Wieters' season debut to come on Friday

HOUSTON -- Matt Wieters will make his season debut on Friday in Cleveland, and the plan is for him to start behind the plate for the Orioles.

There was some thought of letting Wieters join the team in Houston and serve as designated hitter on Thursday afternoon, but with Triple-A Norfolk being rained out on Tuesday -- and Wieters' rehab outing pushed back to Wednesday's doubleheader -- manager Buck Showalter reverted to the original plan.

"All things considered, if things go well today, he will meet us in Cleveland," Showalter said. "He wants to [potentially] DH the second game [for Norfolk], and he would have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and would not be a good option. He needs to go back to Baltimore and get his family, go to Cleveland. With all things considered, I want him to start fresh, with fresh legs."

Wieters is recovering from June 2014 Tommy John surgery.

Showalter reiterated that Bud Norris, who pitched Game 1 for Norfolk, could be shortened up so that he remains an option to pitch Sunday's game in Cleveland.