Tillman on his groin injury and Showalter on defensive shifts

Orioles manager Buck Showalter revealed yesterday that Chris Tillman has been dealing with a minor groin injury.

This morning, Tillman said he feels the issue has improved and he fully expects to make his next start on Friday at Kansas City.

"I'm much better now. Got a bullpen today so we'll see how it goes but I'm pretty sure it's going to be just fine. No problems the last few days," Tillman said.

Has this been an issue for him in his last few starts?

"Little bit. Not to the point where it's bothering me. It's there, but it's much better the last day or two, so I've got no worries about it," he said.

Meanwhile, the issue of Orioles' defensive shifts has certainly come up a lot since last night's game, when the O's were shifting in the ninth against Detroit's Alex Avila. But he hit the ball by the shift down the third base line for a single to lead off that inning.

Some fans questioned pitching Avila away if the defensive shift was for him to pull the ball. Manager Buck Showalter said again today that O's pitchers are expected to pitch their game and not pitch to the shift, and that it's not an issue if they pitch away to a lefty hitter when the shift is for him to pull the ball.

"The only people you shift against are guys that are going to hit all pitches in the zone in a certain grid, so to speak," Showalter said.

"If you look at Avila's bat angle last night, it's in complete pull mode," he said. "So much in pull mode he hit off the end of the bat. It's like the golfer hits a ball into a tree and it goes into the hole. What can you do?

"Most all the shifts are done with people that create an early pull angle with their bat. They hit the ball there regardless where it is in the zone."