Postgame updates on Britton, Miley and Ynoa

During a season that has featured a steady stream of pitching roster moves, the Orioles could again be busy tomorrow on the transactions wire.

During tonight's 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox, one starting pitcher got hit by two line drives, the pitcher that relieved him had a leg issue and an All-Star closer was unavailable altogether.

As the Orioles added to a 2-1 lead and made it 4-1 in the last of the eighth, right-hander Brad Brach - and not closer Zach Britton - was warming. Brach pitched the ninth and allowed a run while gaining his sixth save.

For now, when Britton will get his next save chance is uncertain. The discomfort from the left forearm strain that sent him to the disabled list on April 16 has returned and, as tonight's game was beginning, Britton was undergoing an MRI. He had just returned Tuesday from a 16-day stay on the DL and had pitched in two of the last three games of the series at Boston. Britton has an ERA of 1.00 in eight games this season and is five-for-five in save chances.

"He woke up this morning, felt it, felt some discomfort," manager Buck Showalter said. "How we proceed will probably be derived from those (MRI) findings. Just compare it with the one he just took. Same forearm strain, I think. That's what I was told. Just trying to gather all the information and decide which direction to go."

Once the game started, it took 12 pitches for the Orioles to lose starter Wade Miley. He got drilled by back-to-back batters, taking line drives off the bats of José Abreu and Avasaíl García. He got hit in the left arm and wrist and also the thigh/buttocks area. After the first liner, he stayed in the game, but the second one was one too many for Showalter.

Miley exited with a left wrist contusion. X-rays were negative.

"I should have taken him out after the first one," Showalter said. "I regret that. But I told the trainer afterwards, he threw the ball warming up again. Just didn't like the risk-reward there. The X-ray here was negative, but we didn't take an X-ray of his buttocks. He said, 'Buck, it hit me in the ass.' We'll see."

If two injury issues are not enough, right-hander Gabriel Ynoa, who came on for Miley and and pitched six scoreless innings to get the win, also felt something in his leg while warming up before the top of the sixth. Showatler was asked if that could be a DL situation.

"Said it was a cramp. We'll see," Showalter said. "We'll see. R.J. (Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson) called us during the game about holding somebody out - that's a good Triple-A manager. They must have known. I know Dan (Duquette) had already called down there, I think."

Miley said he thinks he will be fine after getting drilled by a pair liners in excess of 100 mph.

"I think I'm fine," he said. "I kind of wanted to stay out there, but I guess they were kind of nervous about how many more were going to come my way. It sucks obviously, I pitched 2/3 of an inning especially at a time where our bullpen was taxed with the whole (Kevin) Gausman situation. That was the hardest part about coming out of the game right there. But Ynoa stepped up and did an outstanding job.

"It just got me in the wrist. I guess a good spot in the wrist because the X-rays were negative. Swollen a little bit, but hopefully it'll be OK in a few days and we'll put this behind us. I'm hoping to play catch tomorrow."

Showalter has told reporters many times that he is always prepared for a what-if situation. Tonight, he got one. What if his starter got drilled and didn't get out of the opening inning?

"Every night before we leave, we sit down and go over the bullpen. We say it, "Guy gets hit by a line drive first pitch, where are we going?' The answer yesterday as we got on the plane was Ynoa. It's one thing to be available to pitch long, it's another thing to be effective enough to pitch long, which he was."

After Miley left in what was the shortest start of his career, Ynoa pitched a career-high six innings and kept the White Sox scoreless. He silenced the bats of a Chicago team that had gone 8-3 in its last 11 games, averaging 5.9 runs per game in that span.

"So when the starter got hit on the first time, I started getting ready for that, and after that, it was just a mind game. I just started to prepare mentally," Ynoa said through interpreter Ramon Alarcon.

"I feel excellent. I feel very good. Thank God for the opportunity. I was able to keep my ball really low in the zone all night, so I'm really thankful for that. I didn't hurt my hamstring. It was just some cramps. After that, I got OK, so everything is well so far."

The pitching injury news was not all a challenge today. Showalter confirmed tonight that Chris Tillman will make his season debut here on Sunday.

"Went well in his workout today. Keep in mind that we can't bring a guy back (to the roster) unless he's been down there 10 days or there's a DL. So, if you need two (pitchers), you're gonna have some challenges."

But if the Orioles did DL Britton, Miley and/or Ynoa, they could bring back a pitcher or pitchers optioned out during the last 10 days. That list includes Jayson Aquino, Richard Bleier, Vidal Nuño, Logan Verrett, Mike Wright, Alec Asher and Tyler Wilson.