Jake Arrieta

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Orioles. 58.9 -- the number of saves Orioles closer Jim Johnson is on pace for this season. Jim Johnson got his 12th save in Tuesday night's 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, tying him for second in baseball behind Jason Grilli of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Johnson has converted all 12 save opportunities in 2013. We are nearing the quarter pole of the 2013 season, and Johnson is on pace to record more than 50 saves for a second straight season (he had a club-record 51 in 2012)

The Orioles have not specified the schedule for Miguel Gonzalez yet. Gonzalez threw a side session this morning and indicated things went fine with the blister on his right thumb. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said it is still a possibility that he could fill the Orioles' need for Tuesday's open rotation spot, but said the club is more focused on making sure he is 100 percent healthy. Jake Arrieta had some tightness in his shoulder when he began a throwing session Tuesday at Triple-A Norfolk, but that subsided as he continued to throw fastballs.

The expectation is that some time Saturday it'll become official that Opening Day starter Jake Arrieta has been sent to Triple-A Norfolk. The numbers show why. He is 2-8 with a 6.32 ERA. He leads the majors in losses. He's dropped his last six decisions in a span of seven starts. He is 1-5 with a 7.85 ERA in seven home starts. He allowed career highs in hits (11) and runs (9) in Friday's 9-6 loss, and he pitched just four innings. After the game, Arrieta admitted to reporters that he is lost, and is more frustrated than he has ever been.

Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez, who has not pitched since developing a deep blister on his right thumb May 3 in Anaheim, is getting closer to appearing in a big league game. Gonzalez threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday, the last few without a bandage covering the thumb (he won't be able to use a covering in a game). He said he came out feeling “really good.” “The ball was coming out good,” Gonzalez said. “The breaking pitches were fine. I was pretty happy about my performance.” Gonzalez is next scheduled to pitch in a simulated game Friday afternoon at Camden Yards so that the team can best control the environment.

Right-hander Jake Arrieta, who was sent down after four excruciatingly erratic starts with the Orioles, pitched well in his first two starts for Triple-A Norfolk. Last night, his third start with the Tides did not go quite as well. The 27-year-old took the loss after allowing five runs, four of them earned, and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. One of those runs came when Buffalo's Anthony Gose straight up stole home plate on him. Here's the video: Your browser does not support iframes.

You've seen it before. Way too many times before. Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta has an outing in which he looks great in spurts and terrible in spurts. It happened again Sunday in a 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had three perfect innings. The other two were disasters. And he ended up coughing up the lead in the fifth. Arrieta shouldered the blame. And that's not a problem. Arrieta's not afraid to point the finger at himself. He's also not afraid to work hard, to try and turn things around.

TORONTO -- Orioles Opening Day starter Jake Arrieta has returned to Baltimore and is expected to be recalled when the team returns home from its six-game road trip and opens a seven-game homestand Thursday against the Yankees. Arrieta has been working out with Double-A Bowie the past two days after starting Triple-A Norfolk's season finale. Arrieta was optioned to Norfolk on July 5 after going 3-9 with a 6.13 ERA in 18 starts for the Orioles. He has pitched well in Triple-A.

The Orioles have not specified the schedule for Miguel Gonzalez yet. Gonzalez threw a side session this morning and indicated things went fine with the blister on his right thumb. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said it is still a possibility that he could fill the Orioles' need for Tuesday's open rotation spot, but said the club is more focused on making sure he is 100 percent healthy. Jake Arrieta had some tightness in his shoulder when he began a throwing session Tuesday at Triple-A Norfolk, but that subsided as he continued to throw fastballs.

I appreciate a good beard when I see one -- maybe it's because I can't grow one above my neck -- so I am bummed out to see that Orioles starter Jake Arrieta had shaved off his amazing Al Borland beard from FanFest. In case you missed it, the beard was breathtaking .  Yes, I know it's because the Orioles have a facial hair policy, which is ridiculous. How can Koji Uehara grow sideburns like these but Arrieta can't take a page out of Brian Wilson's book ? I guess it's to avoid a situation like this one (sorry, Nick Markakis)

For the fourth consecutive time this season, Orioles starter Jake Arrieta couldn't make it to the sixth inning. Arrieta allowed five runs, all of them earned, against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. He was pulled from the game with the Orioles leading, 4-3, in the top of the fifth inning at Camden Yards. The Dodgers had runners on the corners and no outs when he left. Those two runners scored after T.J. McFarland entered the game, but they were credited to Arrieta, who is in line for the loss if the Orioles don't erase this one-run lead.

