ITSMYLUCKYDAY ‘AWESOME’ IN PREAKNESS WORK

BALTIMORE, 05-12-13—Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa’s Itsmyluckyday prepped for Saturday’s $1 million Preakness Stakes (G1) with a sharp half-mile workout at Monmouth Park Sunday afternoon.

Due to the closure of the Monmouth racetrack during training hours Sunday morning, trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. received permission to work Itsmyluckyday between the third and fourth races. The son of Lawyer Ron breezed a half-mile over a fast track in a swift 47 1/5 seconds before galloping out five furlongs in 59 3/5 seconds.

“He went awesome, but that’s him,” Plesa said. “I couldn’t ask for a better work.”

Plesa plans to ship Itsmyluckyday to Pimlico on Tuesday.

The Florida-bred colt finished a disappointing 15^th behind victorious Orb in the Kentucky Derby over a sloppy, sealed Churchill Downs racetrack on May 4. Previously, he had captured the Gulfstream Park Derby and Holy Bull (G3) before finishing second to Orb in the Florida Derby (G1).

Elvis Trujillo, who rode Itsmyluckyday in the Derby, was aboard for Sunday afternoon’s workout, although Hall of Famer John Velazquez has been named to ride the Plesa trainee in the Preakness.

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Prior to their series finale with the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, the Orioles recalled left-handed pitcher Mike Belfiore to add an extra arm in a taxed bullpen.

Belfiore took the roster spot of right-handed pitcher Steve Johnson, who was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk after allowing six earned runs in four innings of work in Saturday’s 8-5 loss to the Twins. The 24-year-old Belfiore was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks to complete the Josh Bell trade last year and was originally selected by Arizona in the first round (45th overall) of the 2009 amateur draft out of Boston College.

In 10 appearances with Norfolk this season, Belfiore sports a 1-0 record with a 5.52 ERA. His promotion was necessary after relievers Troy Patton, T.J. McFarland, and Tommy Hunter were each used for extended outings over the first two games of the three-game set at Target Field.

Manager Buck Showalter will now have four southpaws in his bullpen as Belfiore joins Brian Matusz, Patton, and McFarland. The Orioles also had veteran Freddy Garcia available to work in relief in case Sunday’s starter Wei-Yin Chen was unable to pitch deep into the game. The Orioles will benefit from a day off Monday to give their bullpen some needed rest before starting an eight-game homestand on Tuesday.

Belfiore has been on the 40-man roster since this past offseason. He was 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 28 appearances spanning 47 1/3 innings for Double-A Bowie last year.

He will wear No. 65 and had never appeared in the major leagues prior to Sunday’s promotion.

Reaching deep into their bullpen for 11 innings of work over the last two games, the Orioles predictably optioned right-handed pitcher Steve Johnson to Triple-A Norfolk after Saturday’s 8-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Making his 2013 debut, Johnson was tagged for six earned runs and seven hits in four innings as he struggled to command his pitches. The 25-year-old struck out three and walked four batters after being staked to a 3-0 lead in the first inning at Target Field.

Manager Buck Showalter has used relievers Tommy Hunter, T.J. McFarland, and Troy Patton for extended outings in Minnesota, meaning the club will need a long reliever for Sunday’s game should starter Wei-Yin Chen not be able to go deep into the game. Fortunately, the Orioles have two days off this week, meaning Johnson was likely to be optioned in favor of an extra reliever or bench player anyway.

The corresponding roster move will be made Sunday morning as the Orioles try to win the three-game set against the Twins.

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled right-handed pitcher Steve Johnson from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned right-handed pitcher Alex Burnett to Norfolk. Johnson is scheduled to start tonight’s game at Minnesota.

Johnson, 25, began the season on the disabled list with a strained right lat. He made three starts for Norfolk and was 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA (16.1IP, 8ER). In four starts for Baltimore in 2012, Johnson was 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA (22.0IP, 7ER) and the Orioles won all four games he started.

Burnett appeared in one game for the Orioles, striking out one in a scoreless inning. Burnett was claimed by the Orioles off waivers from Toronto on April 12.

