Elbow

An examination yesterday by renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on the left elbow of Adam Loewen revealed what the Orioles pitcher had expected. He needs season-ending surgery to fix the stress fracture in his throwing arm. As part of the procedure, which will be performed today by Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., Loewen will have a screw inserted into his elbow that will help the fracture heal quicker. Team officials said the surgery would keep Loewen from throwing for about 10 weeks, but they don't expect it to hamper his preparation for the 2008 season.

Orioles reliever Mike Fetters threw about 40 pitches off a mound in the indoor cage yesterday and remains encouraged by his progress from elbow surgery. He accompanied the team to Tampa Bay last night and could begin a rehab assignment in the minors within the next two weeks.Throwing only fastballs, Fetters said the elbow was free of the pain that had forced him on the disabled list on June 7 and required surgery two weeks later to remove bone chips and spurs. He had been scheduled for a bullpen session but was confined indoors because of rain.

ATLANTA -- A second examination of the right elbow of Orioles reliever Mike Fetters has confirmed bone chips related to tendinitis, according to a club source, and a decision is pending whether surgery will be needed.Fetters, 34, had the elbow examined by team orthopedic doctor Michael Jacobs, then received a second opinion last week from Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles."They're supposed to compare notes today," said manager Ray Miller.The discussion centered on whether surgery was required, which could keep Fetters out an additional six weeks.

Astros: The bullpen hasn't squandered a lead after the seventh inning this season. The team is 10-0 when leading after seven and 12-0 when leading after eight. Third baseman Ken Caminiti was given the night off. He was hit on the elbow by a bat in batting practice before Thursday's game against Arizona, then got three hits. The elbow swelled overnight.Braves: It was John Smoltz's first complete game since a three-hit, 4-0 win over the Mets last Sept. 6. It was Atlanta's second shutout of the season.

Orioles reliever Mike Fetters returned to Camden Yards yesterday, proclaiming his rehabilitation from right elbow surgery nearly complete and hoping to convince club officials and the training staff that he's close to being ready to pitch.Fetters has been throwing off a mound for about a week back home in Arizona. He threw 30 pitches during a workout on Friday and didn't report any discomfort, and manager Ray Miller said Fetters might have a bullpen session today."I'm ahead of schedule," Fetters said.

MIAMI -- You can second-guess his judgment and ponder his long-term health, but you can't question Mark Schlereth's heart.After 22 surgeries on six different body parts, he will line up at left guard for the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII without regret."

Will Clark will have surgery this week to remove bone chips from his left elbow, ending his first season with the Orioles with six weeks remaining and assuring career lows in most offensive categories.This is Clark's second trip to the disabled list since signing a two-year, $11 million contract over the off-season. He missed 31 games after fracturing his left thumb on April 18 and also had been kept out of the lineup because of soreness in his knee and ankle.Clark, 35, will have the surgery performed on Thursday by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. A recovery period of four to six weeks will follow.

Orioles first baseman Will Clark had his left elbow examined by team doctors yesterday, and it appears more likely that he will go on the disabled list for the second time this season.Only last night's rainout kept Clark from missing his sixth consecutive game because of soreness in the elbow that prevents him from throwing. He's able to swing the bat without discomfort, and manager Ray Miller suggested Clark could remain on the active roster as a designated hitter and pinch hitter."I don't think there's any progression as far as throwing," Miller said.

Gone but not forgotten, Orioles reliever Mike Fetters has started doing some soft tossing and reports that he's ahead of schedule in his recovery from elbow surgery.Fetters, who went on the disabled list June 7, is working with a physical therapist at his home in Gilbert, Ariz. He spoke with Orioles manager Ray Miller over the weekend and said he'd probably be able to throw off a mound in about a week."He's doing three times more than he was supposed to and the doctors are pretty excited," Miller said.

Gone but not forgotten, Orioles reliever Mike Fetters has started doing some soft tossing and reports that he's ahead of schedule in his recovery from elbow surgery.Fetters, who went on the disabled list June 7, is working with a physical therapist at his home in Gilbert, Ariz. He spoke with Orioles manager Ray Miller over the weekend and said he'd probably be able to throw off a mound in about a week."He's doing three times more than he was supposed to and the doctors are pretty excited," Miller said.

NEW YORK - - If the Orioles want to see how right-hander Koji Uehara reacts to a bullpen role, they'll have to wait until next season. With Uehara still experiencing some soreness in his right elbow, the Orioles decided to shut him down for the rest of the 2009 campaign, ending a disappointing year for the first Japanese native to play for the club. "I'm upset because I wasn't able to contribute to the team," Uehara said through his interpreter, Jiwon Bang. "It's a lot of minuses, so I can't really assess my season."

