourself in case he isn't. If he warms up and has an issue, what if."
Right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne seems like a prime option, considering he's on the 40-man roster, is scheduled to pitch Saturday for Norfolk, and is coming off an outing where he pitched five scoreless innings.
Other pitchers on the 40-man roster include Mike Wright and Jason Garcia, who are both disqualified by virtue of starting Friday, plus left-hander Jayson Aquino, right-hander Parker Bridwell, right-hander Logan Ondrusek and right-hander Oliver Drake.
Since returning from Norfolk in this, his third stint in the majors this season, Wilson has allowed seven runs of his own, and let four inherited runners score in 5 1/3 innings. He was up in the majors from Opening Day until the beginning of July, posting a 5.22 ERA and taxing himself with the extra pressure he put on himself to stay on the major league roster.
He returned for a one-outing stint in July before this longer one, and spoke before Friday's game about the mental adjustments required to not burn himself out but still stay as prepared as possible.
"Coming into camp, [I was] trying to make the team, trying to contribute as much as you can and really prove to your teammates that you're here for the right reasons and you're here to help the team win and you're here for a reason," Wilson said. "That's definitely what the first couple months were, and that never changes. You're always constantly fighting, not only to win the game, but to show your teammates that you have their back and you're going to give your teammates [all] you have every single day.
"I think giving everything I had every single day attributed a little bit to me hitting that wall a little bit. Like I've said before, I wouldn't change the way I went abut it at all if I had a chance to do it over again. But just learning what it's like in my first year here, and what a routine looks like, and what it looks like to give your best every single day in an effective way. I think I've learned from that a lot, and that's probably what has led to maybe what it seems like now."