FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Nonroster right-hander Brad Hennessey was looking to open some eyes with yesterday's starting assignment in the Orioles' Grapefruit League opener against the New York Mets at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. Now, he just has to hope he hasn't already closed the book on his opportunity to win a place in the major league rotation.
Hennessey couldn't finish his second inning and had to leave the game with a sore right elbow. He was examined by Orioles orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens and is hoping he was simply the victim of first-outing fatigue, but it certainly was not the way he or the Orioles wanted to begin the exhibition season.
"Hopefully, it's not too serious," he said. "Hopefully, I'm going to be fine and get back out there in the near future. It was tough warming up for the second inning, and it just got worse from there. Hopefully, there's no ligament damage. We'll see how it feels when I wake up tomorrow."
Hennessey is trying to revive his career after struggling through a difficult 2008 season with the San Francisco Giants and Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. He was 1-2 with a 7.81 ERA in 17 appearances in the majors. He signed a minor league contract with the Orioles but came into camp considered a legitimate contender to win one of the three open slots in the rotation.
New York Mets starter Sean Green also left the game early with an injury, facing just four batters before a crack in the nail on his middle finger forced him off the mound.
Looking at new guys
Orioles manager Dave Trembley lightheartedly bristled at questions before the game about his lineup, which included only three regulars - Adam Jones, Luke Scott and Gregg Zaun.
"We want to see the new guys play," he said. "It's a long spring training. For me, it's important that [Cesar] Izturis and [Brian] Roberts and [Melvin] Mora and [Aubrey] Huff get in a lot of fundamental work in the back and they bond, getting to know each other, working on the little things that are going to be a big part of our game - infield defense, bunting, base running, a lot of the fundamentals."
He said the loss of infielders Mora and Izturis to the World Baseball Classic also has affected his plans for the lineup early in the exhibition season.
"We're losing Mora and Izturis on [Sunday], so as much practice time as I can give those guys is to our benefit," he said. "I think you'll see that when we're all playing the game, they'll be playing at the same time. That will be the set - Huff, Roberts, Izturis and Mora. You'll probably see that tomorrow."
