Showalter on rotation and more (start of game will be delayed)

Get used to seeing the Orioles list their upcoming starters as TBD.

The rotation is a puzzle with Bud Norris and Chris Tillman unable to start this weekend and the club having another off day on Monday. Manager Buck Showalter doesn't know when the two right-handers will be available and how it impacts the other starters.

Norris has bronchitis, but he's no longer running a fever and he was allowed inside the clubhouse today.

"Bud, just talked to him, he's obviously lost some weight and he's scuffling still," Showalter said. "He's obviously not (starting) tonight or tomorrow and we'll see whether he can pitch out of the 'pen tomorrow and how he's going to feel Tuesday. He's got a pretty severe case of bronchitis. He's not running a fever now, so he's not contagious, which his why he's here."

Tillman has lower-back stiffness, or a "slight strain," as Showalter put it.

"Kind of flared up yesterday on the work day, so I'm not going to pitch him tomorrow," Showalter said. "Take Bud and Tillman out of the equation for tomorrow. We'll see how we are after tonight. We have a lot of candidates - some here, some there."

My gut tells me that Mike Wright will make his major league debut if he's not used in relief tonight.

"The whole bullpen's an option," Showalter said. "If get an outing like we got from (Wei-Yin) Chen yesterday with an off-day on Monday, who knows who will start? And we have options in Norfolk."

Asked when he needs to alert the candidates, Showalter quipped, "I'd say about half an hour, depending on how it is."

"Depending on who it is, I've actually done some of that before, but we'll tell them before they leave tonight," he said. "I think watching the game develop, you'll probably be able to tell who if we do it from within."

Showalter makes it a point to share his plans with the opposing manager - in this case, the Angels' Mike Scioscia, who was told in advance that Ubaldo Jimenez would start tonight.

"He will know before you all do, but the player will know first," Showalter said. "It's just the ethical, professional way to do it. We don't always get it reciprocated. Trust me. But it doesn't mean you don't do the right thing just because someone else doesn't."

Tillman is no stranger to back issues.

"It's off and on," Showalter said. "Two, three years he's had it and some days it's a little stiffer than others. He started some meds. It's like I was talking to him today. He said, 'I might come in here tomorrow and feel 100 percent, which I will at some point,' but it's hard to speculate tonight and wait for that.

"I'd rather with the off-day Monday just try to get him all the way back for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, depending on what happens with Bud and probably Gonzo (Miguel Gonzalez) and Chen around the corner. These two off-days that close together, I wish we had one here starting on Tuesday.

"I know the history of it and how it's managed and what causes it, but I'm not naive and just taking it for granted. It's better today. We managed through it two or three seasons now, knowing it's there. Just like all pitchers. The things that aren't always public that guys deal with every outing, work days are adjusted constantly, what somebody's feeling or not feeling.

"The thing that we're challenged with is after Monday we've got to have everybody on board for a long period of time. There's no off-days. We've got a doubleheader that's going to be a challenge, so I'm going to take every precaution so our guys can present themselves healthy during that stretch."

Showalter also provided updates on catcher Matt Wieters and Jonathan Schoop.

"Matt caught seven today," he said. "He was going to catch nine, but they said he caught the equivalent of about 15 innings with the pitchers struggling a little bit. They decided to get him out of there. He got beat up pretty good, which is good. Not good for Matt.

"Can you imagine him catching down there with the humidity and heat, how much he must be looking forward to getting out of there?"

Then again, Wieters will meet the Orioles in Miami next weekend. Not exactly a reprieve.

Schoop performed baseball activities today.

"That went well," Showalter said. "I was trying to get Manny (Machado) to talk to him and see if he could get something out of him that he wouldn't give the trainers. He hit off the tee and threw at 90 feet and did some agility drills. Monday he'll start taking ground balls. So that was encouraging to see."

I wrote earlier that the Orioles changed the starting time of their May 28 doubleheader against the White Sox from 4:05 p.m. to 1:05 p.m. They made the switch as a courtesy to the opponent, which is flying to Houston after Game 2.

The Orioles have a 4:35 p.m. game against the Astros on May 27, making the earlier start the following day more tolerable.

"I think it's more of a case to try and be fair to the White Sox as much as we'd like to have it reciprocated," Showalter said. "Put yourself in their shoes. We have a 4:35 game the day before, so we'll get to bed before midnight before the 1 o'clock game the next day, and (the second game) starts shortly thereafter. It's just one gate in order to get them out of here and into Houston."

Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford, a huge Orioles fan, is on the field during batting practice.

WWE heavyweight champion Seth Rollins will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to center fielder Adam Jones before Sunday's game. Rollins is in town for a pay-per-view show later that night at Royal Farms Arena.