Closer

Washington Nationals closer Drew Storen will visit renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews today for a second opinion on his right elbow, manager Davey Johnson said. Storen will almost certainly not need Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery, a typical fear when players visit Andrews. But depending on the results of Andrews' examination, Storen could miss at least half the season because of a "loose body" in his elbow and the surgery that would be required to remove it. Storen, 24, felt tenderness in his elbow Sunday while throwing a simulated game, particularly when he threw fastballs.

Orioles right-hander Kevin Gregg is not in denial. He acknowledges that it will be up to him to re-establish his late-inning credentials now that manager Buck Showalter has made it clear Jim Johnson is the full-time closer. "Ideally, my aspirations are to close," Gregg said Monday, "but I'm not blind to the situation I have in front of me here. " That situation still isn't 100 percent clear. Is he a setup man who will close on the days Johnson is not available?

Here are some highlights from Buck Showalter's pre-game media session: Showalter announced the obvious, saying that Jim Johnson would get the call today if the Orioles had the lead in the ninth. He told Johnson via text earlier this week, after congratulating him on the birth of his son. “He texted me something about the baby and something else, and I said, 'Congratulations. And by the way, you're closing.'” Showalter said. “And he said, 'Yeah, I know.' ” Johnson was delayed in the spring because of  back issues, but Showalter said he believes Johnson has returned to form.

General Assembly negotiators broke a prolonged standoff over the state budget late Thursday as the Senate agreed to spare Marylanders making under $100,000 any income tax increase. The Senate proposal did not resolve the budget issues still facing the legislature with only four days remaining before the scheduled end of its 90-day session, but it represented visible progress for the first time since face-to-face negotiations opened Monday. House Majority Leader Kumar Barve, one of the conferees on the income tax bill, praised the Senate offer and said the House team would meet to discuss it. "It's a very good-faith offer to come to the middle," said Barve, a Montgomery County Democrat.

If you are looking for a little good Orioles' news, here you go. Closer Jim Johnson, who had been dealing with back issues, pitched in consecutive games for the first time this spring and looked pretty good. In fact, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said it is the best he has looked this month. Johnson walked a batter, struck out one and got two groundouts. He threw 19 pitches, 10 for strikes, and his fastball was clocked at 94, 95 mph. “There was some unknown, he went through a little bit of an offseason that he has never done before,” Showalter said.

When Tadgh Prendeville moved from his native Ireland to Baltimore for work more than a decade ago, he couldn't play Gaelic football without going to Washington. The same was true for Lucy Clerkin in her pursuit to play camogie, or hurling for women, which the Maryland native learned while visiting her grandmother in Ireland. Eventually, Prendeville and Clerkin found themselves commuting together to Washington for weeknight practices and weekend games as members of the Washington Gaels.

Right-hander Kevin Gregg took his place in the parade of major league pitchers who worked in Sunday's "B" game, but didn't take it personally. The Orioles have to schedule extra spring games to get enough innings for all the pitchers in camp, and it wasn't like Gregg was being relegated to a lower class of competition. He pitched between possible No. 1 starter Tommy Hunter, who apparently has won his bout with lower back soreness, and left-hander Zach Britton, who was testing his injured shoulder for the first time in a game.

Gov.Martin O'Malleyis taking steps to grant clemency to two Maryland inmates serving life sentences, including a Baltimore man convicted of murder at age 14 - the first time he has proceeded that far on such an action. Aides said public notices will be posted Wednesday that the two cases are under consideration. Officials say the notices are intended to solicit public feedback, and decisions could be made by the end of the month. During his tenure as governor, O'Malley has denied early release for 57 inmates recommended for release by the state's parole commission.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureauhas the power to oversee big debt collectors and credit bureaus. Before it can do so, it has to define “big.”  The agency released its proposed rule that defines the size of institutions it will supervise. The proposal: Debt collectors with more than $10 million in annual revenue from collection activities would be under the CFPB's supervision. That's about 175 debt collection firms. It includes those that collect on behalf of others, those that buy debt and then try to collect, and lawyers who collect through lawsuits.

The threat of an Israeli strike against Iran'snuclear facilities ratcheted up a notch last week when Israel'sdefense minister, Ehud Barak, issued new warnings that time was running out to stop Tehran's drive to build a bomb. If Israel waits much longer, Mr. Barak told a security conference in Jerusalem, it would no longer have the option of destroying the Iranian weapons program before it disappeared into newly constructed mountain bunkers where it would be invulnerable to attack. Israel's escalating rhetoric is understandable: The nation's leaders have good reason to fear a nuclear-armed Iran would act on its vows to destroy the Jewish state.