BALTIMORE — The news wasn’t encouraging for Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts after seeking a second opinion on his right hamstring as he’ll undergo surgery and will be sidelined at least six more weeks.

Roberts visited knee specialist Dr. Daniel Cooper in Dallas on Wednesday morning as it was determined the 35-year-old would undergo a “semitendinosus release” procedure on Thursday. Roberts will eventually report to Sarasota to begin rehabilitation in hopes of making his return this summer.

Earlier this week, Roberts was taking light batting practice before complaining that the back of his right knee didn’t feel right, which prompted the infielder to see Dr. Cooper. He is the same doctor who cared for Rays third baseman Evan Longoria’s injured hamstring last year.

“If you look at all the scenarios and the way it’s transpired, this is the best chance for him to get back and not have an issue with it again,” said manager Buck Showalter, who added that Dr. Cooper was the specialist who handled his recent knee surgery. “A lot of experts think this can get you back and not have it reoccur again because it keeps the scar tissue from forming, which creates other issues. Full support of it and hopefully he’ll make the time period and be able to pick up where he left off and not have that in the back of his mind. I know what his goals are.”

Roberts has played in only three games this season as the original prognosis for a return was three to four weeks after he injured his knee sliding into second base on April 4 at Tropicana Field. The club has officially labeled the injury a right hamstring strain, but Roberts actually tore the tendon behind his knee.

This procedure will hopefully facilitate quicker healing for the veteran infielder, who has played in only 118 games over the last four seasons while dealing with various ailments. It is all but a certainty that Roberts will be transferred to the 60-day disabled list once a need arises to make a 40-man roster move.

“He’s very frustrated by it, as we are, but Brian Roberts is going to come back and make a contribution to this club this year,” Showalter said. “I’ve got a good feeling about that.”

The starting second baseman was sent to the 15-day DL on April 5 and has been replaced by a platoon of Ryan Flaherty and Alexi Casilla.

The hamstring procedure will mark the third time in the last year Roberts has undergone surgery after dealing with a torn labrum in his hip last season and a sports hernia in the offseason. The longtime Oriole is in the final year of a four-year contract that is paying him $10 million this season.

Markakis serves as DH again

Never one to miss much playing time before a 2012 campaign marred by two freak injuries, right fielder Nick Markakis served as the designated hitter for the third time this season on Wednesday night.

You can imagine the stoic Markakis isn’t thrilled about serving in a limited capacity, but the 29-year-old expressed appreciation to Showalter, acknowledging that it will help keep him fresh over the course of a 162-game schedule. The Gold Glove right fielder served as the club’s DH only four times combined from 2010 through 2012.

“It’s different,” Markakis said. “You just have to stay loose, stay stretched and wait for your turn to hit. Haven’t done it too much, but it’s good. It gives me time off and a chance to get my feet back under me. It’s a different mindset, but it’s good every once in a while.”

Showalter told Markakis he would see more time in the role this season and the right fielder denied there was any physical challenge that’s limiting his time in the field. Little-used reserve Chris Dickerson started in right field in the second game of a three-game set with Kansas City.

Observers have noted that Markakis’ throwing arm hasn’t looked as strong this season, which could be a product of wear and tear as well as long-term effects of serving as a power pitcher in college. Upon selecting Markakis with the seventh overall pick of the 2003 draft, many talent evaluators suggested the Orioles should make Markakis a pitcher at the professional level after he played in the outfield and pitched for Young Harris College.

“It’s tough to go out there and play every day, especially for a long time over years,” Markakis said. “This is good every once in a while. There is a lot of running in the outfield. To not have to worry about defense and just focus on offense, it gives you mentally a break as well as physically.”

Guesswork with Gonzalez

Right-handed pitcher Miguel Gonzalez will throw a bullpen session on Thursday to test out the healing blister on his right thumb and determine whether he can make Saturday’s start in Minnesota.

Both Gonzalez and Showalter have admitted there will be a certain amount of guesswork in determine whether he will take the hill against the Twins or whether he will be skipped in favor of someone else. He will throw with a bandage covering the area to protect it while going through his workday, but Showalter acknowledged they won’t fully know whether he’s OK until he’s pitching without the added protection.

Gonzalez feels confident that his four-seam fastball won’t be an issue, but he expressed some hesitation whether his two-seam and off-speed grips will impact the healing area.

Depending on how the next few games go, Showalter could elect to make Saturday a bullpen day should Gonzalez need additional time before his next start or the club could dip to Triple-A Norfolk where Steve Johnson would be pitching on normal rest on Saturday.

The club will receive a break with the rotation headaches next week as Monday and Thursday are scheduled days off and will allow Showalter to reset his bullpen in a way he’d like while managing Gonzalez’s blister even more if necessary.

Betemit progressing slowly

Veteran switch-hitter Wilson Betemit continues to make progress in recovering from a Grade 2/3 PCL tear but hasn’t been cleared for baseball-related activities.

The 31-year-old is eligible to return from the 60-day DL at the end of the month, but Showalter acknowledged that would likely be a stretch at this point.

The Orioles would benefit from Betemit’s bat in the lineup against right-handed pitching as their DH position is hitting just .145 with three home runs and nine RBIs this season.

BALTIMORE — Taking light batting practice in Sarasota was supposed to be an important step in the return of Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, but it instead created more uncertainty regarding his status moving forward.

Complaining that the back of his knee didn’t feel right as he attempted to take swings, the 35-year-old infielder will see knee specialist Dr. Daniel Cooper in Dallas to get a second opinion on his recovery from a torn tendon suffered behind his right knee. Dr. Cooper is the same specialist who cared for Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria when the All-Star infielder suffered a hamstring injury last season.

“He started taking some batting practice and just didn’t like the way it felt,” said manager Buck Showalter, who supported Roberts’ request for a second opinion. “He said he wasn’t expecting that with the progression that we’ve done, and I think he’s just a little frustrated that it hasn’t come faster.”

The original prognosis for a return was three to four weeks after Roberts injured his knee sliding into second base on April 4 at Tropicana Field. The club has officially labeled the injury a right hamstring strain, but Roberts actually tore the tendon behind his knee.

In Roberts’ absence, the club has used a second-base platoon of Ryan Flaherty and Alexi Casilla that’s provided little offensive production as Flaherty is hitting just .125 and Casilla is sitting at .200. After previously hesitating to place Roberts on the 60-day disabled list, which would officially keep him off the big-league roster until early June, it now appears the Orioles wouldn’t hesitate to make the move should a roster need arise elsewhere.

The new development also makes you wonder if executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette will look more carefully outside the organization for help at second base, but Showalter is publicly remaining optimistic until Dr. Cooper provides answers that might suggest otherwise in regards to Roberts being a likely candidate for the 60-day DL.

“No more than he was before,” Showalter said. “I’m not looking at it that way. I’m still holding out hope that this will get going. I like the fact that we don’t have a need for it yet.”

Wait-and-see mode with Gonzalez

The Orioles won’t know when right-handed pitcher Miguel Gonzalez will make his next start until he completes his bullpen day on Thursday to determine how well the blister on his right thumb has healed.

Gonzalez will cover the area with a bandage during his workday, but the pitcher isn’t allowed to wear as much as a Band-Aid on his finger when throwing in a game. The earlier Gonzalez would be ready to pitch is likely Saturday with his bullpen day falling on the final day of the Kansas City series.

Showalter isn’t ruling out the possibility of Gonzalez being skipped in the rotation entirely if the blister continues to be an issue.

“It’s getting better,” Showalter said. “It’s a blister underneath a callous. It’s kind of good in a way that it broke, tore off — whatever you want to say — so we’ve gotten all the way down to the bottom. Now, it’s a matter of getting [it] calloused over.”

Thursday would have been Gonzalez’s normal turn in the starting rotation, but veteran Freddy Garcia will instead take the hill against former Orioles Jeremy Guthrie in the series finale against the Royals.

Odds & ends

Shortstop J.J. Hardy received an injection in his right elbow from Dr. Lewis Yocum in Anaheim over the weekend for a case of mild tennis elbow, according to Showalter. It is not considered a big deal. … Starter Jason Hammel picked up his fifth win on Sunday to begin the year 5-1. According to Elias, with a win in his next decision, Hammel will become the first Orioles pitcher to go 6-1 or better to start consecutive seasons since Mike Boddicker, who started 6-1 in 1985 and 10-1 in 1986. … The Orioles have made just one error in the last 10 games and three in the last 17 games. … The Orioles (0-for-9) and Royals (1-for-10) are batting a combined .053 as pinch-hitters. … Baltimore has eight players with three or more home runs, the most for any American League team. Cleveland and Oakland are tied for second with six each. The Chicago Cubs lead the majors with nine players having three or more homers.

(Updated: 6:25 p.m.)

Orioles manager Buck Showalter reacted how you’d expect him to following Friday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels in which first baseman Chris Davis left the game with a right knee injury.

But he had to breathe a sign of relief on Saturday as Davis is likely to avoid the disabled list, according to executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette in several reports. Team doctors won’t see the results until the Orioles return to Baltimore following the road trip, but Angels team doctors provide a favorable prognosis after looking at results from a Saturday MRI.

