Orioles Pitcher

Orioles right-hander Jim Johnson, the favorite to win the closer job this spring, said he believes he's no more than a week behind the other pitchers as today's first spring workouts commence Johnson is slated to have a throwing session on flat ground today as part of a “trunk stabilization” program to aid his recovery from some recent lower back pain. He said he began to experience some pain early last month. “There was no (specific) incident,” Johnson said. “I just went to see the doctor and it's no big deal.

Orioles pitcher Zach Britton went into his second throwing session today feeling optimistic about the left-shoulder inflammation that's been bothering him since August. Britton, 24, threw for this first time this spring Thursday in a long-toss session. He's planning to throw again today. If all goes well, he will throw on back-to-back days for the first time Monday and Tuesday, take Wednesday off, then throw Thursday and Friday. It seems like this is just the beginning of Britton's "throwing progression," as the club called it. He threw from a mound just once this offseason and doesn't figure to do so here in camp for about two weeks.  Britton couldn't seem to shake the pain in the shoulder, despite having gone on and off anti-inflammatory medication since returning from the disabled list in last August and shutting himself down for two weeks after his first offseason throwing session.

The Orioles' new starting pitcher, Tsuyoshi Wada, likely won't make his Camden Yards debut until the first full week of April, and it won't be known for several months how well he'll make the transition from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball to major league baseball. But the first impression of the 30-year-old, soft-tossing left-hander is that he'll work to assimilate - as evidenced by his opening statement Thursday at his introductory news conference at Camden Yards, which he delivered in English.

The Orioles and representatives for Alfredo Simon said Tuesday that the pitcher has been cleared of all wrongdoing in a fatal shooting Jan. 1 in the Dominican Republic. Simon was scheduled to have a hearing Tuesday, but it was canceled and all potential charges against Simon in the death of his 25-year-old cousin, Michael Castillo Almonte, were dropped, according to Simon's representatives. Orioles director of player development John Stockstill, who has been the point man for the organization during this ordeal, spoke to Simon Tuesday afternoon and said: "He was acquitted of all wrongdoing and is very relieved.

Brian Matusz won't have to wait long to return to the Orioles' rotation. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Saturday that the struggling left-hander will oppose the New York Yankees in Monday's series opener in New York. Matusz was originally scheduled to face the Tampa Bay Rays today before he was pushed back to get another bullpen session in before his next start. "I think there are some things that him and [pitching coach Rick Adair ] continue to work on," Showalter said.

Given the number of players who have already been recalled and the hope that a few injured big leaguers will return this month, the Orioles didn't recall a wave of minor leaguers Thursday when rosters expanded. Calling it a trickle would be generous. The Orioles purchased the contracts of right-hander Rick VandenHurk and outfielder Kyle Hudson from Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday, a day after promoting lefty Zach Phillips . There were no other moves announced, although manager Buck Showalter said one more might happen soon.

Don Gerding of Rodgers Forge couldn't believe it when he heard the news that former Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan had died. "It was upsetting," he said. Gerding worked with the former Oriole pitcher the 1970s and 80s, when Flanagan did some rep work in the printing and engraving business for Dempsey & Carroll while he was still pitching at Memorial Stadium. "He was a 33rd Street phenomenon," Gerding said. Flanagan, a Cy Young Award winner who became a television announcer and top executive with the club, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday afternoon on his property in Sparks, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation into his death.

Former Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan, a Cy Young Award winner who became a television announcer and top executive with the club, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday afternoon, according to police. Flanagan had been upset about financial issues, police said Thursday. Flanagan's wife, Alex, who was out of town, had sent a neighbor to their house in the 15000 block of York Road in Sparks on Wednesday afternoon when she didn't hear from her husband. According to police, Alex had last spoken to an upset Flanagan around 1 a.m. and was concerned when he failed to call her the following day. The neighbor, unable to find Flanagan, called 911. Baltimore County police found Flanagan's body on trail about 250 feet behind his home around 4:30 p.m. Police confirmed Thursday that Flanagan, 59, appeared to have shot himself in the face, making identification difficult and causing official confirmation of his death to be delayed.

In the days leading up to Brian Matusz's return to the big leagues, Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked several times about what he was looking to see from the 24-year-old left-hander. His answer didn't include mention of the stadium radar gun, mechanics or even command. "I want to see what the A's say about it," Showalter said repeatedly. Oakland Athletics hitters took some healthy swings off Matusz, though there were small signs of progress from the Orioles pitcher despite an 8-4 loss in front of an announced 12,325 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine.     Running it back: The Orioles expected their negotiations with Dylan Bundy to go right down to Monday night's midnight deadline, and it did, but they got the deal done (the Orioles signed two other top targets , too).