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There was a time not long ago when many doubted that Jim Johnson held the right mindset or ability for the Orioles’ closer role.

The 29-year-old right-hander certainly doesn’t fit the description of most ninth-inning men. Not only does Johnson strike out fewer batters than the typical closer but he fanned fewer hitters per nine innings (5.4) than any regular member of the Baltimore bullpen last season.

But that didn’t stop Johnson from collecting a club-record and major league-leading 51 saves and being named to his first All-Star team in 2012 as the Orioles advanced to the postseason for the first time in 15 years. His heavy sinker that induces ground ball after ground ball has allowed him to convert 35 consecutive save opportunities, breaking Randy Myers’ franchise record in Friday night’s remarkable 9-6 comeback victory in 10 innings.

In many ways, Johnson’s success mirrors the Orioles’ prosperity as it was late in the 2011 season when he took over the closer role for good after mixed results in brief stints prior to that. The club finished that season going 14-8 in what’s now viewed as a precursor to the remarkable 2012 season. Since Sept. 7, 2011, Johnson’s 72 saves are the most in baseball and the Orioles have gone 129-91. Many have struggled to explain the success both have found, but that’s just fine with Johnson.

“I think it is more about knowing what kind of pitcher you are,” Johnson said. “I do it differently than other people. When I first started, I tried to be something I wasn’t. I tried to be a typical closer and strike guys out all the time and that is not who I am. Then, I reverted back to pitching how I normally do and good results followed.”

Johnson’s journey to become arguably the best closer in baseball hasn’t been a smooth one as it was only in 2010 when his career appeared to be at a crossroads. Struggling out of the gate with a 6.52 ERA in 10 appearances, Johnson was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk before it was discovered that he was dealing with right elbow inflammation.

It was during a rehabilitation stint in August of that season when Johnson first met new Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who had traveled to Bowie to see how the reliever was progressing. In one of his favorite stories to tell about his closer, Showalter explained how he saw Johnson give up a home run on a changeup that was clocked at 88 miles per hour.

Upon seeing his new manager when getting back to the dugout, Johnson asked Showalter what he thought. The manager quipped that he needed to work on that pitch, fully understanding the right-hander was working on his array of pitches during the outing against Double-A hitters who were otherwise overmatched. Even then as Johnson was just working his way back to form, Showalter knew he had something special to work with out of the bullpen.

“It was the first time I saw him,” Showalter said. “But that’s what [the good ones] look like.”

For years, the debate continued whether Johnson would be better suited to start or relieve as even Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer believed his four-pitch repertoire — the sinker, a nasty curveball, an underrated changeup, and a four-seam fastball — would make him a successful starter. Coming up through the Orioles system as a starter, Johnson was named the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year as well as the Carolina League pitcher of the year for the 2005 season.

Showalter can’t help but draw comparisons between Johnson and future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, whom he managed at the end of his tenure as Yankees manager. Rivera followed a similar progression in beginning his career as a starter before moving to middle relief and eventually closing out victories for a winning club. Before briefly reconsidering Johnson’s role two years ago, Showalter decided the ninth inning would be the perfect place for him.

“Jimmy’s been through all those same processes,” said Showalter in comparing him to Rivera. “I thought it was the best for him to stay healthy with a lot of the things that go on with pitchers. The biggest thing is his ability as a pitcher. He has multiple ways to get you out.”

The Orioles saw their faith in Johnson rewarded in 2012 as he saved 51 of 54 opportunities to become the first Baltimore closer since George Sherrill to make the All-Star team. He began his current streak of 35 straight save conversions on July 30 of last season, but it was his postseason failure that stung the most for Orioles fans after Johnson had been so outstanding all year.

In Game 1 of the American League Division Series, Johnson entered in the ninth inning with the game tied 2-2 before allowing the go-ahead home run to Yankees catcher Russell Martin and five runs total in the inning as the Orioles fell 7-2. Game 3 brought an even more painful result as Johnson came on in the ninth inning with the Orioles holding a 2-1 lead at Yankee Stadium and gave up the game-tying home run to Raul Ibanez. Baltimore lost the game in extra innings as it was the only time since Aug. 8, 2011 that the Orioles have lost a game in which they held a lead at the end of seven innings.