Davis is considered day-to-day and wasn’t in the lineup on Saturday as Steve Pearce took his place.

Showalter was optimistic Friday night while pointing to the slew of injuries the club has already endured over the last two seasons, but you just know the Orioles were fearing the prospects of life without the slugger in the middle of the lineup. Davis injured his knee stepping on first base after running out a grounder to third in the top of the fifth inning. His knee appeared to buckle and he struggled to put any weight on his right leg as he exited the game.

Earlier this week, Davis was named American League Player of the Month for April and is hitting .330 with nine home runs and 29 runs batted in after a blistering start to the season.

Adding insult to injury on Friday night, Showalter was forced to insert Ryan Flaherty — and his .108 batting average — at first base with the backup first baseman Pearce already serving as the designated hitter. Without knowing how long Davis will be out, the Orioles’ options on the 25-man roster beyond Pearce were limited as outfielders Nolan Reimold and Nick Markakis have only played the position sparingly.

Minor-league candidates included Danny Valencia, Russ Canzler, and Travis Ishikawa. Of those three, Ishikawa has been playing regularly at first base for Triple-A Norfolk but is hitting only .235. Valencia is hitting .323 with four homers and 18 RBIs while Canzler has a .281 average and leads the Tides in home runs (five) and RBIs (21).

Of course, it was too early to panic until the Orioles learned of Davis’ prognosis, but the lamenting already heard from fans this spring over the departure of Mark Reynolds would have only grown louder if Davis had landed on the disabled list.

And it would have been difficult to blame them if Davis had been out for any significant amount of time with so few viable options to replace him.

I refrained from reading any national or local re-caps of the 2013 NFL Draft over the weekend.  Why?  Mainly because I didn’t want to hear or see what folks thought about individual teams and how “well” they did in picking players who have never played a game in their life that mattered.

I laughed right along with everyone else on Thursday night when the Bills stumped all the talking heads by going with E.J. Manuel instead of Ryan Nassib.

You probably giggled too, right?

“The Bills…” you said.  ”What on earth do THEY know about picking a quarterback?  Geez, just go back and look at their recent list of failures.  J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick…”

My guess is that most people were saying the exact same thing about the Ravens in 2008 when they took that Flacco kid out of Delaware in the first round.

“The Ravens…what on earth do THEY know about picking a quarterback?  Geez, just go back and look at their recent list of failures.  Kyle Boller, Chris Redman, Derek Anderson, Anthony Wright, Steve McNair.”

See what I mean?

There’s no sense in judging any of these picks until we see how they all play out, including guys like Manuel and Geno Smith and Manti Te’o.

Just let ‘em play.  We’ll see who knew what they’re doing in this year’s draft in 2015.

And save the silly draft report cards for the experts who have to give grades so it looks like they know what they’re talking about.

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Caps and Rangers again, huh?

Fourth time in five years, I believe.

It’s getting to be old hat, but the two teams usually provide for some interesting hockey in the post-season.

I’m taking the Caps in five games.  I know, I know, that’s very risky considering the Capitals are perennial playoff gaggers.  But I don’t think this Rangers team is any good and, particularly without Marian Gaborik, I just don’t think they have the firepower to overcome this suddenly offensive-minded Washington squad.

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That Billy Horschel guy who won this week’s PGA Tour event in New Orleans is the real deal.  Watch and see…he’ll be on the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team.  Dude’s a player.

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Buck’s obviously a little concerned about bullpen overuse already and it’s only April 28.

How else can you explain his decision on Sunday for not bringing in Jim Johnson to close the 8-6 lead in the 9th inning?

I’m not criticizing him for it, mind you.  I think it was the right thing to do.  He knows a lot more about these guys and their durability than we do.  Plus, if you really like to pin losses on people, go ahead and put the blame for Sunday’s debacle on Pedro Strop.  He inherited a 4-run lead on Saturday and, per his typical form, put enough guys on base that Buck had no choice but to go with J.J. to close the game out.

So, what you saw on Sunday was a by-product of the manager simply not wanting to go back to the well for the 6th time in seven games and use his closer.

Nothing would wreck the season – as evidenced by the display produced by Brian Matusz and Strop on Sunday in Oakland – like an injury to Jim Johnson.

If you have to almost-intentionally eat a loss in late April and then perhaps again once every 6-8 weeks just to keep your best pitchers fresh and healthy, go ahead and do it, I say.

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Greg Norman blasted golf’s drug testing procedures over the weekend during a trip to Australia.  Rather than subject players to urine tests, as is the case now, Norman is demanding blood tests for golfers on the PGA TOUR.  He’s adamant about it.  The 2-time British Open champion even went as far to say, “Anyone who uses an illegal substance to improve their performance or their physical well-being is cheating, period.  And there’s no room in the game for that.  It sickens me.”

