Tyler Wilson continues to adapt to adjusted schedule

MINNEAPOLIS - Tyler Wilson was supposed to make last night's start for the Orioles until finding out that he'd be pushed back to Wednesday afternoon due to the rainout.

Wilson knows how to stay flexible, having pitched out of the bullpen and the rotation with the Orioles. He's rarely on a set schedule.

Shortly after the media was allowed inside the clubhouse, Wilson grabbed his glove and went to the bullpen for a light throwing session. Meanwhile, Kevin Gausman relaxed before making tonight's start on regular rest.

"It's kind of roll with the punches," Wilson said this afternoon. "It's definitely one of those things where you can't control the weather and getting pushed back two days is OK. It gave me a chance to get an extra day of recovery with my arm yesterday.

"Did a little touch feel out there today to get ready to go tomorrow. I think it works perfectly to keep Gausman on his five days, which is awesome, rather than adjusting two schedules. It's just pushed me back another day and almost treat it like a bullpen. I feel good and I'll be ready to go tomorrow."

The forecast is ominous again and a rainout would force the teams to play a day-night doubleheader on July 28. Otherwise, Wilson will take the mound with a starting time of 12:10 p.m. CT.

Sleep fast.

"It's just different," he said. "It's just like a spring training game, I guess. The routine just changes in the sense that we've been playing at seven for so long. It's its own thing. We've all done it before in the minor leagues and up here. It's just a little bit of an earlier morning and I'll be ready to go."

The weather is torturing the Orioles, who already have been subjected to four postponements. They no longer have an off-day in the second half that could be used for a makeup game without violating the 20-day rule - where no team can play more than 20 days in a row without approval from the union.

"We've had a lot of (challenges)," Wilson said. "We've definitely had a lot of them. I think that as far as a challenge now, it's not a huge deal. I think everybody is rolling with it. Obviously, we're frustrated with it and we want to play, but it's outside of our control.

"I talk to you guys about that all the time. We're focused on what we can control. Whenever the sun decides to shine and we get a chance to play, we'll be ready to go, and we'll just deal with those makeup games when they come our way over the next couple of months."

Wilson had to prepare last night as if he would pitch while the teams were in a "holding pattern," as he called it.

"I got my body warmed up, stretched, all my pregame routine, whatever you want to call it," he said. "I never even started getting ready to go, so we were in a holding pattern from I guess about 6 o'clock on, and they made a decision pretty quickly thereafter, so it wasn't that long of a night."

Wilson actually benefits from the irregular work. You can't upset a schedule if you're not really on one.

"Absolutely, and that experience kind of rolls over to last year, too," he said. "It's honestly invaluable not knowing when you're going to throw and last year going up and down a lot and this year kind of with what my role started out as, that's an asset I'm really thankful for. And I'm sure in the moment it was something I was taking a day at a time and hopefully I would get a chance to throw, but now having learned how to deal with that and learn how to go one day at a time and being ready to go every single day is something I'm really thankful to have right now."

Manager Buck Showalter explained today why he started Gausman tonight and moved back Wilson.

"I want to keep (Gausman) every fifth day," he said. "I think Tyler mechanically is equipped to do it, gives us a little what if out of the bullpen. Mike Wright is available there. Will probably pitch Mike on that Saturday. But the big thing is keeping Gaus (on regular rest). It also gets Gaus to keep the ball in his hand before the off day. He can come back against Detroit.

"You have to be careful about putting one ahead of the other. It's not something having to do with this guy being better than that guy. It kind of fits that both pitchers can handle it and I think it's best for our club right now."

Showalter appreciated how Twins general manager Terry Ryan kept him appraised of the situation last night and was so accommodating with the makeup date and time.

"It's probably about as professional of major league things I've had and Terry Ryan had something to do with it," Showalter said. "He's one of if not the most respected general managers in the game. Very ethical. Started communicating with us, me at 4 o'clock directly from the general manager. He said, 'If I can't do it, somebody else, the assistant GM will.' Just kind of a reminder that's the way it used to be everywhere. I think Terry could teach a class in it to a lot of people.

"Came in, made a decision. Said the report they were getting, said the guy's been completely accurate about everything for the last three weeks. I guess Minnesota's had weather issues, too. They also said the weather was a challenge the next two days, so here's the common off day and what did we think? 'And we'll give you a lot of input on the start time because we're here. It's not a big deal to us and you guys are going to Toronto.' I don't know if it was a reminder as much of the way it used to be done or just ...

"I think every club could take a real lesson, the way they handled it. We had input on the start time, which was about the best we could hope for. And it doesn't disrupt them or their fans, so trying to make the best of a tough situation."

Losing off-days, though unavoidable, won't sit well with any manager. Keep in mind that the Orioles had commitments on their first two off-days in April.

"When you're so protective of them during the season ... We spent our first two with functions, which is understandably commitments the club needs to have. But you keep losing off-days, you're going to pay the piper, or you can use it as an excuse," Showalter said.

"We're not the only ones. We've got three of them now? And we could get rained out here the next two days and play a doubleheader on that returning date. Then the start time wouldn't matter. But you say, 'OK, we'll have (Yovani) Gallardo back, you'll have this guy,' but you may lose somebody else. It puts a real strain on your pitching staff and puts a real strain on everybody physically."

Down on the farm, Jimmy Paredes went 2-for-4 with a home run for Triple-A Norfolk in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

"We just had to get him to the right level," Showalter said. "He's hitting better as he moves up. The lights are better. No, he's doing well. We've got about five more days at the most before we have to do something there."

T.J. McFarland allowed five hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings.