Tillman an option to start Aug. 22 (O's down 3-1)

SEATTLE - Infielder Ryan Flaherty and Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander worked out today at Camden Yards after Single-A Frederick's game in Wilmington was postponed due to rain.

Flaherty and Santander will work out again Wednesday - their injury rehab assignments ended and they can't appear in anymore games - and the Orioles will activate them from the disabled list on Thursday.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Chris Tillman felt good physically after facing four batters Sunday afternoon in Oakland and he could be used tonight.

"He could have pitched last night and would have," Showalter said. "That was real encouraging. So he's available tonight and tomorrow, and we want to look at some things as his work days go on and see if there might be a spot where we want to start him, if we want to give some guys some extra time.

"We're not there yet, but I'd love to get him in the game tonight or tomorrow and see if he could carry that over. He's got one little thing mechanically that he wants to make sure about which should really give him some real confidence with that."

Tillman's role in the bullpen, Showalter said, is to come in and get people out. Don't overthink it.

"There's no such thing as unimportant outs," Showalter added. "If we're way ahead or way behind, those outs that that guy comes in and gets are huge. The two innings that (Miguel) Castro pitched for us last night were huge. We didn't have to get anybody up and now we're on our feet for these next two games in the bullpen."

Tillman could return to the rotation on Aug. 22 if Dylan Bundy is pushed back to the following night.

"He'd be an option, yeah, but I want to see how the work days go and see how Roger (McDowell) and them feel," Showalter said. "I think everybody with hardly any exceptions will benefit from an extra day. That doesn't mean they won't pitch well without it, but this time of year it's a luxury, provided you feel like Chris can pitch like he's capable of."

Showalter cringes when asked again about Chris Davis batting seventh and how it may have contributed to the first baseman's production over the past three games. It's a storyline that's already grown tiresome.

"I don't get the whole order thing," Showalter said.

Davis talked this afternoon about putting his ego aside and accepting a drop in the lineup. Mark Trumbo did the same thing while batting sixth.

"I can't speak for other people, but that's always been the case here," Showalter said. "It's like Mark was saying, 'Guys are out-performing me, so where's the debate?'

"It's a team game. I think mostly guys look at it because if they get asked about it enough, they think, 'Wow, I guess I'm supposed to care about this.' The more people ask them, the more it becomes ...

"It's kind of like the guy whose arm doesn't hurt and the doctor keeps asking him, 'Does it hurt when I do that?' And about the fifth time you think, 'Gosh, I guess it's supposed to hurt, so I guess it hurts.' I don't know. I always thought the greatest accolade I got paid when I played was putting my name in the lineup."

Update: Jonathan Schoop homered in the top of the first inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Schoop has 26 home runs and 86 RBIs this season.

Tim Beckham led off with a single, making him 30-for-59 with the Orioles, but Manny Machado bounced into a double play.

Update II: The Mariners scored the tying run in the fourth on Guillermo Heredia's leadoff double and Nelson Cruz's RBI single with one out.

Update III: The Mariners scored twice in the fifth to lead 3-1 and knock Wade Miley out of the game. Jean Segura had an RBI single and another run scored on Robinson Cano's fielder's choice grounder.