Orioles pitcher Koji Uehara could be sidelined until September after an arthrogram revealed that his lingering elbow soreness is the result of a partially torn flexor tendon. Manager Dave Trembley announced Wednesday morning that Uehara will be shut down for up to five weeks, then embark on a throwing program that could extend his absence to eight weeks or more. It's possible Uehara won't return this season. "Koji is going to be out for a while," Trembley said. "He has a partial tear in his elbow and will rest for three to five weeks.

JONES LAUNCHES ONE Center fielder Adam Jones hit a tremendous two-run home run off Cardinals pitcher Todd Wellemeyer. The ball landed on the second-story roof of the Florida Marlins' clubhouse behind left field and bounced over the building. There was a breeze blowing in that direction, but it was a legitimate moon shot - the kind Mark McGwire used to hit here during batting practice. ZAUN SCRATCHED Catcher Gregg Zaun was scratched from the starting lineup with tightness in his elbow.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - It's unclear whether there's any real cause for alarm, but the Orioles are taking no chances with pitcher Rich Hill and his sore left elbow. Though X-rays on the elbow revealed no structural problem, the left-hander was sent for a magnetic resonance imaging before yesterday's game to rule out any possibility that his arm soreness is the result of a significant injury. "He's getting the whole kit and caboodle," manager Dave Trembley said. The news was pretty good.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -The booing was the furthest thing from Danys Baez's mind. As he walked off the mound after an outing that typified his trying 2007 season, all Baez could think about was the pain in his right elbow. He didn't pitch again in 2007, his lasting memory his Sept. 12 appearance against the Los Angeles Angels in which he allowed two hits - including a homer - walked three, surrendered two earned runs and got jeered by what remained of the home crowd. Baez, 31, will finally be back on the mound in an Orioles uniform today with a surgically repaired right elbow and his eyes on a new role.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, the 2005 National League Most Valuable Player, had surgery on his troublesome right elbow, the team announced yesterday. The Cardinals said Pujols will begin his rehabilitation this week and "make his recovery" by spring training. Pujols, 28, underwent a 25-minute procedure to decompress and relocate the ulnar nerve in his right elbow, a joint that has given him problems since he strained a ligament there early in 2003. It had caused numbness, tingling in his ring finger and pinkie, weakness in his grip and pain along the inside of the forearm.

Orioles reliever Jamie Walker will not need surgery on his left elbow, his agent said yesterday. Walker spent the past two days in Birmingham, Ala., getting examined by noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. "He had his second appointment with Dr. Andrews today, and Dr. Andrews gave him a clean bill of health," said Phil Tannenbaum, Walker's agent. "He prescribed a little bit of rest and some exercises, and [Walker] should be ready to go for spring training." Walker, 37, who had been one of the most effective situational left-handers in baseball, is coming off perhaps the worst season of his major league career, which spans parts of nine seasons.

A second opinion on Daniel Cabrera's sprained right elbow revealed no further damage, Orioles president Andy MacPhail said yesterday. Cabrera, who was 8-10 with a 5.25 ERA in 30 starts before being shut down after his Sept. 13 start with elbow pain, was examined this week by University of Miami orthopedist Dr. John Uribe. MacPhail said Uribe's diagnosis "echoed" the one from team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens. "It just requires time off and rest, no surgery," MacPhail said. "It was something that was actually healing.

Team MVP: : Aubrey Huff, DH-1B. Booed in every at-bat on the Orioles' first homestand after his comments about the city in a radio interview, Huff rediscovered his stroke and established himself as the power-hitting cleanup hitter the Orioles have lacked. He finished with 32 homers and 108 RBIs and was near the top of most AL offensive rankings. : Best victory: : The Orioles had their share of comebacks early in the season, but one of them stood out, perhaps because it came against the New York Yankees.

TORONTO - Daniel Cabrera returned to Baltimore last night and will have his right elbow examined today, a development that could make him the latest Orioles pitcher to be shut down before season's end. Cabrera, who was scratched from tomorrow night's scheduled start at Yankee Stadium, felt some tingling in his elbow during his bullpen session yesterday at Rogers Centre. Orioles manager Dave Trembley said it was not in the same area Cabrera complained of discomfort last month. That led the pitcher to get a magnetic resonance imaging, which didn't reveal any structural damage.