Lots of pre-game notes here in addition to the roster moves (Wei-Yin Chen to the disabled list with a strained right oblique; infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Alex Burnett recalled from Triple-A). Here goes: ** Miguel Gonzalez, currently on the disabled list with a blister on his thumb, will play catch today and if things go well could pitch in a minor league rehab game Thursday, likely at Bowie, and be a legitimate candidate for the currently “to be announced” spot in the rotation Tuesday against the New York Yankees.

Right-hander Jake Arrieta was supposed to make his fourth start with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides on Sunday, but he was scratched with a right shoulder strain that he has been dealing with since not feeling right after his last outing May 7. “I think he has some shoulder tenderness,” Showalter said. “I don't know if he'll miss a whole turn or just give him a couple of extra days.” Showalter didn't want to downplay the injury, but said the decision to skip his start was precautionary until the club learns more about what is causing the stiffness and soreness.

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Orioles. 58.9 -- the number of saves Orioles closer Jim Johnson is on pace for this season. Jim Johnson got his 12th save in Tuesday night's 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, tying him for second in baseball behind Jason Grilli of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Johnson has converted all 12 save opportunities in 2013. We are nearing the quarter pole of the 2013 season, and Johnson is on pace to record more than 50 saves for a second straight season (he had a club-record 51 in 2012)

Right-hander Jake Arrieta, who was sent down after four excruciatingly erratic starts with the Orioles, pitched well in his first two starts for Triple-A Norfolk. Last night, his third start with the Tides did not go quite as well. The 27-year-old took the loss after allowing five runs, four of them earned, and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings. One of those runs came when Buffalo's Anthony Gose straight up stole home plate on him. Here's the video: Your browser does not support iframes.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia will fill the Orioles' empty starting rotation spot Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, manager Buck Showalter said Thursday. The 36-year-old Garcia, who is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Norfolk, was scheduled to start on Saturday for the Tides, which Showalter said is one of the main reasons he's been selected to make the spot start. "His date fits well timing-wise," Showalter said. "That's what you look at first.

Wei-Yin Chen said he was “speechless” after throwing eight shutout innings Friday. He has now faced the Oakland A's three times, and is 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA in  20 2/3 innings against them. He was truly dominant on Friday. The A's hitters were completely lost. Watching Chen pitch in a chilly Oakland Coliseum, with all that extra space in foul territory and the ball not traveling well, he just looks tailor-made for this place. He throws strikes, the hitters swing and make plenty of contact.

For those of you who get all worked up about how Pedro Strop wears his cap - and I hear about this every time he takes the mound - you may want to start worrying about another Orioles pitcher right now. Yes, I'm talking about Jake Arrieta, who has issues that go well beyond wearing his cap at a crazy angle. In his fourth start of the season, the 27-year-old righty had another rough outing in the Orioles' 7-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday. And it was a major reason why the Orioles couldn't sweep the inter-league series against a Dodgers team with a $216 million payroll that seemed ripe to be put away in the first few innings.

OAKLAND, Calif - Orioles manager Buck Showalter's focus was on the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, but that doesn't mean he didn't have an eye on what was happening in Charlotte. Right-hander Jake Arrieta, who was demoted Monday after compiling a 6.63 ERA in four big league starts, made his 2013 Triple-A debut Friday night for the Norfolk Tides at the Charlotte Knights. Facing the Chicago White Sox's Triple-A affiliate, which has several former major leaguers including Brent Morel, Lars Anderson and ex-Orioles Josh Bell and Steve Tolleson, Arrieta passed his first test down below.

Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel was not particularly good on Thursday night. He struggled with his command, at one point throwing half of his 28 pitches for balls. He ended up with 104 pitches -- and only 59 for strikes. And yet he allowed just three hits, two runs (none earned) and two walks in six innings against the Oakland Athletics -- who led the majors in runs scored and on-base percentage heading into Thursday -- without being on the top of his game. Hammel may not be an ace, but he is the Orioles' No. 1 pitcher.