I try to keep in perspective that baseball is a long season and there will be a lot of ups and downs throughout the course of the year, but I don’t think I am being over the top when I say this is close to being a make or break week for the Baltimore Orioles. The O’s are back home and will have the next six games against American League East opponents. It all starts tonight with Miguel Gonzalez on the mound against former highly touted O’s prospect Eduardo Rodriguez, who has dominated in his first two starts for Boston.

WIETERS MAKES IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Caleb Joseph has done a great job filling in for Matt Wieters for the last year, but at the end of the day, Joseph is an eight or nine hitter in the big leagues. Wieters is a middle-of-the-order bat and I think a lot of people forgot how good of a player he is. The Orioles already felt a huge boost in just three games with Wieters and I look for it to continue throughout the year.

If Buck Showalter allows Wieters to DH when he isn’t catching, this lineup may start to become the type of offense we thought it would be at the beginning of the season.

REIMOLD RETURNS TO LINEUP TONIGHT

Fans have been begging for weeks for the Orioles to bring up an outfielder from the minors and it finally happens tonight with Nolan Reimold. We know Reimold isn’t the long-term answer, but he should provide a spark to the offense, especially in the outfield that has lacked power outside of Adam Jones. This also allows Showalter to add another right handed bat, gives them another option off the bench in late innings, and possibly allows Manny Machado to be lowered in the order.

I think Machado has done a great job in the leadoff role, so I’m not sure I would move him out of that spot. Reimold is obviously a more patient hitter, so if you make the move, Machado should be batting no lower than second.

O’S NEED TO DRAFT SHORTSTOP DEPTH

If there is one position throughout the minors that the Orioles are lacking in depth, it is the shortstop position. We have seen it already this year with J.J. Hardy missing so much time that they really don’t have a guy waiting to take over that position. I guess we can start the discussion of whether or not Machado eventually returns there, but for now, the depth is very minimal and I am hoping the team does their best to address this issue in the rest of the draft.

The organization will keep this year’s compensatory pick Ryan Mountcastle at shortstop at first, but every scouting report I have looked at suggests Mountcastle will settle as a third baseman or outfielder.