Britton starting Saturday

The Orioles' rotation gained another confirmed starter today. Left-hander Zach Britton will start Saturday in Oakland, leaving Sunday's starter as the only mystery in the three-game series. Left-hander Joe Saunders will take the mound on Friday. Chris Tillman said he hasn't been told when he'll get back into the rotation. It could be Sunday in Oakland or Monday or Tuesday in Seattle. Jason Hammel is undergoing his MRI this morning, and the Orioles hope to have the results before they leave the ballpark. Instructional league starts on Sunday, and Jim Thome and Troy Patton will participate as they near their respective returns to the active roster. Manager Buck Showalter is cautiously optimistic that Thome will join the Orioles on their road trip. He said Patton will need to pitch in two or three games before coming off the disabled list. Matt Wieters is getting the day off because he could catch all of the games on the road trip except for maybe one. Wieters will be leaving the team later this month for the birth of his first child. The Orioles clinched a winning home record for the first time since 2000 (44-37). The Orioles are 63-18 (.778) when their starting pitchers go six innings or more. They're 26-14 in day games, and their .650 winning percentage leads the American League.