Adam Loewen

MINNEAPOLIS -- Injured Orioles left-hander Adam Loewen likely won't be back with the club until the end of the month and might initially return as a reliever. Loewen, who has been on the disabled list since April 25 with left elbow soreness, threw 27 pitches in one inning yesterday during an extended spring training game at the club's complex in Sarasota, Fla. Orioles manager Dave Trembley said Loewen, 24, will stay there Saturday and pitch several innings in a simulated game before going on a rehabilitation assignment.

Before the season began, Orioles manager Dave Trembley predicted that catcher Ramon Hernandez would make a huge comeback from a disappointing, injury-marred 2007 season. So far, Trembley doesn't look as if he will be headlining a Vegas act. Hernandez is hitting .218 after going 0-for-3 last night. He has collected hits in seven of his past 11 games, but his average hasn't risen above .229 in that span. "I'm not thinking about that right now," he said. "I told myself, every time I step to the plate, I need to have a good at-bat.

Orioles pitcher Adam Loewen had a magnetic resonance imaging on his left elbow after leaving his most recent start in the third inning because of persistent soreness. He also had a CT scan. And while the Orioles prepared to take batting practice Tuesday, Loewen underwent a bone scan on the same arm that came back clear. Are there any more tests out there? Just wait until tomorrow, when the Orioles purchase a home pregnancy kit. If the stick turns blue, Loewen won't return to the rotation for nine months.

The Orioles placed prized left-hander Adam Loewen on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, and I'm guessing everybody is thinking pretty much the same thing I am right now: "I knew there had to be something physically wrong with him." We all suspected it, and there was plenty of evidence, but the kid is a gamer and he told us he was OK and we believed him instead of our eyes. There wasn't much else to do. His velocity was OK, so it was easy enough to chalk up his control problems to the normal post-injury process during which the injured appendage gets gradually stronger and the injured pitcher gradually regains confidence in his ability to do the same things he did before he got hurt.

A recap of the Orioles' 3-2 win over the Mariners on Wednesday night: CABRERA IN CONTROL When Daniel Cabrera beat the New York Yankees in his previous outing, holding them to two runs over six innings, the big question was could he do it again. He certainly could. Cabrera produced his third straight strong start, holding the Mariners to two runs in eight innings, the longest outing for an Orioles starter this year. Cabrera got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth inning by allowing just one run, and he retired 15 of the next 16 batters he faced.

TODAY At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Jeremy Guthrie (0-1, 4.38) vs. Mariners' Felix Hernandez (2-0, 1.47) TOMORROW At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Daniel Cabrera (1-0, 5.16) vs. Mariners' Carlos Silva (3-0, 2.79) THURSDAY At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Adam Loewen (0-1, 6.32) vs. Mariners' Jarrod Washburn (1-2, 3.50) FRIDAY At White Sox, 8:11 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Brian Burres (2-1, 3.63) vs. White Sox's Mark Buehrle (1-2, 5.96)

TOMORROW At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Jeremy Guthrie (0-1, 4.38) vs. Mariners' Felix Hernandez (2-0, 1.47) WEDNESDAY At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Daniel Cabrera (1-0, 5.16) vs. Mariners' Carlos Silva (3-0, 2.79) THURSDAY At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Adam Loewen (0-1, 6.32) vs. Mariners' Jarrod Washburn (1-2, 3.50) FRIDAY At White Sox, 8:11 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Brian Burres (2-1, 3.63) vs. White Sox's Mark Buehrle (1-2, 5.96)

Most important to Adam Loewen, the Orioles rallied to win Thursday night's game against the Chicago White Sox. But the left-hander really wanted a chance to bat in the 10th inning. The Orioles ran out of bench players, so manager Dave Trembley sent Aubrey Huff to play third base and shifted Melvin Mora to shortstop. Closer George Sherrill was scheduled to bat before Adam Jones singled to drive in the winning run, but he never would have made it to the plate. Trembley wanted a more experienced hitter in that situation, so Loewen and Steve Trachsel began getting loose.