Orioles hoping to re-Wright rotation script (O's win 4-1)

Expected to join Triple-A Norfolk's rotation and make tonight's start, right-hander Mike Wright instead remains with the Orioles and is taking his normal turn against the Royals.

Baseball is both funny and unpredictable.

Wright was optioned and recalled last week before the water in the clubhouse shower had time to get warm. He replaced injured reliever Darren O'Day on the roster and outlasted the other starting candidates for tonight's game.

"As opposed to who?" Showalter asked, a familiar refrain as he tries to piece together a rotation that's still missing Yovani Gallardo.

Reliever Vance Worley and T.J. McFarland were used during the Yankees series, eliminating them from consideration.

"Worley pitched. He can't physically pitch. That's why I kept saying we'll wait and see where we are Monday," Showalter said.

"T.J. and Worley were options and we used them to beat the Yankees. Also, we try to look a series or two in advance. Kansas City used to be very left-handed, but with some of their injuries and personnel changes, I think they run seven right-handed hitters out there now. I really felt like going into it it would be Worley or Wright because of the matchups and also allow us to use Mac against the Yankees more, which we did."

Wright can't repeat his past performances and expect to stay in the rotation. He lasted only 2 2/3 innings in his most recent outing against the Red Sox, who collected six runs and seven hits while working him for 72 pitches. Wright surrendered a career-high four home runs in the Orioles' 13-9 win.

"Command," Showalter said, choosing the area where it's most important for Wright to make progress.

"It's like one of those things I was talking to him when he came back. We had a great conversation with Mike before he left and it's kind of like you step back and the pressure's off and you think about all the things that are more clear to you, you should have done and could have done. And you go, 'Gosh, I wish I knew then what I know now.' Well, now it's kind of got like a do-over reprieve to do that.

"Regardless if he had pitched real well in Norfolk, there's still that unknown of how it's going to play up here, where there's such a huge gap in the two levels of play."

Showalter also was asked today whether shortstop J.J. Hardy's eventual rehab assignment could be a short one despite his last game coming on May 1 before he fractured his left foot.

"I wouldn't say that. Why would it be short?" Showalter replied.

"It's like Yovani (Gallardo). They've got to be ready. That's where people like Dave Anderson, our infield coach, and Jeff Manto and the managers will tell us. That's kind of where Brady (Anderson) goes out some. J.J. knows what it takes to be up here. We'll trust him with that. I don't think you're going to see him go down there and play one game and four at-bats and say, 'I'm ready.'

"He's going to do some of that in the extended spring program before he goes out there. But I wouldn't say it's going to be quick. I'd like for it to be quick. We miss him. We miss Darren (O'Day). We miss Gallardo. We miss (Caleb) Joseph. Hopefully, we can get them back. Everybody's got their physical issues. I know Kansas City doesn't want to hear it."

Top pitching prospect Hunter Harvey continues to throw on flat ground after undergoing sports hernia surgery, but he hasn't gotten back on a mound.

Showalter held his breath when he saw catcher Matt Wieters take a foul ball off the inside of his thigh during the ninth inning of yesterday's game against the Yankees.

"I know," Showalter said. "I looked to the right and just said, 'Is he all right?'"

He was clutch.

Wieters delivered a two-run single off Yankees left-hander Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the eighth that lifted the Orioles to a 3-1 victory. He was pinch-hitting for Ryan Flaherty and stayed in the game to catch closer Zach Britton. Pedro Alvarez played third base.

"It was tough yesterday," Showalter said. "I talked to Matt during the rain delay about pinch-hitting there in the nine hole and I was walking down to go back out on the field and Matt was in there hitting off the machine. I was thinking, 'I wonder if they can turn that up to 101 before he went out there?' But he'd probably blow the wheels off it.

"My options were playing Matt at first and Chris (Davis) at third. That was my initial thought. But (Francisco) Pena never caught Britton and it's really a challenge the first time you catch him. I didn't want to weaken ourselves at three positions, which we would have been at first, third and catcher, so I just went with the one spot there knowing that the right-handers don't pull many balls off Zach. Pete was the most experienced third baseman we have."

The big risk, of course, was running out of catchers if Wieters had been injured. Flaherty is the emergency backstop. Showalter confirmed that the Orioles also have an emergency-emergency catcher.

"He knows," Showalter said. "Who do you think it is? I never have to answer it now. We've got a sneaking suspicion one guy would be OK with it.

"He'll use Caleb's new bullet-proof cup. He's got this cup, he showed everybody, they've got a video that comes with it. They shoot a bullet at it. That's the one I want. I'm going to wear it in the shower. Some of these shower heads, they take the governor off the pressure."

Update: The Royals scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh on Jonathan Schoop's throwing error, but Mark Trumbo hit his 19th home run leading off the bottom half of the inning and Matt Wieters hit a solo shot with one out to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead.

Schoop was trying to turn a double play, but he ended up spiking the ball into Cheslor Cuthbert. It took a high hop and Paulo Orlando raced home.

Wieters has five home runs this season and 100 in his career as a catcher. Danny Duffy, who tied his career high with nine strikeouts, came out of the game after Wieters' ball cleared the center field fence.

Wright allowed an unearned run and five hits in seven innings, with two walks and four strikeouts. He's thrown 95 pitches, 60 for strikes. Brad Brach is warming.

Wright's ERA has been lowered from 5.88 to 5.14.

Update II: Adam Jones' RBI double in the seventh off Luke Hochevar increased the lead to 3-1. Nolan Reimold scored after a leadoff infield hit, but Schoop ran through third base coach Bobby Dickerson's stop sign and was out.

Brach has replaced Wright in the eighth.

Update III: The Orioles defeated the Royals 4-1 for their fifth win in the last six games. And again they came from behind to do it, though the deficit was more manageable.

Manny Machado hit his 15th home run in the eighth inning to complete the scoring.

The Orioles have registered back-to-back quality starts, with Wright getting the win tonight. Brach struck out the side in the eighth to lower his ERA to 0.88 with 34 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings, and Zach Britton recorded his 18th save.