The importance of today's game

SARASOTA, Fla. - Today's game against the Pirates is important because Tyler Wilson gets the start, and he's in the running for a rotation spot with Miguel Gonzalez still unable to instill the proper level of confidence in the Orioles after yesterday's outing in Bradenton.

Gonzalez is struggling with his command, as manager Buck Showalter noted after yesterday's 6-5 loss. He has a minor league option. Though he remains the favorite to break camp with the team, it's far from a certainty.

Wilson has allowed three earned runs, walked one batter and struck out six in 11 1/3 spring innings, including two scoreless innings at the minor league complex. He isn't going away quietly. Quite the opposite.

Today's game also is important because Matt Wieters is serving as the designated hitter. It's not the same as being behind the plate again, but at least he's back in the lineup.

Left-hander Zach Phillips could be used in relief unless Showalter chooses to wait until Friday. His signing doesn't automatically place him in the bullpen on opening day. He's still got to earn it.

Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard has pretty much locked up a spot on the 25-man roster. You should include him in all of your projections.

The Orioles are reaching the point where they don't need to keep piling up his plate appearances. The goal now is to get him out of camp healthy and figure out how to use him.

"Since the day he got here, he's been a guy who's presented himself as a trustworthy player so far," Showalter said. "There's another stage and a whole different set of environment changes again.

"He's been good and the little things that you look for, he seems to be good at. And those things don't usually go away. He's got a feel for the game. He seems to play with a good head, intelligence. Also where he's concerned, and I think a lot of people forget, he's basically the same age as Manny (Machado) and Jonathan (Schoop). This is still a young guy at 23, 24. He seems to have really come into his own in probably the last half of the season last year and has taken it and run with it. He took it into winter ball.

"You can tell from his resume that he likes baseball and he's willing to do the things that it takes to get him to acquire the things he doesn't have. I think he has some pop that we haven't seen a whole lot of. He fits a lot of criteria, so he's presented himself well. We played the heck out of him. We'll see if we can find some dents to show up.

"I don't care how you do here, there will be a different scope at the next level. Spring training is spring training. But what else do you want him to do? He's done his part."

Sounds like he's going to make the team.

"As the pitchers have started to step up their stuff a little bit, he hasn't taken a back seat and that's good to see," Showalter said.

The assumption all along has been that Rickard could back up all three outfield positions, but is it outrageous to consider whether he might start at one of the corners and bat first for a team that doesn't have a prototypical leadoff hitter?

Machado could bat second, since there isn't an obvious candidate for that spot.

It's probably more realistic that Rickard works his way into the lineup on occasion, with Showalter also having Hyun Soo Kim and Mark Trumbo as options at the corners.

Yesterday's blog included eight entries and at least one significant typo. I got it right in a tweet, but messed up here.

Showalter indicted again that he's going with 12 pitchers on opening day. Not 13.

Sorry for the confusion. It's still spring training for me, too.