Arrieta leaves game after recording eight outs (Johnson debuts)

Arrieta leaves game after recording eight outs (Johnson debuts)
SARASOTA, Fla. - I have to assume that the initial plan called for Orioles starter Jake Arrieta to go three innings today, but he exited with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the third. Arrieta threw 44 pitches, 29 for strikes, and manager Buck Showalter didn't want to push him any further. Arrieta is charged with four runs and five hits, all of them coming in the second inning. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four. The Pirates strung together three singles and a double to...

It's been Miller's time this spring (game tied)

It's been Miller's time this spring (game tied)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Managers always issue the same warning about not falling in love with spring training numbers, but it's pretty easy to crush on Jai Miller. Miller leads the Orioles with seven RBIs, two more than Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty. He's batting .333 and is one of only three players on the team with a home run (Chris Davis and Flaherty are the others.) "I definitely feel good," Miller said. "I've been having good ABs, been making good contact. It's just one of those things where...

Back injury puts Teagarden "in jeopardy" for opening day

Back injury puts Teagarden "in jeopardy" for opening day
SARASOTA, Fla. - A CT scan on catcher Taylor Teagarden's lower back revealed a slight tear in a ligament that supports a disk. Teagarden received an epidural this morning to reduce the inflammation. He'll mostly be shut down for a week, though he could begin hydrotherapy in three days. The recovery time for Teagarden's injury is roughly three weeks. Asked if Teagarden will be ready for opening day, manager Buck Showalter replied, "It could happen but I'd say it's in jeopardy." Ronny...

Eyre talks about his daughter

Eyre talks about his daughter
SARASOTA, Fla. - If you want to see a reliever with a look of relief on his face, check out Willie Eyre today. Eyre was given quite a scare yesterday when informed that his 3-year-old daughter, Lily, had fallen into a hotel pool and was being rushed to a local hospital. Eyre was told during warmups to call his wife, and she gave him the news. "Everything kind of stopped for me. It was surreal," he said this morning. "I got to the hospital and, I won't say she was hysterical, but she was...

Markakis in Orioles' lineup

Markakis in Orioles' lineup
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nick Markakis will make his spring debut today against the Pittsburgh Pirates, serving as the designated hitter and batting third. For the Orioles: Endy Chavez RF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis DH Matt Wieters C Adam Jones CF Nick Johnson 1B Mark Reynolds 3B Nolan Reimold LF Robert Andino 2B Jake Arrieta RHP Jim Johnson, Willie Eyre, Luis Ayala and Kevin Gregg also are scheduled to pitch for the Orioles. Tsuyoshi Wada will throw a simulated game at 11:15 a.m.

An interview with Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich

An interview with Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich
The Orioles have the fourth pick in round one of the First-Year Player Draft in June after adding talents like Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy with their top picks the last two years. With another draft fast approaching, it's a good time to check in with Orioles first-year scouting director Gary Rajsich, who was hired by the club on Nov. 28. Rajsich was with Boston from 1994-2006, Texas from 2006-2009 and Toronto since late in the 2009 season as a professional cross-checker until joining the...

Updates on Teagarden and Markakis after 7-7 tie (with quotes)

Updates on Teagarden and Markakis after 7-7 tie (with quotes)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays scored five runs in the top of the ninth against relievers Oscar Villarreal and Stu Pomeranz to take a 7-5 lead, but Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty responded with a two-out, two-run homer to send the game to the 10th. Steve Johnson retired the side in order, striking out the last batter, and the Orioles failed to score after loading the bases with no outs. We had to settle for a 7-7 tie. Caleb Joseph tapped into a force at the plate, Jai Miller struck out and...

Major scare for Eyre family turns into huge relief

Major scare for Eyre family turns into huge relief
SARASOTA, Fla. - I'm relieved to pass along news regarding the 3-year-old daughter of Orioles reliever Willie Eyre. Reporters were told following today's game that Eyre was pulled off the field during warmups and informed that Lily had fallen into a pool and was found by her mother. She apparently did not lose consciousness and was rushed to a local hospital, and X-rays taken on her lungs were negative. Everything is fine, and she's already back with her family. Manager Buck Showalter...

Hammel on Hammel (and game update)

Hammel on Hammel (and game update)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Brad Bergesen tossed three scoreless innings today, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out one. Miguel Socolovich replaced him in the top of the seventh with the Orioles leading, 4-1. Socolovich gave up a run in the seventh. Orioles 4, Rays 2. Jason Hammel started for the Orioles and allowed one run and one hit, walked one and struck out two. His only real mistake was a 2-0 fastball to Matt Joyce that cleared the right field fence. "Before in the past, I'd give up...

Roberts takes another step in his progression

Roberts takes another step in his progression
SARASOTA, Fla. - Rather than take batting practice on one of the back fields after teammates retreated to the clubhouse, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts hit from both sides of the plate today against minor league pitching coach Alan Mills on the Ed Smith Stadium field. Once his round was completed, he moved to second base and scooped up ground balls from minor league instructor Bobby Dickerson - first at the edge of the infield grass and later from the edge of the outfield grass. He made...

