Six-man rotation a possibility for Orioles

BALTIMORE -- Top pitching prospect Kevin Gausman picked up his first win in Triple-A on Monday night after throwing five scoreless innings and is expected to be a September callup, most likely to work out of the bullpen.

But manager Buck Showalter hasn't closed the door on Gausman being a rotation option for his club, which has just one off-day in September. Could the O's go with a six-man rotation?

"You could do more than that if you wanted to [because of expanded rosters and the team's pitching depth]," Showalter said. "See how everybody's pitching, how everybody feels physically. It's a moving target. See what the needs are physically and who we think presents the best option.

"We'll do some things matchup-wise. Some of the things we've done this month with the off-days were kind of trying to match up and, for the most part, helped us a little bit. But the pitching hasn't been the issue in some cases."

With five off-days in August, the Orioles have been able to put starters in the bullpen in emergency situations, avoiding roster moves and allowing for some roster flexibility. But with a packed September and the O's hoping to play beyond that, having other rotation options, such as Gausman and Jason Hammel -- who is on the disabled list -- could help spell some of the club's starters.

"It could happen," Showalter said of a six-man rotation. "Could [give] a guy five days between when he's pitching without an off-day."