More on Matt Wieters at first base

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles rotation will stay in turn for the three-game series against the Braves next week at Camdem Yards.

Kevin Gausman will start Monday night, followed by Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Tillman.

Matt Wieters came up with the idea of taking ground balls at first base this weekend at Tropicana Field. He suggested it to third base coach and infield instructor Bobby Dickerson, who passed it along to manager Buck Showalter.

"It's something where I wanted to be available to play first base if Buck wants it, especially with (Steve) Pearce on the DL now and not having a right-handed first baseman," Wieters said. "I knew it may be more of a possibility now than before. I just wanted to sort of prepare myself in case that call came around, and just take a few ground balls over there and get used to seeing it over there.

"I just thought it might be an option, especially with some lefty pitchers. It may be an option to have both me and Jimmy (Paredes) hit against left-handers and get me in the field. But it's more that I just want to prepare myself in case that situation arises, as opposed to just going out there cold turkey and not taking any ground balls and not having to cram 150 ground balls the first day I'm playing first base."

The Orioles will see three left-handed starters in the next four days - Tampa Bay's Matt Moore and Atlanta's Alex Wood and Manny Banuelos.

Wieters has played two games at first base in the majors and made one start in 2011. His other appearance came earlier this season and it lasted one inning.

Wieters worked out at first base before batting practice on Friday and during BP today.

"Matt did it on his own, but, yeah, in case we've got to put him over there," Showalter said. "Came close a couple times. He'll be fine over there. Really, it's footwork more than anything, so you don't worry about something with a runner down the line or something. But there's a lot of similarities to catching. Just make sure we've got our options available.

"It's something we've always considered, but it also keeps him in the game in case there's a problem with Caleb (Joseph) physically, even though I don't mind DHing him. I don't mind putting him in there. It's not the bugaboo people think it is to lose your DH. You don't really lose your DH. In that time of the game you're going to hit for you pitcher anyway.

"We've got plenty of coverage at first base."

Wieters still doesn't have a timetable for catching back-to-back games. He's done it once since coming off the disabled list, in Minnesota right before the All-Star break.

"It's probably going to be a little while still," he said. "It's something to where, when we did it in Minnesota we thought it was a good time to schedule because we had those off-days built in, and realizing after doing it that I wasn't going to be much help to the team on the day off in between. It might be better for a little while at least to go every other day to where I feel like if I'm needed late in the game I'm there to help the team in those games."

Wieters is behind the plate tonight, but he could stay in the lineup Sunday at first base or as the designated hitter. He's 8-for-14 with a double and two home runs lifetime against Moore.