Sounds to me like a guy who knows something’s going on with someone, in particular, and it’s The Shark’s way of putting him on notice.

As I read through the quotes, he was just a little too emphatic about it for someone who is “just trying to send a message” about fair play.

Norman knows someone’s cheating.  He won’t say who.  But he knows.

BALTIMORE — The writing was on the wall for the Orioles after starting pitcher Jake Arrieta’s early struggles made it apparent he wasn’t going to stick in Baltimore.

As was the case for large portions of last season, the rotation carousel is in full motion as right-hander Josh Stinson was the first to receive an opportunity just a few weeks after being claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics. The 25-year-old had gone through that process two other times in the last year, giving off the impression that he’s talented enough to want but not good enough to keep for the long haul.

Manager Buck Showalter chose Stinson over other candidates Zach Britton and Freddy Garcia — citing positive reviews from Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson and Tides pitching coach Mike Griffin — and was asked whether this was a one-shot opportunity for the right-hander or if he would receive an extended look spanning a few starts. The Baltimore skipper’s response was familiar, especially when remembering the Orioles used 12 different starting pitchers last season.

“I’m looking at it as, ‘We’ll see,’” Showalter said. “Ask me after Wednesday if it was one shot. Would you like to have [only] one shot in the big leagues? I hope not. I hope he pitches well and he pitches again Monday in Seattle.”

It didn’t happen as Stinson was immediately optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk following the 6-5 extra-inning loss to Toronto to end a 6-3 homestand. Stinson showed a few impressive breaking pitches at different points but allowed four home runs and was lifted in the sixth inning. Another opportunity in Baltimore could lie ahead, but it’s clear Stinson will have to work his way back up the pecking order to do so.

Next man up to the plate — or to the hill, in this case.

As for Monday’s start, the Orioles will likely be looking at the same candidates they did this time around as these decisions are often based strongly on the timing of the start and how it coincides with the schedule of the Norfolk rotation. The club will call up an extra arm to pitch out of the bullpen for the next few days, but Mike Belfiore, their only reliever at Norfolk who is currently on the 40-man roster aside from Alex Burnett, hasn’t pitched well to begin the season. Burnett was optioned on Wednesday and isn’t allowed to be recalled for 10 days unless he is replacing a player sent to the disabled list.

Considering they’d only be bringing up a reliever for a few days, the Orioles would like to avoid making a 40-man roster move if possible.

The Orioles could also elect to simply recall Britton or select the contract of fellow Norfolk starter Jair Jurrjens and give that pitcher a couple innings on either Thursday or Friday, which would prevent an additional roster move and serve as a vessel to adjust their scheduled day to start to fall on Monday in Seattle. Garcia pitched on Tuesday night and would be going on only one extra day of rest if he’s deemed the guy for Monday, but he wouldn’t provide the same flexibility to pitch out of the bullpen for at least an additional day.

Right-hander Steve Johnson would earn strong consideration for the start under normal circumstances, but he just started a rehab assignment in Triple A on Wednesday, allowing four earned runs in five innings of work against Charlotte.

The options are there, but finding a good one is the real challenge. If any of these pitchers were proven solutions, they’d likely already be part of the Baltimore rotation or pitching elsewhere in the big leagues.

Despite the improved stability of the starting rotation entering spring training, you knew the Orioles would find themselves in this spot sooner rather than later. Their best hope is that one of the many candidates they have in the farm system can emerge in the way Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman did last year.

Until then, let the plethora of roster moves begin.

End of extras streak

An incredible stretch of 17 consecutive wins in extra-inning games in the regular season came to an end on Wednesday as closer Jim Johnson walked in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning.

It was the third straight day Johnson had pitched, but his outing started strongly enough by recording three straight outs. With two outs in the 11th, he allowed two soft singles and plunked Brett Lawrie before completely losing his command and walking Maicer Izturis on four pitches to force in Toronto’s sixth run.

Some questioned whether Showalter should have sent Johnson to the mound, but the reliever had experience pitching on three straight days — doing it on a couple occasions last year — and his previous pitch counts (14 on Monday and 13 on Tuesday) were reasonable enough to put him in the game in an extra-inning situation. Perhaps Showalter is only guilty of not having Brian Matusz ready to go sooner than he did when Johnson ran into trouble.

Regardless of Wednesday’s disappointment, the streak is a reflection of the outstanding bullpen work this club has received for more than a year. Many will focus on the All-Star performance of Johnson as well as setup men such as Darren O’Day and Brian Matusz, but a variety of contributors — from long relievers to current first baseman Chris Davis — have taken the hill in extra innings and performed at a high level since last April.

