masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSARASOTA, Fla. – Derrek Lee will take batting practice off one of the coaches later this morning, after the Orioles hold another series of meetings that caused the clubhouse to close to the media 30 minutes earlier than usual.

Lee has been hitting soft tosses in the indoor cage. He’s also stepped to the plate during live batting practice with instructions to not swing the bat.

You can tell it’s been tough for him. He wants to take some hacks, but he’s being cautious after having surgery in…SARASOTA, Fla. – Derrek Lee will take batting practice off one of the coaches later this morning, after the Orioles hold another series of meetings that caused the clubhouse to close to the media 30 minutes earlier than usual.

Lee has been hitting soft tosses in the indoor cage. He’s also stepped to the plate during live batting practice with instructions to not swing the bat.

You can tell it’s been tough for him. He wants to take some hacks, but he’s being cautious after having surgery in November to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Lee wasn’t expected to play in the first few exhibition games. He’s confident that he’ll receive enough at-bats to be ready for opening day April 1.

Meanwhile, Brian Roberts is in the clubhouse, but it closed before we could ask him about his neck and whether he’ll return to the field.