Johnson took full responsibility for the postseason struggles by waiting at his locker for reporters after both losses. Instead of dwelling on those failures and allowing the disappointment to linger into the 2013 season, the closer has converted all 14 save opportunities and entered Saturday tied for the major-league lead in saves.

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With Mother’s Day this Sunday, Major League Baseball will continue its initiative for breast cancer awareness by providing pink bats for players to use on the holiday for the eighth consecutive year.

The initiative holds special meaning for Nick Markakis with his mother being a breast cancer survivor, but you’re unlikely to see the Orioles right fielder swinging a pink piece of lumber on Sunday.

The reason?

The pink bats made by MaxBat for Markakis and others who own a contract with the maple wood bat company will not be permitted for use by MLB due to an exclusive agreement with Louisville Slugger. The famous wood bat company produces all of the bats distributed by the league to players for Sunday’s games.

On a day meant to raise awareness and celebrate breast cancer survivors around baseball, we will instead witness the latest example of many of these initiatives being as much — or more — about a money grab and protecting sponsors as they are about doing something good. The simple notion that MLB won’t allow pink bats made by other companies for players to use for one day in the season reflects how much more concerned the league is with keeping a sponsor happy rather than allowing players to pay tribute to those fighting the disease.

By no means is the initiative without charity as MLB claims to have raised more than $1 million through auctions of these game-used bats over the last eight years. Pink personalized bats made by Louisville Slugger will also be sold on MLB.com, with $10 from each bat going to Major League Baseball Charities to be apportioned to fight breast cancer. The league says more than $300,000 have been donated from sales of these personalized bats.

But are these dollars representative of a sincere effort to help or little more than a write-off in order to strike a profit behind a veil of charity?

Of course, MLB isn’t alone as the National Football League faced criticism with the revelation that a measly five percent of the profits made from the massive amount of pink gear sold — players and coaches also wear pink throughout the month of October — is donated to the American Cancer Society. According to the league, the rest of the profit is pumped back into its breast cancer awareness program titled A Crucial Catch, but that has drawn scrutiny from those believing the pink merchandise is much more about marketing the league to women than truly trying to make a difference in defeating breast cancer.

Charities and non-profit organizations constantly face questions over how the money they raise from the public is ultimately used, but it’s frustrating to see entities worth billions being stingy when the curtain is pulled back with programs such as these.

It’s understandable for MLB to use its partnership with Louisville Slugger to produce these pink bats as well as the light blue ones used on Father’s Day to raise awareness for prostate cancer, but to prohibit players like Markakis from using pink lumber produced by other companies for use on Sunday reveals the league’s true colors.

And there’s much more green than there is pink.

(Updated at 8:15 p.m. – After receiving plenty of negative reaction on Friday evening, Major League Baseball released the following statement via Twitter:

“All players can use pink bats Sunday with any bat company that makes a modest donation to @KomenForTheCure.”)

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Needing a starter to replace Miguel Gonzalez on Saturday, the Orioles will send right-hander Steve Johnson to the hill against the Minnesota Twins.

Though an official roster move hasn’t been made, the Orioles will recall the 25-year-old Johnson from Triple-A Norfolk and likely option right-handed reliever Alex Burnett to make room on the 25-man roster. Burnett was recalled to replace Gonzalez when the starting pitcher was sent to the 15-day disabled list Thursday.

Less than six weeks into the 2013 season, manager Buck Showalter will turn to his ninth starting pitcher after Johnson began the season on the 15-day DL with a strained lat muscle suffered late in spring training. Johnson was then activated and optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on April 30.

A St. Paul’s alum, Johnson went 4-0 with a 2.11 earned run average in 38 1/3 innings that spanned 12 games and included four starts for the Orioles last season. In three starts for the Tides this season, Johnson is 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings.