The 17-game winning streak in extra frames — which didn’t include their 12-inning loss to the New York Yankees in last year’s American League Division Series — left them tied with the 1949 Cleveland Indians for the second-longest run in major league history.

Setting up for the ninth

Johnson leads the major leagues with 66 saves since Sept. 7, 2011, but he can thank O’Day and Matusz — particularly the former — for playing such pivotal roles in getting him there.

O’Day is 2-0 with a 0.36 earned run average covering his last 23 appearances (including the postseason) that spanned 25 innings. The Orioles were 19-4 in those 23 games. Opponents are hitting just .111 (9-for-81) with one home run and eight singles over that stretch.

Those numbers are a major reason why the Orioles awarded O’Day with a two-year, $5.8 million contract in the offseason.

Matusz has also thrived in a relief role since being recalled last August, excelling when it comes to cleaning up messes created by his teammates.

The left-hander relieved Johnson in the 11th and retired Rajai Davis to strand the bases loaded and leave the Orioles trailing by only one. Remarkably, he hasn’t allowed an inherited runner to score since moving to the bullpen last August. He’s stranded 10 inherited runners on base this year and has prevented all 24 inherited runners he’s encountered since the start of the 2012 season from scoring.

Many — including me — wondered whether the Orioles were making the right decision in immediately sending Matusz back to the bullpen after failing to earn a starting job in spring training. With the overall uncertainty in the back end of the rotation, it seemed wise to keep Matusz stretched out in case you needed him as a starter, but it’s difficult to argue with the overwhelming results in his late-inning role.

Odds & ends

Showalter clarified that right-hander Dylan Bundy will not see Dr. James Andrews until next Monday. The 20-year-old will be examined by team orthopedic Dr. James Wilckens in Baltimore on Thursday. He examined Bundy back on April 2 and the initial MRI came back clean in regards to his right elbow. … The Orioles bullpen threw 9 2/3 scoreless innings in the series before Johnson issued the two-out, bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning to break a 5-5 tie. … The four homers allowed by Stinson were the most ever surrendered by a pitcher making his club debut. The last Baltimore starter to give up four home runs in an outing was Jason Hammel against Toronto on May 30, 2012. … Center fielder Adam Jones went 1-for-5 and has reached base safely in 20 of the club’s 21 games to begin the 2013 season. He has at least one hit in 19 of those contests. … The Orioles are now 4-4 in one-run games after finishing with an incredible 29-9 record in that department last season.

(Updated: Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.)

BALTIMORE — The latest development on top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy was a concerning one for the Orioles as manager Buck Showalter announced the 20-year-old will go for a second opinion from renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on his forearm and elbow.

After throwing from 90 feet in Sarasota on Monday, Bundy still felt discomfort in his right forearm and asked to seek a second opinion, an idea the Orioles endorsed. An MRI showed there to be no damage to his right elbow, but Showalter said Andrews could request another one.

“[Bundy's elbow] still doesn’t feel just right, so he went to see Dr. Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla., just to get a second opinion on what we think we’re dealing with,” Showalter said. “We’ll get something back and we hope to find out that [he] feels the same way that our people do who have looked at it.”

Showalter revealed on Wednesday that Bundy will not see Dr. Andrews until Monday. He will be examined by team orthopedic Dr. John Wilckens in Baltimore on Thursday.

It remains unclear if there was a particular pitch or moment that caused the discomfort as Bundy was shut down at the end of spring training with what the Orioles are still describing as flexor mass tightness. The 2011 first-round pick is frustrated that he’s made such little progress after resting his arm for a couple weeks and finally being given the green light to begin a throwing program.

In time split at three different levels in his first professional season in 2012, Bundy pitched to a 2.04 earned run average and a 0.92 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) and struck out 119 batters in 103 2/3 innings pitched. He made his major league debut in September, making two relief appearances.

Bundy is regarded by most as the best pitching prospect in baseball. He was originally examined on April 2 by Dr. Wilckens, who found no structural concerns with the elbow.

“They took an MRI and the elbow looked good,” Showalter said. “That was why maybe I don’t — at this point — feel anything differently yet. I haven’t had anything told to me that anything’s different.”

The good news for the Orioles is there are no indications that Bundy is dealing with an injury that will lead to Tommy John surgery since the elbow appears sound by all accounts, but concern will exist until the club receives further feedback from Dr. Andrews. And that name is often — but not always — synonymous with bad news when it comes to the prognosis of a pitcher.

