The rotation, Trumbo, Flaherty, Hardy and Beckham (O's lead 7-1)

How will the Orioles fit Jeremy Hellickson into their rotation beyond Wednesday night's assignment against the Royals?

Manager Buck Showalter isn't keen on using six starters, though he notes the benefits as the season progresses through the summer.

"Anticipate it? It's a possibility, but there are some ways ..." he said. "I'd like to get to a four-man bench. You can't burn two players with one move with a three-man bench. There are a lot of dynamics involved in that. The game changes how you manage according to your bench.

"I'd like to get to that, but there's a part of me, too, that kind of likes the idea of giving these guys an extra day in August and September, quite frankly, but one advantage is gained and one advantage is lost when you do all that."

A five-man rotation that includes Hellickson must lose someone else and there isn't a simple solution short of putting a starter on the disabled list.

Chris Tillman's ERA has grown to 7.65 in 14 starts after the Rangers torched him Friday night for eight runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Ubaldo Jiménez has allowed three runs in 13 innings in his last two starts, with four walks and 15 strikeouts. Wade Miley held the Rangers to two runs in five innings Sunday afternoon. Kevin Gausman is on a serious roll with one run allowed in his last three starts over 20 1/3 innings. He's struck out 24 batters.

Dylan Bundy is entrenched in the rotation, the most consistent starter in 2017, and the Orioles will provide additional rest when the schedule allows it.

Showalter doesn't want to create a scenario where the next round of starts determines who comes out of the rotation.

"I don't know if that's fair to them," he said. "For instance, like who? Whoever pitches tonight stinks comes out?

"I try not to live in that world. I have a long memory and this time of year you've got to have a short memory. Trying to pitch well enough to keep ourselves in games and win baseball games. I don't know if there's been that much separation. Some guys running off two or three ...

"We get a couple more good starts under our belt, it would be nice to have that consistency there. Pitching five to seven innings and giving your team a chance to win is real, real hard.

"I wouldn't differentiate, 'OK, if you pitch well it means more than if you pitch poorly.' If you think the guys are going, 'OK, we've got six men and if I pitch poor I'm out,' what do you define as out? Out of the rotation? Nobody's going to be out of baseball or out of a job."

Showalter pointed out the challenges of moving most of the starters to the bullpen, and not only because there's no opening as long as the Orioles keep Miguel Castro.

"Just knowing them," he said. "Chris Tillman and Ubaldo, you've got to give them almost an inning heads up. Don't have any experience really with Tillman out of the bullpen. There's a lot of unknown from my standpoint, too."

Meanwhile, the Orioles could get Mark Trumbo back on the active roster after his 10 days are up. Trumbo underwent an MRI this afternoon on his right ribcage area.

"That was very positive news," Showalter said. "I think he's got a shot at the DL period after getting that back, so that was very encouraging."

I wrote earlier that Ryan Flaherty is playing third base tonight at Single-A Frederick. He'll remain with the Keys on Wednesday, work out with the Orioles Thursday and likely join Triple-A Norfolk.

Flaherty isn't ready to come off the disabled list this week.

"There's some things he's still not quite doing," Showalter said.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy (wrist) could be ready to come off the disabled list on Aug. 18.

"The actual bone now has healed. It's just the ligament now," Showalter said. "He's in a restrictive apparatus and through that now he's got to get the strength back. The only spot he still has some discomfort is the ligament where it connects. The bone itself has healed, so that's good.

"He's eligible on the 18th and I'm hoping he can make that. By the time we get through all the different things and he goes out and plays a little bit."

Tim Beckham could get most of the starts at shortstop in Hardy's absence, but the veteran will reclaim the job.

"Like I told J.J. yesterday, when J.J. comes back on the 18th, he's playing shortstop," Showalter said.

"I just felt like I needed to say that to him, because your first thought is to assume that he knows that. But you don't like assuming things. The thing that kills players is the unknown. Like I tell them in the spring, 'Hey, come into our meetings in the morning. You can listen to anything that's being said in there.' For the most part."

Showalter won't bury Rubén Tejada, who also could get more starts at shortstop.

"Tim's going to play shortstop tonight and that's kind of where we're going," Showalter said. "Rubén's done a nice job for us. I'm not going to leave him high and dry. He'll be involved. We'll see how long, if and when on Ryan."

Beckham gets a clean slate from Showalter, who isn't interested in anyone's previous experiences with the former first-overall pick.

"I want him to feel like, and I told him, he's coming in here and ... It's the first time he's changed organizations and we're going to make that as positive as possible," Showalter said. "That's a really good organization he's coming from and they've been with him nine years. It's not like they were just trying to get (rid of him). They got a good pitcher (Tobias Myers). This kid's very interesting. Hated to lose him."

Beckham is the sixth player to start at shortstop this year.

"Not a day goes by that we don't know how tough it's been without J.J. there, for a lot of reasons, but physically if they can't do it, they can't do it. He broke his wrist," Showalter said.

"It's been a challenge. Really the continuity with Manny (Machado) and Jon (Schoop). You think about how good they've played defensively with the challenges of different feeds, different timing. It's like Manny and Jon know where each other are on the double plays. They're never caught by surprise. That comes from playing together. When J.J.'s out there, you've got a real cohesive unit. I'm hoping Tim can fit into that."

Beckham met the local media outside of the clubhouse and you can read his comments here. He's played both middle infield positions, but he views himself as a shortstop and he didn't hesitate when asked about it.

Update: The Orioles strung together a double, single, single and double against Ian Kennedy in the first inning and took a 2-0 lead. Jonathan Schoop produced his 78th RBI and Trey Mancini added a run-scoring double.

Beckham grounded into a force at home in his first Orioles at-bat.

Kennedy threw 29 pitches. Bundy threw nine while retiring the side in order in the top of the first.

Update II: Bundy allowed an unearned run in the third inning on Alex Gordon's one-out single and stolen base, Welington Castillo's throwing error, and Whit Merrifield's single. Orioles 2, Royals 1.

Update III: Adam Jones celebrated his 32nd birthday with an RBI single with two outs in the fourth to increase the lead to 3-1.

Seth Smith was hit on the right elbow, moved up on a pair of 1-3 putouts and scored on Jones' bouncer through the left side of the infield.

Update IV: A three-run fifith inning for the Orioles increased their lead to 6-1.

Smith had a two-out, two-run double off left-hander Scott Alexander and scored on Castillo's single.

Kennedy was gone after Schoop's leadoff single. He's charged with four runs in four-plus innings.

Beckham reached on an infield hit, making him 1-for-3.

Update V: The Orioles upped their lead to 7-1 in the seventh on Smith's single after Beckham led off with a double.