Chris Tillman dealing with lower back stiffness, won't start for Orioles on Sunday

The Orioles' starting rotation depth may soon be put to the test. Already a bit short-handed due to Bud Norris missing Saturday's start due to what is believed to be bronchitis, the O's have another situation to deal with in the rotation. Chris Tillman, who was expected to be the starter Sunday afternoon, will not make that start due to stiffness in his lower back.

Luckily for the O's, they're not without spot starter candidates on their roster at this moment. T.J. McFarland and Mike Wright have both made starts at Triple-A this year. Wright hasn't pitched yet since being called up to Baltimore on Wednesday. You can probably figure on one of these guys making the start for Sunday, provided there isn't something unexpected like a 17 inning game that burns out both of those pitchers.

The back issue isn't a new one for Tillman. MASN's Roch Kubatko reported that it's been something he's dealt with the last couple of years. That didn't stop him from pitching 200+ innings each of the last two seasons, of course.

Norris is out of the running to start on Sunday instead of Tillman because he still needs a couple more days at least to recover from his illness. He reportedly lost weight some weight but could be ready to pitch again in Tuesday's game. If that's the case, the Orioles will be able to get through a couple of missed starts without even needing to make a roster move.