Miley expects to make his next start, Hart on loss of Britton

After last night's game, Orioles left-hander Wade Miley felt his left wrist contusion was not going to be much of a problem. And today, even though he had a wrap on his left wrist, he said he fully expects to make his next start on Wednesday.

"Yeah, I feel fine," Miley said. "I could pitch tonight if they needed me. I feel like my wrist is fine. I think it is one of those things where they are trying to be cautious.

"I've never been hit twice. I've never seen it. I wrapped it last night to just try and keep the swelling down when I slept. It's just a little sore, like a bruised-sore. Nothing is restricted, it's fine."

Back-to-back batters, José Abreu and Avasaíl García, smoked liners that hit Miley, one in the wrist and one in the backside. It happened within three pitches in the first inning and he was gone from the game after just 12 pitches. Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa came on and pitched six scoreless innings to get the win in his Orioles debut.

In six starts, Miley is 1-1 and his ERA of 2.27 ranks ninth-best in the American League. Last night, Miley said he planned to try and play catch today, but now he'll rest the sore wrist today and try to do that tomorrow.

In the meantime, others on the pitching staff have filled in when needed and done a solid job, from Ynoa to Alec Asher to Tyler Wilson and Jayson Aquino, to name a few.

"Guys have stepped up." Miley said. "Alec and Wilson in Boston and Ynoa stepped up huge last night. Can't ask for much better than that."

Meanwhile, the Orioles bullpen staff is once again preparing for life without Zach Britton for a while. The All-Star closer will go on the disabled list today and Asher will be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

Britton told reporters today he feels his elbow is not impacted, but there is inflammation in his left forearm. He is going to see orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday to get another opinion. Britton said he didn't yet know a timetable for how long he'll be out this time, but assumed this DL stint could take longer than 10 days.

O's left-hander Donnie Hart said a heavily used Orioles bullpen now has to pull together again and keep it going without Britton. He said they all have to be prepared to pitch in whatever role is needed while they carry on without a closer that was 47-for-47 in save chances in 2016 and was 5-for-5 this year. Britton has saved 54 consecutive chances since Oct. 1, 2015.

"Obviously, you are going to miss the guy as a teammate and as a player," Hart said. "We are all going to have to step up and help the team win. If that takes someone getting two outs in the ninth and someone getting the third, so be it. I think we are ready for it and we're all looking forward to it. We can't let it tear us apart. We do a good job in that bullpen and when the phone rings, we're ready to go."

The Orioles bullpen ranks sixth in the AL with an ERA of 3.65. The O's 12 team saves lead the league and the bullpen ranks fourth in 'pen innings pitched with 103 2/3.

"We all have our gameplan ready to go when the game starts," Hart said. "We've had a lot of things thrown at us in the last couple of weeks. In the last two weeks, we've four or five different guys out there to go for a save. We are all capable of doing it. It is just a matter of picking each other up."