Search
Close this search box.
Facebook-f Linkedin Youtube Spotify Podcast

Paid Advertisement

baltimore positive logo mobile 2023 no outline
baltimore positive logo mobile 2023 no outline
Search
Close this search box.

Orioles

Orioles pitcher Hammel to throw off mound Saturday

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — Orioles starting pitcher Jason Hammel will throw off the front of a mound Saturday as he takes the next step in his recovery from right knee surgery. Hammel will be in Baltimore for the throwing session and if the knee responds well the following day, the Orioles have a schedule in place for the right-hander to start bullpen sessions and then go on a minor league rehab assignment. The 29-year-old underwent surgery to have a piece of loose cartilage removed from his knee the week after the All-Star break. “He’s had a ball in his hand for awhile now,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s not that long where it’s like a spring training thing with the arm strength. It’s not so much, for me, Saturday as it is how he feels Sunday. If he doesn’t have any issues there, then we can proceed with a plan to have a little more definitive date about when he’ll be able to pitch for us.” Showalter’s estimated timetable all along has been early September for Hammel’s return to the Baltimore rotation, but the Orioles manager could see that being a bit earlier if the pitcher gets through Saturday’s session without any

Morning Reaction Orioles 10-Game Scorecard (Games 96-105)

Luke Jones

Throughout the 2012 season, The Morning Reaction’s Drew Forrester and Luke Jones rate the club in 10-game increments in a number of categories and begin looking ahead to how Baltimore will fare over the next 10 games on the schedule. To hear the full explanation from Monday morning, click HERE. 1. Should the Orioles have been better or worse than their 4-6 mark? Drew: Better Luke: Better 2. Most Valuable Player/Least Valuable Player Drew: MVP – Chris Tillman; LVP – Zach Britton Luke: MVP – Chris Davis; LVP – Zach Britton 3. Biggest surprise Drew: Infielder Omar Quintanilla looking like a useful player Luke: Taking two out of three games at Yankee Stadium 4. Best thing about the 10-game stretch Drew: The Orioles are still in the race Luke: The Orioles didn’t trade any top prospects for a rental 5. Ten games from now… Drew: The Orioles will still be very much in the thick of the race. Luke: We will see the return of either Jake Arrieta or Brian Matusz. 6. Record in the next 10 games (three at Tampa Bay, three with Seattle, four with Kansas City) Drew: 7-3 Luke: 6-4 7. Stock rising/falling over the next 10

Arizona claims Orioles pitcher Bergesen off waivers

Luke Jones

After being designated for assignment for the second time this season earlier this week, Orioles pitcher Brad Bergesen has found a new baseball home in Arizona. As first reported by Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, the Diamondbacks claimed the right-handed pitcher on waivers after Bergesen was removed from Baltimore’s roster on Wednesday to make room for starting pitcher Tommy Hunter. The Orioles hoped Bergesen would clear waivers like he did back in May, but the Diamondbacks will place him on their 40-man roster. Pitching for Triple-A Norfolk this season, Bergesen was 4-3 with a 4.03 earned run average and one save in 22 games that included 10 starts. He allowed 90 hits, struck out 41, and walked 23 in 80 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old did not appear in a game for the Orioles this season. Bergesen’s best season for the Orioles came in 2009 when he went 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 19 starts as a rookie. However, a line drive off the bat of Kansas City’s Billy Butler struck the pitcher’s shin on July 30 of that season, ending his rookie campaign. That incident coupled with an offseason shoulder injury led to little success the next two seasons

Orioles officially recall Britton, add Bergesen for bullpen help

Luke Jones

The revolving roster door swung open again Tuesday as the Orioles officially recalled left-handed pitcher Zach Britton and purchased the contract of right-hander Brad Bergesen to add a fresh arm to a weary bullpen prior to the second of a four-game set with the Minnesota Twins. Right-hander reliever Miguel Socolovich was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and second baseman Robert Andino was placed on the 15-day disabled list after Monday’s MRI revealed the infielder would miss at least three weeks with a left shoulder injury. To clear room for Bergesen on the 40-man roster, designated hitter Nick Johnson (right wrist) was moved to the 60-day disabled list. Britton’s 2012 debut came much later than anyone expected after the 24-year-old opened the season on the disabled list with a nerve impingement in his left shoulder. Upon being activated on June 6, the left-hander was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk where the Orioles wanted to see him continue to build arm strength as well as work on commanding his breaking pitches better. In eight starts with the Tides, Britton was 4-1 with a 4.15 earned run average over 47 2/3 innings. In his final tuneup in Triple A on July 12, he pitched seven