Miller homers off Price (Hammel and Reimold updates)

Miller homers off Price (Hammel and Reimold updates)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles' bats must be thawing out today. They scored four runs in the second inning off Rays left-hander David Price, their biggest uprising in an inning this spring. They've scored more than four runs in a game only once this spring. Jai Miller crushed a three-run homer to straightaway center field with one out in the second to give the Orioles a 4-1 lead. The ball easily cleared the 400-foot sign. Miller and Chris Davis have hit the only home runs for the Orioles...

Teagarden seeing back specialist

Teagarden seeing back specialist
SARASOTA, Fla. - I wanted to pass along a few items before heading back to the Orioles' clubhouse. I'll pass along quotes later. Catcher Taylor Teagarden is seeing a back specialist in St. Petersburg today to determine whether his MRI reveals any structural damage. So far, surgery is not being discussed. The Orioles are simply trying to determine the source of his discomfort. Brian Roberts took batting practice on the Ed Smith Stadium field in a group that included Matt Wieters and Endy...

Patton pitching today, Berken still rehabbing

Patton pitching today, Berken still rehabbing
SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander Troy Patton is scheduled to pitch today for the first time since Thursday, when he recorded the last three outs to pick up the save against the Braves. I suggested that the Orioles were holding him back for the next time they needed another lead protected in the ninth, but he wasn't buying it. Actually, Patton was supposed to take one day off and throw again, but he requested an extra day because he was "a little bit sore still." "Ideally, I would have...

Reimold batting leadoff, Luke Scott faces former team

Reimold batting leadoff, Luke Scott faces former team
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays are bringing plenty of regulars to today's game against the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Luke Scott is back in Sarasota as their designated hitter. Nolan Reimold is batting leadoff today for the Orioles, and Ronny Paulino is serving as the designated hitter. For the Orioles: Nolan Reimold LF Robert Andino 2B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Mark Reynolds 3B Ronny Paulino DH Jai Miller RF Jason Hammel RHP For the Rays: Fuld...

The K factor for a pitcher

The K factor for a pitcher
Here is a question I'd love to get some opinions on today: How important are strikeouts for a pitcher? We tend to think that pitchers with the most strikeouts are the pitchers with some of the best velocity. While that is likely true, there are always exceptions to the rule. But I think it is fair to say that a big strikeout pitcher is generally one with some quality pitches and stuff, as they say. On the downside, a strikeout pitcher can run up his pitch count faster than a control pitcher...

Checking on Chen (O's lose 4-1)

Checking on Chen (O's lose 4-1)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Over in Dunedin, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen allowed one run in three innings to the Toronto Blue Jays and has been replaced by Armando Galarraga. Chen gave up two hits, walked a batter and struck out two. He threw 52 pitches, 29 for strikes. The run scored on a Colby Rasmus double. In two spring starts, Chen has allowed one run and three hits in five innings, with with one walk and five strikeouts. I'm not including his intrasquad outing, when he failed to retire a third...

Eveland done after two innings

Eveland done after two innings
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Red Sox brought a few of their top players to Ed Smith Stadium today, perhaps their way of jabbing at manager Buck Showalter for the lineup he posted at their Fort Myers complex. Just a hunch. Dana Eveland allowed three runs in two innings today, but only one was earned because of Chris Davis' throwing error with one out in the second. Nate Spears flied out, which should have put Eveland back in the dugout, but Dustin Pedroia followed with a two-run double to left-center...

Lindstrom completes bullpen session without a hitch

Lindstrom completes bullpen session without a hitch
SARASOTA, Fla. - Reliever Matt Lindstrom threw 30 pitches from a bullpen mound this morning and is tentatively set to pitch Wednesday against the Pirates in Sarasota. Lindstrom said he threw everything, first from a windup to get his rhythm and then the stretch. "I'm not trying to throw 100 percent, obviously, since I haven't been on a mound since four or five days ago," he said. "The ball felt good coming out of my hand. And it's not like I've taken a bunch of days off since...

The Orioles' weekend: Some players moving out, some moving up

The Orioles' weekend: Some players moving out, some moving up
I think we started to see where Ryan Adams stood with the Orioles last year. He was called up twice from Triple-A Norfolk, but didn't get to start much at second base either time. During yet another losing season, the Orioles called up their own 2006 second-round draft pick but didn't give him much of a chance to show what he could do. Yesterday, Adams was among the first players cut this year by the Orioles and he'll now head to Triple-A Norfolk. Adams is not considered a candidate to be a...

Updating a few injuries

Updating a few injuries
SARASOTA, Fla. - Tommy Hunter is scheduled to throw four innings Friday, but the location hasn't been determined. Hunter, who's no longer bothered by lower back soreness, will throw 60-65 pitches against the Twins in Fort Myers or in a minor league game at Twin Lakes Park. The smart money is Twin Lakes. No sense making Hunter travel that far. Hunter threw 42 pitches yesterday in a B game and said he felt good. "The ball was coming out, got a few on their hands," he said. "They weren't...