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Orioles' Buck Showalter on Mike Wright: 'We need him, and it's as a starter'

The Baltimore Sun |

Jun 18, 2016 at 4:03 PM

Orioles starting pitcher Mike Wright was just recalled to the club at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 3, 2016. (Karl Merton Ferron / Baltimore Sun)

Shortly after he allowed a career-high eight runs in 3 2/3 innings in Friday night's 13-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, right-hander Mike Wright was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, where he will be inserted into the Tides rotation.

Manager Buck Showalter squashed any notion that the Orioles could try Wright out as a reliever, saying the 26-year-old will work his way back as a starting pitcher.

“He can’t think that level is beneath him ... and he doesn’t,” Showalter said. “What you may see emotionally and whatever, Mike’s got a grip on reality of what’s going on and it’s not good enough. He’s going to go down and do the things that it takes to get back here. We need him, and it’s as a starter.”

Wright will make his next start Wednesday for Norfolk, but Showalter left the door open for Wright to be the 26th man for the Orioles' doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 25. Left-hander T.J. McFarland, who was sent to Triple-A before Saturday's game, could also be an option for Saturday.

“You’d like to shorten the process, but sometimes it’s a step forward, step back, step forward and then you keep realize [how to pitch],” Showalter said. “It’s about command. You look at pure stuff. Mike’s a big, strong, healthy right-handed pitcher with good stuff.

“Mike’s capable of pitching. It may not look like it, [but] Mike’s capable of pitching. I guess it was about two weeks ago I looked at a couple starts he had in Triple-A, it wasn’t just because of the level. It was quality. It would’ve played anywhere.”

Wright was 3-4 with s 6.12 ERA in 13 appearances (12 starts) this season with the Orioles, but he hasn’t gone beyond five innings in four of his past five starts. He will look to re-establish himself down in Norfolk, where he was 9-1 with a 2.22 ERA last season.

“There’s probably not anybody in our locker room that had the level of success at Triple-A that he’s had," Showalter said. "To be frank, he can go down there and do real well but there is still that jump to up here. It’s just a process. He knows it’s not good enough.”

Showalter miffed by call at plate

Showalter was still looking for an explanation that made sense in his eyes regarding the third-inning play Friday when Manny Machado was called out at the plate.

Showalter challenged the call, saying that catcher Russell Martin was blocking home plate without the ball in violation of the catcher collision rule. But the call was confirmed after video review in New York.

“I still haven’t figured out the no call and the blocking play at the plate, so we’re going to change our whole way of teaching it,” Showalter said. “If that’s legal, then we want our catchers to block it, too, like that without the ball. It’s fine. I don’t fault Martin at all. I’d do it too if I could get away with it.

“They say he definitely tagged him, which he didn’t initially, but i think they’re placing it on the fact that Manny never touched the plate and then he tagged him. Maybe I’m giving them too much credit, but I’m hoping that’s why they said that. But that obviously wasn’t what I challenged.”

Quick trip

About eight to 10 players and staff will not make the trip to Texas for the Orioles' makeup game against the Rangers. That group, which will include starting pitchers not pitching and some coaches, will instead participate in a workout Monday. The Orioles will be out of town for less than 30 hours before returning home.

Buck Showalter
Mike Wright Jr.
Baltimore Orioles
Russell Martin
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays

Orioles' Buck Showalter on Mike Wright: 'We need him, and it's as a starter'

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