SARASOTA, Fla. -- Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson will both head north with the Orioles, as manager Buck Showalter announced on Thursday that both have made the team and Wright will be the O's fourth starter.
"The biggest decision is behind us now, and like I've always told you guys, I'll just take the ball whenever they give it to me," said Wilson, who is a candidate for the fifth starter spot and allowed one run on three hits in three innings in the Orioles' 6-1 win over the Braves on Thursday. "And I'm just looking forward to going out there, getting outs, competing and just winning games."
The Orioles had announced on Wednesday that Yovani Gallardo and Ubaldo Jimenez will start the second and third games of the season, respectively, behind Opening Day starter Chris Tillman.
"Mike won the job," Showalter said of Wright. "Mike pitched well this spring and had a great year last year in Triple-A. It's his time. I don't know how much simpler you can make it."
Wright went 2-2 with a 4.79 ERA in six starts this spring, pitching 20 2/3 innings with six walks and 17 strikeouts. This will be his first Opening Day roster. Wright, 26, made his Major League debut on May 17 and finished the 2015 season 3-5 with a 6.04 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) for the Orioles and 9-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) for Triple-A Norfolk.
Showalter said he had a "strong lean" about who would be the fifth starter, and Wilson would be the most logical candidate for that. Still, with the early schedule, the O's won't need a fifth starter until April 10 and will put Wilson in the bullpen the first few days.
"It's really cool," Wilson said of making the team along with his buddy Wright. "There's a lot of guys that I wish we were all on the Opening Day roster. Obviously, I wish the number could be bigger than 25, and they have some really difficult decisions. I'm grateful that I fell in that number, and Mike as well. I'm just looking forward to moving forward from here, but it's always difficult to see guys not make it. I'm just trying to be conscious of that and once again just be thankful for the opportunity."