Andino latest to join growing Orioles’ infirmary report

Luke Jones

After announcing pitcher Jason Hammel would undergo right knee surgery, the Orioles added another to their ever-increasing MASH unit when second baseman Robert Andino left Sunday’s game with a left shoulder injury. Andino injured himself diving for a grounder to his left in the sixth inning and will remain in Baltimore to undergo an MRI on Monday while the Orioles begin a four-game series in Minnesota. X-rays taken on Sunday were negative, and the Orioles will keep their fingers crossed that Andino’s injury is not serious. “The trainers are telling me what [the doctors] said and what initially they think, but it’s just pure speculation until they get the pictures back,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I think we’ll be able to make a decision on it by Tuesday and where it could affect some roster things we have to do.” The Orioles are already without second baseman Brian Roberts, who is on the 15-day disabled list and weighing having surgery on his injured hip that would likely end his season. Andino remained optimistic following the 4-0 loss to the Tigers that he would only miss a short time and avoid the 15-day disabled list. “For me, I don’t think I’ll

Teagarden, Socolovich up for Orioles; Eveland, Paulino sent out

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — Only one game into the second half of the season, the Orioles have made more roster changes as catcher Taylor Teagarden was activated from the 60-day disabled list and Triple-A Norfolk reliever Miguel Socolovich had his contract selected prior to Saturday’s game. To clear room for both players on the 40-man roster, the Orioles have outrighted catcher Ronny Paulino to Norfolk and designated pitcher Dana Eveland for assignment. Paulino has three days to accept the assignment to Triple A or he can become a free agent. Eveland must pass through waivers and would be outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk on Monday if he clears. Teagarden was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a back injury on April 4 and transferred to the 60-day DL on May 9. He batted .250 in nine rehab games with Gulf Coast, Single-A Delmarva, and Double-A Bowie — playing three games for each affiliate. He was acquired by the Orioles from Texas on December 1, 2011. Socolovich has been one of Norfolk’s best pitchers this season, going 3-0 with a 1.77 earned run average in 45 2/3 innings of work. He walked only 11 and struck out 50 in 24 games with the

Hammel leaves Friday’s start early with knee injury

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — Making the first start of the second half for the Orioles on Friday, Jason Hammel left the game in the top of the fourth inning with a right knee injury. Hammel appeared to land awkwardly after delivering a 1-2 pitch to Brennan Boesch. After throwing a couple practice pitches and being examined by the training staff and manager Buck Showalter, Hammel walked gingerly to the dugout and was replaced by reliever Luis Ayala. He will be evaluated further on Saturday, the club announced. The right-hander has dealt with right knee soreness for most of the season despite being the Orioles’ best starting pitcher. He entered the night with an 8-5 record and a 3.47 earned run average. According to Hammel’s brother Bill, the 29-year-old felt as though something popped in his right knee but was not experiencing much swelling in the later innings of the game. The pitcher will undergo an MRI tomorrow. Hammel and Saturday’s starter Wei-Yin Chen are the only current members of the starting rotation left from the beginning of the season after Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, and Tommy Hunter were optioned to Triple-A Norfolk before the All-Star break. Given the Orioles’ starting pitching woes

Britton primed for Tuesday call-up after strong Norfolk start

Luke Jones

Opportunity has been ringing like an alarm clock pitcher Zach Britton has slept through for the better part of the last five weeks. With three-fifths of the Opening Day rotation now working in Triple-A Norfolk and the Orioles needing a starter on Tuesday in Minnesota, it appears the left-hander is finally ready to answer the bell after struggling with consistency upon being activated from the disabled list. Britton pitched seven shutout innings for Triple-A Norfolk against Lehigh Valley on Thursday, putting himself in position to be recalled for the first time this season. The southpaw allowed four hits, struck out six, and walked none over his 93 pitches of work in the 7-0 victory for the Tides. He also induced 10 groundball outs compared to three fly outs and reportedly showed excellent fastball command in the lower half of the strike zone. The stellar outing improved Britton’s record to 4-1 and lowered his earned run average to 4.15. Over his last five starts, the 24-year-old has allowed 10 earned runs and 24 hits in 32 innings while striking out 23 and walking 12. The organization has wanted to see Britton improve his command while continuing to build strength in his

Orioles “poking around” at Seattle pitcher Vargas?

