Tonight's game and yesterday's roster move

The Orioles continue their West Coast trip tonight in Anaheim with Kevin Gausman taking the mound as their most effective healthy starter.

Gausman has allowed two runs and 10 hits over his last two outings, with one walk and 11 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. His ERA is down to 3.97 ERA in 14 games, including six starts.

Ubaldo Jimenez is 1-3 with a 10.61 ERA in four starts in the second half after going 7-4 with a 2.81 ERA in 17 starts before the All-Star break.

Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen hasn't gone more than 5 1/3 innings in his last three starts, allowing 11 runs and 20 hits over 13 2/3. He's surrendered 14 runs and 30 hits over 20 innings in his last four starts.

Miguel Gonzalez hasn't exceeded 5 1/3 innings in seven of his last nine starts. He's allowed eight runs and 15 hits over 8 2/3 innings in his last two outings.

Chris Tillman is back above .500 and has allowed two runs or fewer in his last six starts. He's given up five runs in his last 41 1/3 innings, with six walks and 30 strikeouts. But he's pushed back to Sunday or Monday due to a sprained left ankle.

Gausman has started once against the Angels, allowing three runs and three hits in seven innings on July 30, 2014 at Camden Yards. He's healthy and effective, and the Orioles need him to stay that way.

The current Angels are 5-for-33 against Gausman. David DeJesus is 2-for-7 with a double, Shane Victorino is 1-for-8, Mike Trout is 0-for-3 with a strikeout and Albert Pujols is 0-for-3.

The Orioles are 15-9 vs. left-handed starters this season, and the Angels are sending one to the mound tonight. Andrew Heaney, the ninth-overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma State, is 5-1 with a 1.97 ERA in seven starts.

Heaney, a Marlin until a three-team trade involving the Dodgers on Dec. 11, 2014, has allowed 10 runs and 34 hits in 45 2/3 innings. He's walked seven batters and struck out 34.

Heaney hasn't allowed more than two runs in any start. He's never faced the Orioles or one of their current hitters.

The Orioles are 17-20 in the first game of a series and 9-11 against the American League West.

Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia has returned to the bullpen after completing his 30-day injury rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie. Mychal Givens' demotion drew the ire of fans who fell in love with his small sample size.

(Don't overthink it.)

As I kept stating on Twitter yesterday, Givens wasn't sent to Siberia. He can come back. The Orioles have two optionable relievers and chose to keep T.J. McFarland, who serves as a long reliever.

Having a guy like McFarland may come in handy while Orioles starters labor to make it past the fifth inning. If he's not needed in that role, Givens could replace him before rosters expand in September.

In the meantime, the Orioles want to take another look at Garcia while he's healthy. If it's a burden to carry him in the bullpen over the next three weeks, they can place him on waivers and make the necessary adjustments.

Fans are asking why the Orioles chose Garcia over Logan Verrett, the other Rule 5 pitcher in camp. They thought Garcia had the higher ceiling. They also thought they had a better chance of getting Verrett through waivers. They were convinced that the Rays would claim Garcia.

Givens has fans tied up in knots. Some of them ridicule the Orioles for making him "untouchable" at the non-waiver trade deadline, though no one ever hung that tag on him. They just weren't going to give him up without being overwhelmed by an offer.

Others are in love with those three major league appearances and find it repugnant that he's back in the Eastern League.

Chris Parmelee was a brilliant signing and a potential replacement for Chris Davis at first base in 2016. We blinked and he became a liability who had no right taking up space on the roster.

Mike Wright was Cy Young after two starts. We blinked and he was an overmatched, overhyped prospect who had no right taking up space on the roster.

Free Nolan Reimold. Release Nolan Reimold.

The overreactions stretch in both directions.

Givens may turn into the next Darren O'Day. The Orioles will give him every opportunity. But they needed a roster spot for Garcia and preferred to keep McFarland while the starters are prone to high pitch counts and earlier exits.

Givens will be back. Sooner or later.

Shameless plug alert: I'm in studio today for "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. on MASN.