MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – INSIDE PITCH
A year ago, Jake Arrieta got off to a strong start before discomfort gave way to surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow.
On Friday he looked like an ace, not an unproven talent, in his 41st career start. Arrieta allowed only two hits and two walks, striking out four in seven innings.
More impressive was the manner in which Arrieta carried himself in his first opening day assignment. After the Orioles dealt veteran Jeremy Guthrie to Colorado this offseason, the club was without an obvious rotation leader.
Enter Arrieta, who could replace Guthrie — the starter in three of the last four opening days — as the workhorse.
Arrieta had one large bone chip and some smaller bone fragments removed from his pitching elbow in August 2011 after being shut down after 22 starts.
He was 8-3 through mid-June before showing some signs of slowing down, with the bone chips that had plagued him since college finally requiring significant attention.
This year, the Orioles will need Arrieta for much more.
Veterans Tommy Hunter and Jason Hammel will provide support, but left-handers Wei-Yin Chen, in his first big league season, and Brian Matusz, returning from a horrendous 2011, are serious question marks at the back end of the rotation.
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MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – NOTES, QUOTES
–RF Nick Markakis showed no ill effects of offseason abdominal surgery, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a triple in the Orioles’ opening day win. Markakis batted third and showed signs of the power the club, its fans and baseball analysts have been waiting for. If Markakis can add some power to the high on-base and batting averages he’s showed early in his career, he could be poised for an All-Star appearance to join last year’s initial Gold Glove award.
–RHP Jim Johnson picked up his first save hours after manager Buck Showalter confirmed the presumed, that the veteran would be the Orioles’ closer. Johnson mixed in a single and a walk in relief of LHP Troy Patton, recording two outs. Johnson saved nine games in 14 chances in 2011.
–CF Adam Jones was the answer to one of the pressing questions in spring training. Jones batted fourth Friday, a spot in the order he’s likely to share this season with some of the other promising bats in the Orioles’ lineup. Jones was 1-for-4 with a double coming off a strong spring. RF Nick Markakis, C Matt Wieters and 3B Mark Reynolds may also see some at-bats in the cleanup spot.
–LHP Troy Patton got off to a rough start in his first appearance of the season. Patton, who is out of minor league options and was one of the final players to make the 25-man rooter, walked C Joe Mauer before striking out 1B Justin Morneau. OF Josh Willingham hammered a two-run homer off Patton before Johnson came on in relief. Patton will get every opportunity to succeed, but the Orioles have other options for left-handed relief.
–RHP Armando Galarraga was sent down Friday. The former Tigers and Diamondbacks starter was a non-roster invitee to spring training, and was sent to Class AAA Norfolk to begin the season and to provide starting pitching depth.
BY THE NUMBERS: 28 — Victories by the Orioles in 41 opening day games in Baltimore.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “He was really good. He pitched better than he did last year in kind of the same venue. I thought he kept his emotions under control, which is always a challenge to anybody.” — Manager Buck Showalter, on RHP Jake Arrieta’s first opening day start
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MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–C Taylor Teagarden (back strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26.
–LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (left elbow soreness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 28.
–LHP Zach Britton (left shoulder impingement) went on the 15-day disabled list March 26.
–2B Brian Roberts (concussion) went on the 15-day disabled list March 26.
ROTATION:
RHP Jake Arrieta
RHP Tommy Hunter
LHP Wei-Yin Chen
RHP Jason Hammel
LHP Brian Matusz
BULLPEN:
RHP Jim Johnson (closer)
RHP Matt Lindstrom
RHP Kevin Gregg
RHP Luis Ayala
RHP Pedro Strop
LHP Troy Patton
RHP Darren O’Day
CATCHERS:
Matt Wieters
Ronny Paulino
INFIELDERS:
1B Chris Davis
2B Robert Andino
SS J.J. Hardy
3B Mark Reynolds
1B/DH Nick Johnson
INF Ryan Flaherty
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Nolan Reimold
CF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis
OF Endy Chavez