Luke Jones

As fans dreamed about the possibility of acquiring Milwaukee’s Zack Greinke or Cubs pitcher Matt Garza over the All-Star break, the Orioles are apparently kicking the tires on a far less intriguing and cheaper option. ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported Thursday the Orioles have cooled on the possibility of trading for Garza and are “poking around” at the possibility of trading for Seattle pitcher Jason Vargas. The first-blush numbers suggest it wouldn’t be a bad move as the left-hander has an 8-7 record with a 4.09 earned run average in 19 starts for the lowly Mariners this season. Vargas has a 1.15 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitcher) and has struck out 86 while walking 32 in 126 innings this season. However, a deeper look at the stats suggest the soft-tossing 29-year-old is far from an ideal target to compete in the American League East. Vargas has thrived at cavernous Safeco Field this season, posting a 2-3 record with a 2.84 ERA in eight starts (57 innings), but his road numbers paint a different picture entirely. The southpaw has a 6-4 record with a 5.09 ERA and has allowed 17 home runs in 11 starts (69 innings) outside Seattle. Those

Orioles ink Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia to minor-league contract

Luke Jones

The Orioles have signed Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia to a minor-league deal, according to a Baseball America report. The 25-year-old reportedly received a bonus of $778,500 for signing with Baltimore. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound corner outfielder played in Cuba’s top league at least three seasons before defecting to the United States. Urrutia is a switch hitter with a line-drive stroke that’s more polished from the left side, according to several scouting reports. In his final season in Cuba, he batted .397 with a .461 on-base percentage and .597 slugging percentage in 305 at-bats with 12 home runs. The outfielder also had more walks (32) than strikeouts (23) and tied for ninth in the league in on-base percentage. Urrutia lacks the upside of recent Cuban defectors Yoenis Cespedes and Jorge Soler, but he is considered to have reasonable major-league potential. Given his age, he will likely report to one of the Orioles’ higher-level affiliates in the near future.  

Left-handed reliever Romero granted release from contract with Orioles

Luke Jones

Left-handed pitcher J.C. Romero became the latest retread to leave the Orioles’ organization when he was granted his release from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday. Signed to a minor-league deal on May 23 after he was let go by the St. Louis Cardinals earlier in the month, the 36-year-old pitched to a 2.51 earned run average in 17 appearances for the Tides. Romero held an opt-out clause that could be triggered at the All-Star break, which the veteran elected to exercise after seeing no imminent opportunity with the Orioles. He owned a 1-0 record and struck out 13 batters while walking five in 14 1/3 innings. Romero took a brief leave of absence from the Tides recently to deal with personal matters and had struggled leading up to the break. Left-hander Zach Phillips is currently at Triple-A Norfolk, giving the Orioles another option should they choose to add a southpaw to their bullpen that already includes left-handers Troy Patton and Dana Eveland. Romero has pitched for six different clubs over his 14-year career and is now a free agent.

Orioles DH Johnson to undergo MRI on injured right wrist

Luke Jones

Plagued by injuries throughout his major league career, Orioles designated hitter Nick Johnson left Wednesday’s game with a right wrist injury and will undergo an MRI to determine its severity. After striking out in the second inning, Johnson was replaced by pinch hitter Ryan Flaherty in the bottom of the fourth inning after experiencing weakness in his right wrist. The 33-year-old has undergone multiple surgeries on the same wrist over the course of his 10-year career. “He said he was good for one swing and after that he lost a lot of the strength,” said manager Buck Showalter after the 13-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. “Had some pain there. I think everyone’s aware of the history, the problems he’s had there.” Johnson has experienced some soreness in the wrist at different times, mostly stemming from preexisting scar tissue from the surgical procedures. The veteran left-handed hitter said he did not experience any swelling after being lifted for Flaherty and remains optimistic that he can avoid a trip to the disabled list. However, he admitted the pain is similar to past discomfort felt in the wrist. “That one pitch got it pretty good and I lost a lot of

8

Paid Advertisement

Podcast Audio Vault

Spotify Apple Youtube
8
8
8

Paid Advertisement

Scroll to Top
Verified by MonsterInsights