NOTES: Right-hander Josh Stinson will make the start in the series finale against Toronto on Wednesday afternoon. He was claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics on April 4, which was the third time he was placed on waivers in a year’s time. … Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada threw four innings and struck out six in an extended spring outing in Sarasota. He threw 69 pitches and hasn’t experienced any setbacks, according to Showalter. The Japanese pitcher is on track to return at the end of May or the beginning of June after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. … Second baseman Brian Roberts continues to make improvement, but the 35-year-old has yet to resume baseball-related activities. The original hope was that Roberts would be able to return in three or four weeks from the time of the injury on April 4, but it’s becoming abundantly clear that timetable was too optimistic. … All signs point to right-handed relief pitcher Alex Burnett being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Stinson on the 25-man roster before Wednesday’s game. He was recalled to take Jake Arrieta’s roster spot on Monday.

When you see a meme or GIF image posted @WNST on Twitter, it was regularly posted by me. I often know the source of the meme/gif or sometimes make them on my own, but regularly see one being passed around via Facebook or Twitter (I admittedly haven’t gotten involved in Reddit just yet but know it makes me a dinosaur) where the source cannot be identified.

So when I post them on our account, I’ll often say something like “take credit if yours.” It’s my little way of saying “I don’t know the origin of this, but if I find out soon I’ll be sure to offer credit where the credit is deserved.” Many times that leads to a direct response from the creator of said image which allows me to send out another message offering credit to the person who is deserving. It’s an imperfect science as we all continue to learn about social media etiquette, but it has proved effective thus far.

Sadly, there’s a well known idiom that dates back perhaps as much as a century whose creator seems unknown. I can’t imagine social media will be of any help this time.

The idiom is “hindsight is 20/20.”

It’s a very simply concept. 20/20 is nominal vision, as a person standing 20 feet from someone reads it as if they were standing 20 feet from the object. “Hindsight is 20/20″ reflects the notion that when you look back on something that already occurred, it can always be seen in ideal vision. I’m not certain what level of vision someone would be described as having in foresight, but I would tend to doubt it would even be as good as 20/40.

The idiom was fresh in my mind while watching Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Jake Arrieta crumble in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arrieta walked OF Skip Schumaker and OF Carl Crawford on four pitches each, sandwiching a plunking of SS Justin Sellers between. The passes brought Arrieta’s BB total to five for the day (while recording only 12 outs). A Mark Ellis two run single would end Arrieta’s outing, his line would show five earned runs after being handed four runs over the first four innings by his own offense.

For Arrieta, the story has been all too familiar this season. In four starts, he has allowed 16 BB and 14 earned runs. The lack of control and elevated pitch counts have lead to the starter pitching an average of just under five innings per start (19 total innings pitched), however remarkably the Birds have gone 3-1 in the span.

Following Sunday’s start, O’s manager Buck Showalter described the pitcher’s issues as being emotional. “Emotions effect mechanics” the skipper noted, comparing Arrieta’s emotional state to putters in golf who struggle when overwhelmed. Arrieta described his lack of control Sunday as “frustrating”, “unacceptable” and flat out “bad”. He noted “this isn’t me…this really isn’t something I’ve ever done at this rate” in terms of free passes.

To his credit, he’s right. To his discredit, it doesn’t matter.

Showalter and GM Dan Duquette now have a difficult decision to make regarding their struggling starter. Arrieta still has options left, meaning they could make a move in the coming days to bring up a starter from Norfolk (they have a decision to make Wednesday already following their doubleheader Saturday). Such a move would perhaps allow Arrieta to get back to the AAA level and work on his control, but it would seem obvious that the starter would likely dominate a lower level of hitting.

(Continued on Page 2…)

It’s downright scary to think Orioles third baseman Manny Machado still can’t buy a beer legally.

Yes, it’s a tired cliché used for virtually any young professional athlete enjoying success beyond his years, but it’s a context to which most of us can relate. Every time you watch Machado thrive like he did Saturday night against the Dodgers or in Boston where he hit a three-run homer to lead Baltimore to a comeback win earlier this month, just remember he’s more than two months away from his 21st birthday on July 7.

Center fielder Adam Jones nicknamed him the “Baby Face Assassin” after that game-winning blow at Fenway Park.

Perhaps the biggest compliment we could pay Machado at this point is that you expect him to be successful even though we remember how challenging the game can be, regardless of age.

He was born three months after Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened and made an immediate impact in the 20th anniversary of the cherished ballpark. Machado was still in junior high when right fielder Nick Markakis — not exactly someone you view to be “old” by any means — made his major league debut in 2006.

But there the 2010 first-round pick was again on Saturday, hitting a three-run homer and an RBI double to lead the Orioles to a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instead of relishing in the performance, Machado appeared relieved to put what he described as several recent subpar games at the plate behind him.

