Showalter on Matusz ejection and today's roster move

MIAMI - The commissioner's office is closed today and left-hander Brian Matusz, facing a suspension following last night's ejection, remains in the Orioles bullpen.

That's just the tip of the pregame notes iceberg.

Matusz figures to be suspended after umpires tossed him for having an illegal substance on his right forearm. He also figures to appeal the suspension, which most likely would be eight games.

Manager Buck Showalter alluded to the substance while opening his session with reporters in the visiting dugout at Marlins Park. Try to detect the note of sarcasm.

"Let me ask you, if the roof is open and our dermatologist recommends you wear sunscreen ..." Showalter said.

That's good stuff.

If it's sunscreen and rosin, how do you justify it being worthy of an ejection?

"I haven't tried to justify anything," Showalter replied.

"Why is the rosin on the field? Why is it there? It's a deeper issue than that. You've all heard me talk about the crux of the problem. Same reason hitters have pine tar. We all understand the crux of the problem is gripping the ball, it's not trying to (doctor the ball).

"Some may say, I think even Jim (Palmer) said today, you alter the flight of the ball by being able to grip it better. Why do we put mud on the ball, which I think is pretty archaic?"

Milwaukee's Will Smith is facing an eight-game suspension for the same infraction last week.

"Let's don't kid ourselves, all right?" Showalter said. "A lot of time people who do these things haven't had to stand on a mound in front of 30,000 people trying to grip a ball. I understand it's a rule. I got it."

A lingering question is whether rosin is illegal if placed on your body instead of being left on the mound.

"It depends on whose interpretation," Showalter said. "Gaylord Perry had the puff ball where he put so much rosin on it that it puffed when it left his hand. And he just said that it's out there on the mound. There's dirt out there on the mound, too. Is that OK? You can debate it forever."

Showalter doesn't seem more inclined to ask umpires to check opposing pitchers.

"I wouldn't go that far," he said. "We know catchers have it on the shin guards. You know that every player's got it on their glove. You try to figure out what the end game is, whether it's worth it."

Bottom line: Showalter doesn't believe that using a rosin/sunscreen substance really provides a competitive advantage.

"It allows you to grip the ball better, you throw a better slider, you throw a better curveball," he said. "It doesn't help changeup guys cause the ball sticks in your hand too long, I would think. I wouldn't think it would be good for a split, either. But it's just command. And let's face it, for some people, I guess it could be a crutch, too. I don't know. I've never pitched. But I do know enough good pitchers that I've had over the years. It is what it is.

"I just hope we attack the crux of the problem. I watch clubhouse kids rubbing up baseballs and then there's a rain delay and you're using a bunch of more balls or you're playing 12 or 13 innings, and you're using balls that aren't the same balls that were rubbed up before the game."

Why have two pitchers been ejected in the same week?

"You'd have to ask the people that are asking," Showalter said. "I want guys to be able to grip the baseball against our hitters, to an extent."

Showalter also was irritated that umpires forced Matusz's replacement, T.J. McFarland, to warm up on the mound instead of the bullpen.

"What I don't like is that the pitcher who comes in for an injury or something like that has to warm up on the mound. It shouldn't happen," he said. "When does a club get to watch a pitcher warm up the whole time and throw 30, 40 pitches? That's a competitive imbalance. And they say it's because there's got to be some action on the field. At that time, everybody's going to the bathroom, concession stands anyway, right? Or watching the mascots or the dancers."

There was lots of talk last night about Marlins reliever Carter Capps and his hop-step delivery that practically leaves him halfway between the mound and home plate. That's legal? That's not a competitive advantage?

"I think Atlanta or somebody else brought it to MLB's attention and they said it was legal, as long as the front foot doesn't move twice," Showalter said. "They said as long as it's in a hovering position. Don't get me started on that one, either. What's more of an edge? He doesn't need much of an edge. That's about as good of stuff that you're going to see.

"He was traded for Logan Morrison? You look at his numbers in Seattle. You wonder by a lot of the health issues he's had if that lends itself to that or not. I don't know. But looking at his numbers career-wise and watching him pitch, something doesn't add up. That's for sure."

The Orioles optioned McFarland this morning and purchased reliever Chaz Roe's contract from Triple-A Norfolk.

"I really don't know what's going to go down where Brian's concerned," Showalter said. "The doubleheader coming up, it's going to get pretty complicated now with all that going on. It puts a lot of guys back in the mix. We can bring back anybody within the 10 days for the 26th man, but if Brian is suspended, we're going to have to play short with a six-man bullpen with the doubleheader coming up.

"It brings anybody into play, anybody who is sent down. I thought for a second about (Kevin) Gausman. I'm not going to do that. Obviously, he's in a program, in the middle of that."

Oliver Drake worked three innings last night in his major league debut, but he was spared a return trip to Norfolk.

"We were lucky he was efficient as he was with his pitches," Showalter said.

"I think he's going to be available tomorrow. I like getting Mac starting again. I'd rather keep the ball in his hand if he's going to do something in that doubleheader."

The Orioles transferred reliever Wesley Wright to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Roe on the 40-man roster.

"It's on the cusp if the program went fine," Showalter said. "It's close, but he's still got a couple more down there before he goes out. I think it's like 17 days. He should be pretty close to that if he continues at the rate he is."

The other option was transferring second baseman Jonathan Schoop to the 60-day disabled list.

"Jonathan's would have been a lot later. We would have pushed him back further," Showalter said. "He could come quickly once he gets this last little thing going. Then it's just a matter of playing a few games. I don't think Wes is that close yet. It wasn't an easy decision. He's not where he needs to be yet. You want him to go all the way through that program."

Dallas Keuchel, former Oriole Scott Feldman and Collin McHugh will start for the Astros in the three-game series at Camden Yards that begins Monday afternoon. The Orioles are sending Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Tillman and Ubaldo Jimenez to the mound.