Alec Asher will get the first opportunity to fill in for the injured Chris Tillman in the Baltimore Orioles' rotation when he faces the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. But even a strong outing may not assure the right-hander of another start.
“The Orioles’ decision to start Asher suggests the club will use its best matchups on a case-by-case basis to fill the rotation hole created by [Tillman] opening the season on the disabled list,” writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.
The 25-year-old Asher, acquired from the Phillies just prior to Opening Day, pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his first outing for Triple-A Norfolk. Encina writes that the Orioles had an added incentive to choose Asher since he would be a better fit against Toronto’s righty-dominated lineup.
That implies the O’s could switch to left-hander Jayson Aquino the next time they use a fifth starter, assuming they are facing a team with more lefty hitters.
The Orioles are hoping that Tillman, a 16-game winner in 2016 who began the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, will be back in early May. Saturday marks the first time this season that Baltimore needs a fifth starter.
- Doug Mittler
