Hamstring Injury

Coming up as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning Monday night whet the appetite of Chris Hoiles.Last night was the feast. His first start for the Orioles since going on the disabled list July 17 with a strained left hamstring. Back in his customary position behind the plate. Batting seventh, he would see whether he could settle back into the same groove as before the injury, when he had hit safely in eight of nine games, going 12-for-30 with four doubles and two home runs.His average had crept up to .208 after reaching a low of .171.

Don't sign him. Don't even make him another offer. The Orioles couldn't possibly want Charles Johnson, a 28-year-old catcher entering his prime. All Johnson did last night was hit a three-run homer to give the Orioles a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning, and a two-run shot to give them a 9-7 lead in the eighth. What's the warehouse reaction? Jayson Werth could have done that? Johnson's agent, the evil Scott Boras, is probably rubbing his hands in glee, knowing he soon will take one of the game's premier catchers into the free-agent market.

Ashburn, Va. -- The WWE-replica championship belt is retired. The pink high-top sneakers and the matching fuzzy hat have been missing. But lest anyone think Clinton Portis has lost his sense of humor, the Washington Redskins running back showed yesterday he hasn't lost a step as he offered a prelude to the road game against the Denver Broncos (3-1) on Sunday. Here was Portis on Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith, who said he would "knock out" Portis after he teased Smith for leaving a game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a concussion: "I think Rod's still got a concussion from two weeks ago. ... He called me, and he was talking to me as if we were married.

At the beginning of the season, when the Ravens won two in a row, this town was already buzzing about playoffs. It was way too early. But now after the Ravens beat the Houston Texans, 41-13, on Sunday, you can actually start thinking about the p-word. Go ahead, let it roll off your tongue. The picture is starting to become a little clearer. If the Ravens had lost to the Texans, there would be few scenarios remaining that had the Ravens in the postseason, even with the Indianapolis Colts knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

WASHINGTON -- When Gar Heard began his first stint as a head coach in the NBA, he had little time to prepare. Heard, then an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, was promoted after Richie Adubato had been fired 29 games into the 1992-93 season."

Brian Roberts' continuing injury saga will take on another chapter today when the Orioles second baseman visits a hamstring specialist in Dallas to determine why he is not responding as quickly as he had hoped after rupturing a tendon behind his right knee April 4. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday that Roberts has spoken on the phone with Dr. Daniel Cooper - who operated in November to remove scar tissue from the hamstring of Tampa Bay...

3/8 TC CHICAGO -- Baltimore Orioles first baseman Glenn Davis was absent from the starting lineup for the first time this year, apparently because manager Frank Robinson wanted to give him more time to recover from a nagging hamstring strain."

Andre Johnson has been described as the model for NFL wide receivers. The Ravens are inclined to agree with that claim. As the Ravens prepare for Monday night's showdown with the Houston Texans, many of the defensive players are well aware of what awaits them in the form of Johnson. "He has everything you look for when you're thinking about a prototype wide receiver," cornerback Josh Wilson said. "You want a big, tall, strong, fast guy, and that's him to a 'T.' He makes plays on the ball, and he makes great runs after the catch.

A nagging hamstring prevented Dannell Ellerbe from making his second consecutive start at inside linebacker, but Ellerbe said he is aiming to be available for the Ravens' game at the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. “Hopefully,” Ellerbe said Monday of his chances of playing in Cleveland. “Trying to. Pushing for it.” Ellerbe, who was slated to start in place of the injured Ray Lewis (toe), was replaced by Albert McClellan, who finished with four tackles in his first career start.

Frank Sanders was added to the injury report yesterday, but the Ravens veteran receiver is expected to play in Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He is listed as questionable after experiencing tightness in his hamstring. After missing the season opener with a foot injury, Sanders has three catches for 45 yards. "He should be fine for the weekend," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. Sanders said he felt soreness in his hamstring during Wednesday's warm-ups. But yesterday, he felt improvement and even played basketball before practice.