Kevin Gausman headed to DL, Odrisamer Despaigne optioned

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed this morning that Kevin Gausman will begin the season on the disabled list after being shelved by tendinitis in his right shoulder.

Gausman, who went on the DL last May with the same condition, still could be available to start on April 10 against the Rays in Baltimore. His assignment will be backdated to March 25.

Otherwise, Showalter said Gausman could start April 13 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park "or later."

The DL move is "from a roster standpoint," Showalter said. "That doesn't mean he's not one of the first five starters."

Gausman may throw from 90 feet today, the first time he's picked up a ball since receiving a cortisone injection in right shoulder on March 20.

"There's a couple spots where it can go faster or slower with what we see from 90 and 120, by what goes on there," Showalter said. "If that goes really well, then it might get accelerated. But we're not going to do anything that jeopardizes him getting this all put behind him. So if we slow down with it and he doesn't make either one of those dates, he doesn't make either one of those dates."

Chris Tillman, Yovani Gallardo and Ubaldo Jimenez are set in the rotation. Tillman will start the April 4 opener against the Twins at Camden Yards.

Miguel Gonzalez is approaching an important start Tuesday night against the Braves in Sarasota. He has a minor league option and could be sent down to make room for Mike Wright or Tyler Wilson.

Wright and Wilson are pitching today against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. As Showalter said, "Competition is a good thing."

* The Orioles optioned Odrisamer Despaigne to Triple-A Norfolk this morning, removing him from the camp competition before he was given a start.

Despaigne allowed 10 runs and 19 hits in eight relief appearances covering 13 1/3 innings. He walked six and struck out five.

Despaigne will enter Norfolk's rotation. He has three minor league options and could be brought up later as a starter or reliever.

Today's move leaves the Orioles with 41 players in camp, including seven non-roster invitees.

* Here's more from Showalter on Tillman being the opening day starter:

"He's done it before. Has Jimenez ever had opening day? And I'm sure Gallardo's probably had a couple. Just kind of where they all are. Yovani, he's OK. I considered all three of those guys. They've all had experience there. They've all had some success there. Jimenez has."

Gallardo started four straight opening days with the Brewers and Jimenez started back-to-back openers with the Rockies.

Tillman is getting the assignment for a third consecutive season.

"It says something about his dependability from a post-up standpoint," Showalter said. "Chris has been a durable performer. He's been with us for a while. He knows all the things that go along with it, but so do Yovani and Ubaldo.

"Because of the situation with Gausman and that other spot, we're still kind of ... we've been able to keep those guys on turn, so they were all three options."

The decision was made "concretely" yesterday," Showalter said.

"But we've been talking about it back and forth," he said. "You end up spending a lot of brainpower on things that will reveal itself to you. Just keep putting them out there and taking in the things that are created and see where guys are physically.

"There's a lot of things that other people don't, where guys are with everything. I think if Yovani had been with us from the first day, it might have been a little more of factor. Not that he's behind. It's not that it added ... It gives him another start."