Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a lower back strain Friday, opening up a spot in the team's starting rotation and leaving open the possibility that Tillman could find his form and one day reclaim it.
It became clear after Thursday's game, when Tillman recorded four outs and allowed six runs, that the Orioles were at a crossroads with him. He'd resisted a disabled list stint at times last season, and his $3 million contract this season isn't nearly as prohibitive as the money owed last season.
He even said after Thursday’s start that he wasn’t dealing with anything physical.