With the Orioles scheduled to have two days off next week, Johnson could be optioned right back to Norfolk after Saturday’s start unless Showalter elects to keep him as an extra option in the bullpen. Following Saturday, Showalter could use Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, and Chris Tillman on regular rest through May 18 and put veteran Freddy Garcia in the bullpen for the time being. Gonzalez is eligible to return from the disabled list on May 19, meaning he could be back in the starting rotation by the time the Orioles would even need a fourth starter again.

Here’s what happened down in the Orioles’ farm system on Thursday…

* Zach Britton struggled through 4 2/3 innings, but Jonathan Schoop hit a home run to help Triple-A Norfolk to a 7-3 win over Buffalo

* Eddie Bamboa was roughed up for four runs in six innings as Double-A Bowie dropping a 5-1 final to Erie

* Jerome Pena, Zane Chavez, and Steve Bumbry each drove in two despite Single-A Frederick’s 12-9 loss to Winston-Salem

* Matt Taylor allowed only two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings despite Single-A Delmarva falling 3-1 to Hagerstown

(Updated: 12:00 a.m.)

BALTIMORE — Wanting to play it safe with the nasty blister that’s developed on starter Miguel Gonzalez’s right thumb, the Orioles have elected to place the right-handed pitcher on the 15-day disabled list.

The club has recalled right-handed reliever Alex Burnett from Triple-A Norfolk to take his place on the 25-man roster as well as provide an extra arm in the bullpen for the next couple nights. Gonzalez’s DL stint is retroactive to May 4, meaning the 28-year-old could return to the starting rotation as early as May 19 in a series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Gonzalez completed a bullpen session on Thursday with a bandage covering the thumb, but he only threw fastballs as the blister that developed under a broken callous hindered his ability to throw his two-seam fastball and off-speed pitches. According to manager Buck Showalter, the plan is for Gonzalez to complete another bullpen session this weekend in Minnesota and then throw a rehab start at either Bowie or Norfolk next week.

Of course, a blister is a very tricky ailment for a pitcher that you can’t rush in fear of re-aggravating the skin and putting yourself right back in the same predicament. The Orioles remain confident that the decision to place Gonzalez on the DL is the proactive choice that will eliminate the problem for the remainder of the season.

“I just think this is the most prudent thing to do,” Showalter said. “I don’t care what happened today; he’s still going to be tentative throwing his breaking ball and his split. If it forms again, you’re going to have a season-long problem, so we just decided to get that done before he had the work day and get that out of his mind.

On the surface, the short-term loss of Gonzalez would create a problem after the Orioles finally appeared to ease their fifth-starter dilemma — at least for the time being — with veteran Freddy Garcia. The good news is the Orioles will only be faced with the problem of replacing Gonzalez in the rotation for Saturday’s start since they benefit from days off next week on Monday and Thursday.

Showalter was initially tight-lipped regarding his thoughts for Saturday’s starter, but announced that right-hander Steve Johnson would be recalled to take the ball in Minnesota. The 25-year-old Johnson pitched for Triple-A Norfolk on Monday, throwing 94 pitches, allowing two earned runs, and striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings against Buffalo.

Once they’ve completed Saturday’s game, the Orioles could get away with using only Wei-Yin Chen, Jason Hammel, and Chris Tillman as starters all the way through Sunday, May 19 when Gonzalez would hypothetically be ready. Of course, that means Garcia would be available to pitch in relief or make a start should they want to give any of the aforementioned pitchers such as Chen an extra day of rest as Showalter often likes to do when able.

As Showalter likes to say, there are plenty of moving parts and a lot could change quickly, but the Orioles appear to be in good shape to endure Gonzalez’s absence thanks to a couple well-placed days off after recently completing a 20-day stretch void of any scheduled days of rest.

Roberts surgery successful

Second baseman Brian Roberts underwent right hamstring surgery on Thursday morning in Dallas in what was deemed a successful procedure.

The 35-year-old exchanged some text messages with Showalter and is expected to return to Sarasota this weekend where he’ll begin a six-week recovery period. The hope is that the procedure will eliminate any tangible risk of re-injuring the hamstring once Roberts is able to resume baseball activity.

