GCL Orioles Look Quite Formidable at the Moment

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have some formidable starting pitching, including Chris Tillman, Bud Norris and Miguel Gonzalez. The two other starting pitchers for the Baltimore Orioles are Wei-Yin Chen and Kevin Gausman. However, these two are not currently on the Orioles active roster.

Let me rephrase that– Chen and Gausman are on the Orioles active roster, but not on the Baltimore Orioles. These two are on the Gulf Coast League Orioles.

Neither injury nor inefficient performance are the culprit for Gausman and Chen being optioned down. This is simply a move to open up a roster spot for another bat in the lineup. With the “demotion” of these two pitchers, Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette brought up Steve Clevenger and Jimmy Paredes from Triple-A Norfolk.

With the Tides, Clevenger was batting .305 with a .366 on-base percentage in 64 games played. In a short time with the team, Paredes batted .258 with 23 RBIs and 11 extra-base hits.

It is rumored that Gausman and Chen will be back up in the Majors for their next scheduled start and most likely will not see any time on the mound with the GCL Orioles.

However, while Clevenger and Paredes are with Baltimore, these two will see playing time. Clevenger is actually in the starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Rays.

Clevenger will be the designated hitter for the finale of the four game series against the Rays. As a manager who is all about different matchups, Showalter put Clevenger in the seventh spot in the lineup. Batting seventh this season with the Orioles, Clevenger is hitting .400 with four doubles and two RBIs.

This is a big test for Clevenger as he does not get too many opportunities to prove to Showalter and the Orioles organization that he should be in the Majors.