Shy and reserved when talking to reporters, Machado comes across as a teammate simply wanting to blend in despite being viewed as the franchise player of the future.

“You know I just think the more at-bats I get, the more comfortable I am at the plate,” Machado said. “It comes with experience. This game is all about experience.”

Machado’s right, so how is he finding so much success without that much-needed experience?

He was called up from Double-A Bowie last August — in the midst of a pennant race — to man a position he’d played all of two games in the minor leagues. The lifelong shortstop has proceeded to look as though he’s played the hot corner his entire life, using a cannon of a throwing arm and barehanded picks masterfully at the position. The only question now is whether the Orioles will resist moving him back to shortstop at some point in the next year or two.

Asked to hit in the No. 2 hole this year after hitting toward the bottom of the lineup in the final two months of his rookie season, Machado entered Sunday’s action hitting .268 with two home runs and 11 runs batted in. His .307 on-base percentage doesn’t exactly scream top-of-the-order hitter just yet, but the 6-foot-2 right-handed hitter shows flashes of good patience and puts together enough at-bats to instill confidence that he will handle a higher spot in the order moving forward.

Machado dropped a key bunt in the 10th inning of Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay that hugged the first-base line so closely that he reached base with a single and eventually scored on Matt Wieters’ walk-off grand slam. He said after the game he could recall only one time in his minor-league career in which he was directed to drop a sacrifice bunt, but the 6-foot-2 infielder has been working on the craft throughout his time with the organization.

“I think about that as development,” manager Buck Showalter said. “All the people in the farm system who don’t let him not be good at that. Everybody thinks he’s got a chance to be a run producer. That’s something that — it’s not their fault — it’s our fault if they don’t come up here with that.”

Anything the club asks, Machado does — even if it isn’t always flawless.

He still has at-bats and certain days against pitchers in which he looks overmatched, but those moments of failure appear less frequently as time goes on.

Machado had a moment Saturday in which he attempted the deke he used famously against Tampa Bay last season in which he threw out a runner at third base, but it didn’t work this time against the Dodgers and allowed a runner to reach first base in the process.

But then you remember once again he’s 20 years old, a point in his development in which most players — even very talented ones — are toiling at Single A and only dreaming of making such bold defensive plays against major league players.

Machado’s three-run shot Saturday came on the same night in which the Orioles remembered the late Earl Weaver, the man who loved that particular scoring play. Even though the third baseman was born more than five years after Weaver managed his final game in 1986, you know the Hall of Fame skipper would be impressed with Machado’s continue development.

As for that elusive beer, Machado won’t ever need to worry about buying one in this town if he continues on the same track.

More than a few Orioles fans will be willing to pick up the tab.

When he’s old enough, of course.

BALTIMORE — It’s safe to say Buck Showalter won’t be sending New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan any Orioles tickets for his comments criticizing the club for failing to move their Sept. 5 game to accommodate the Ravens in the NFL’s season-opening game.

The former Ravens defensive coordinator expressed his dissatisfaction with the Super Bowl XLVII champions’ inability to open the season at home as has become the custom over the last decade. Ryan went as far as suggesting that the Orioles should have just played in Chicago instead of hosting the White Sox that night, citing that it’s not a big deal considering major league teams play 81 home games.

While Ryan’s ties to Baltimore made it acceptable for him to share his disappointment over the situation, Showalter took exception to the New York coach’s suggestion that the Orioles simply give up a home game. To be clear, the Orioles manager was asked to respond to Ryan’s comments prior to the start of the club’s three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, but it seemed more than coincidental that Showalter knew the exact date of the Jets’ visit to Baltimore this coming season.

“I’d be a little more concerned about Nov. 24 when the Jets come here and trying to figure out a way to beat the Ravens, wouldn’t you?” said Showalter, who put the dates of the Ravens home games in his personal planner in hopes of attending one or two like he did last season. “I think that would be a little bit more of a challenge.

“I try to stay out of things that I don’t know about, like I don’t know about the NFL scheduling and the NFL challenges. That would be my advice. I would stay in what is my area of supposed expertise.”

Considering Ryan’s on shaky ground in New York with the Jets having missed the postseason in each of the last two years, many will find humor in Showalter’s use of the word “supposed” — intentional or not — with many wondering if the fifth-year coach will survive the 2013 season.

In the the Thursday conference call, Ryan expressed his continued fondness for Baltimore where he spent 10 years as a defensive line coach and defensive coordinator, but this was a subject he had no business broaching in such confrontational detail and with the complications being above his pay grade.

“Well, who really cares, you’ve got 81 at home, maybe you could have done the right thing and given one up and then played 82 on the road and then 80 at home,” Ryan said. “I really don’t think people are going to care about that game.