“Everything went well today,” Showalter said. “Very positive. The doctors felt good about getting it done after getting in there. It will speed up the process. I’ve got marked off what [six] weeks is from today, so we’ll see what happens.”

Showalter expressed empathy for Roberts’ latest setback while acknowledging some of the frustration and emotional responses expressed by critics and fans regarding the $10 million the second baseman is making this season in the final year of a four-year, $40 million contract.

Various injuries have limited Roberts to just 118 games over the last four seasons.

“He’s not going to give in,” Showalter said. “That’s why it makes me confident that he’ll come back and be a contributor. We think he’s worth waiting on. It’s been tough on him. It would be kind of selfish to say it’s tough on us. It’s tougher on him if you put yourself in the position he’s been in the last two or three years and ask yourself sincerely what you would do.”

Orioles add minor-league third baseman Wood

Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette sent cash considerations to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for infielder Brandon Wood on Thursday.

The 28-year-old will report to Triple-A Norfolk as he continues to plug away in a disappointing career that once held a tremendous amount of promise. Wood was Baseball America’s No. 3 prospect in all of baseball prior to the 2006 season but has never been able to put it together at the big-league level.

In 700 career at-bats in the major leagues, Wood has a career .186 average with 18 home runs, 64 RBIs, and 218 strikeouts.

Back in 2006 and 2007 when the Orioles were exploring trades for shortstop Miguel Tejada, the Angels were often linked in discussions with Wood’s name mentioned as a player the club might covet in return. He became somewhat of a folk hero in the minor leagues by hitting 43 home runs and 53 doubles in his 2005 season split between high Single A and Triple A.

However, the talent that once made scouts salivate never came to fruition at the big-league level as the Orioles will now be Wood’s fifth different organization.

Odds & ends

Closer Jim Johnson picked up his 85th career save on Wednesday night. If he collects 21 more this season, he will move into second place on the club’s all-time list ahead of Tippy Martinez (105) and Stu Miller (100). Gregg Olson remains the Orioles’ all-time saves leader with 160. … Left fielder Nate McLouth has stolen 11 bases (second in the American League) and is on pace to steal 52 this season. That would be the third-best mark in Orioles history behind Luis Aparicio (57 in 1964) and Brady Anderson (53 in 1992). … The Orioles have the highest team fielding percentage (.991) in baseball in the 85 games since third baseman Manny Machado arrived in Baltimore on Aug. 9, 2012. … Since July 29, 2012, the Orioles have the best record in baseball at 62-33 (.652 winning percentage) as well as the best home record at 32-13 (.711 winning percentage).

Needing to fill their void at center, the Ravens have acquired A.Q. Shipley from the Indianapolis Colts to compete with second-year lineman Gino Gradkowski for the 2013 starting job.

General manager Ozzie Newsome will send a conditional pick in next year’s draft to the Colts in exchange for Shipley, who made five starts and appeared in 14 games during the 2012 season. The 6-foot-1, 309-pound lineman was a seventh-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009 and spent time on practice squads in Pittsburgh (2009) and Philadelphia (2010) before signing with Indianapolis last year.

Considering the Ravens invested a 2012 fourth-round pick in selecting Gradkowski, you’d expect him to have the inside track in emerging as the retired Matt Birk’s replacement. He appeared in 16 games during his rookie season, serving primarily on special teams and saw limited time at center.

Shipley would be the ideal fit for a role similar to the one held by veteran Andre Gurode in 2011 when he served as Birk’s backup and filled in at both guard positions as well.

According to Pro Football Focus, Shipley earned a +6.9 grade in 476 offensive snaps last season. The Ravens drafted Colorado State-Pueblo lineman Ryan Jensen in the sixth round of last month’s draft to presumably offer some competition to Gradkowski, but the addition of Shipley diminishes the rookie’s chances of making the 53-man roster.

Shipley was a four-year letterman at Penn State and was an All-America selection, Rimington Trophy winner, and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior. He is a native of Moon Township, Pa. and attended Moon Area High School in Pittsburgh. 

The Ravens also announced Thursday morning that they’ve released rookie guard Jeff Braun, who played at West Virginia and attended Winters Mill High School in Westminster.