Baltimore Orioles Starter Chris Tillman Placed On the 15-Day Disabled List With Right Shoulder Inflammation
On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles announced that starter Chris Tillman is headed to the 15-day disabled list due to right shoulder inflammation.
MLB.com writer Ryan Baillargeon reports that Tillman experienced shoulder pain during his bullpen session on Tuesday. He received a cortisone shot to help with the inflammation.
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Tillman first experienced soreness after his August 11th start. He missed his next turn in the rotation, then gave up six runs in two-plus innings against the Astros on Saturday. When the shoulder pain reoccurred on Tuesday, the team decided that the best course of action was to let him fully recover.
Tillman will be eligible to come off of the disabled on September 5th, and the Orioles are pretty optimistic about that timeline.
In the meantime, Tillman’s injury adds to growing concerns about the Baltimore rotation. Baillargeon points out in his article that Baltimore is 20-6 in Tillman’s starts, but have posted a 49-50 record in other games.
The tight AL East playoff race means that the Orioles cannot allow themselves to fall behind. Baltimore is just two games back in the divisional race, with the Red Sox and Blue Jays tied for first place. Right now, the O’s would win the second Wild Card spot, but they only have a two-game lead over the Seattle Mariners. A rough series for the Orioles could shake things up at the top of the standings.
Ubaldo Jimenez, who was moved to the bullpen earlier this season, will take Tillman’s place.
In 2016, Jimenez has posted a 5-10 record with a 6.94 ERA in just under 95 innings. For a team that can’t afford to lose many games, the absence of their best pitcher might hurt more than any other injury this year.
If the O’s want to stay in the race, Kevin Gausman and the rest of the staff will have to step up. Gausman has been heating up recently, posting a 3.53 ERA and a 4-3 record in his last seven starts, but without Tillman to set the pace, the O’s could easily end up in big trouble.
There is good news to come out of this. If Buck Showalter and the medical staff are correct in believing the issue is minor, Tillman will be back to full strength as they make their playoff push. Yes, the rest of the staff needs to tread water until he returns – but having their ace fully healthy in September will be a big boost for the Orioles.
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If the team can hang on until Tillman’s return, they have a very good chance to be competitive in the playoffs. The O’s just need to hope they can get there.