“Certainly, I can understand, if baseball only had a 16-game schedule you might understand it. But when they have 162 games, you might just [have] common courtesy and say, you know what, maybe I’ll play this one on the road or whatever.”

The conflict over the Sept. 5 date sparked much debate, polarizing many fans who elected to side with either the Orioles or the Ravens, but Ryan’s suggestion of simply giving up a home game is absurd for a club holding playoff aspirations after their first postseason appearance in 15 years last season.

Needless to say, it will be intriguing to see if Showalter circles the Jets’ trip to M&T Bank Stadium as one of the games he attends this fall. There certainly won’t be any doubt which team he’ll be rooting for.

To hear Showalter’s response to Ryan’s criticism, click HERE.

BALTIMORE — With Tampa Bay lefty Matt Moore taking the hill against the Orioles on Wednesday night, manager Buck Showalter has altered his regular lineup in the second game of the series.

Switch-hitter Alexi Casilla will start at second base instead of Ryan Flaherty, but Nate McLouth will remain in left field in lieu of Steve Pearce earning the start as the designated hitter and Nolan Reimold moving to the outfield. In a small sample size of just two starts, Moore has actually allowed more hits to lefty bats (2-for-11) than right-handed hitters (1-for-24) and can struggle with his command against left-handed hitters. In his brief career that began in 2011, Moore is allowing right-handers to bat .229 while lefties are .238 against him.

Moore hasn’t allowed an earned run in 11 1/3 innings this season, but the 23-year-old has also walked eight batters, including six in his last start against Texas. Patience will be the theme for the approach at the plate for Orioles hitters.

With the Orioles schedule to face left-handed starters in each of the next two games following Wednesday’s tilt, Showalter didn’t want McLouth to sit for an extended period but said Pearce will be in the starting lineup on Thursday against Rays ace David Price. However, Casilla figures to see action in each of the next three games with Flaherty off to a 2-for-28 start this season.

Pitchers Steve Johnson and Tsuyoshi Wada will each throw in Sarasota on Thursday with the former expected to join a minor-league club on either a rehab assignment or an option if all goes well. The right-hander will throw four innings while Wada will toss three as he continues to make his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery.

Despite rumors of the Orioles being interested in Rangers outfielder Julio Borbon, the 27-year-old was place on waivers this afternoon as Texas’ asking price was apparently too steep. The left-handed hitting outfielder provides good speed, but he wouldn’t appear to be a dramatic upgrade over current reserve Chris Dickerson, making it unsurprising that the Orioles weren’t willing to meet the Rangers’ demand.

Now, we’ll wait to see if the Orioles put in a claim and, more importantly, are successful in acquiring him.

The struggles of reliever Pedro Strop were also a topic of discussion prior to the second game of the series. Showalter was quick to remind everyone how successful the right-handed power arm was prior to his late-season struggles a year ago.

Strop allowed two home runs in the eighth inning and is sporting a 10.80 earned run average in six appearances covering five innings. Of course, the Orioles were forced to use five relievers with starter Jake Arrieta lasting only five innings in the series opener.

“I think he’s going to do some good things for us this year,” said Showalter, who noted that Strop hadn’t pitched since Friday and wanted to give him some work. “He already has. He’s gotten some big outs already; last night wasn’t one of them. It was a pretty long chain there because we only got five innings out of our starter.”

Showalter was asked about Tuesday’s incident in which first baseman Chris Davis broke his bat over his knee after striking out, which instantly became an internet hit. The Baltimore manager clearly didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but Showalter didn’t sound as though he wanted to see a repeat performance of the move Bo Jackson made famous in the 1980s.

“I’d just like to be able to do it myself,” said Showalter before answering more seriously. “What are you going to do? It’s risky. I think I’d be more inclined [to say], ‘Let’s do something that kept us from being that mad. Maybe you can take that pitch.’ He’s not the first guy or the last guy [to do it].”

Regardless of Showalter’s feelings, here’s another look at Davis’ bat-break, courtesy of Cork Gaines:

Here are Wednesday’s lineups…

BALTIMORE
RF Nick Markakis
3B Manny Machado
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
1B Chris Davis
SS J.J. Hardy
LF Nate McLouth
DH Nolan Reimold
2B Alexi Casilla

SP Chris Tillman (0-0, 7.00 ERA)

TAMPA BAY
CF Desmond Jennings
2B Kelly Johnson
RF Ben Zobrist
3B Evan Longoria
LF Matt Joyce
DH Shelley Duncan
1B James Loney
C Jose Molina
SS Yunel Escobar

SP Matt Moore (2-0, 0.00 ERA)