Second Baseman

As Orioles position players continue to trickle in ahead of the club's first full workout Friday, one player has been noticeably absent from the team's clubhouse. And given the concussion symptoms that have limited second baseman Brian Roberts to 98 games the past two seasons, he is one of the biggest question marks in camp. On Tuesday, the switch-hitting Roberts was spotted hitting balls from a tee for about 15 minutes in the team's indoor batting cages at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

Because of lingering symptoms of a concussion suffered 16 months ago, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts most likely will be skipping next weekend's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. A club source said it was “highly doubtful” Roberts, who played in just 39 games in 2011 because of the concussion, would be at the Jan. 21 event but it “is not completely out of the realm of possibility.” Roberts was originally slated to be there, and vouchers for one of his two joint autograph sessions had sold out. But he recently informed the club that, because he has been advised by doctors the event could cause further stress, he would not be attending.

In a recent interview, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said he was feeling better than he had at any time in the past six months. The two-time All-Star, in Baltimore for the first time since leaving the team in June after suffering a concussion in a game against Boston on May 16 th , said he had just experienced a two-week span free of symptoms for the first time since the incident. “We have friends who tell me they can't believe how much better I look than I did even in September,” he said last week.

The Orioles keep dismissing the spoiler angle, stressing there is no burning desire to beat contenders down the stretch. Ultimately, in the final stanza of another disappointing season, these victory-starved Orioles simply want to win, no matter whom they play. It just so happens that their recent triumphs are coming against clubs fighting for the postseason, like Tuesday's 7-5 comeback against the Boston Red Sox. "Just the situation they are in and our situation, it's a little added bonus," said first baseman Mark Reynolds, who had two hits, including a two-run single, in his first game since getting plunked in the head Saturday.

It is only about a 45-minute ride from Brian Roberts' house in Sarasota to Tropicana Field, but the trip represented yet another difficult hurdle in the veteran second baseman's return from a concussion. "It was a huge step for me to get in the car," said Roberts, whose voice cracked several times Friday as he talked with reporters while seated next to Orioles manager Buck Showalter. The 33-year-old was around some of his teammates for one of the first times since he last played May 16. "I don't mean that in a negative way. I mean that because I take a lot of pride in wanting to be here, doing what I'm supposed to be doing, and [Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos]

In the midst of what he called the "toughest stint" of his career, Orioles veteran second baseman Brian Roberts isn't sure whether he'll play baseball again this season, but he remains confident that he'll be a productive member of the team in the future. "Through the whole process, I certainly want people to understand that there's nobody more frustrated than I am, there's nobody that loves playing the game of baseball still more than I do," Roberts said in a phone interview with The Baltimore Sun and MLB.com.

The names Roberto Alomar and Pat Gillick conjure memories of the last good days the Orioles have had, days when the playoffs were not foreign, mysterious territory. As the former Orioles second baseman and the club's ex-general manager prepare to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on Sunday, they looked back fondly on their days in Baltimore and offered perspective on the state of the franchise. Alomar, an Oriole from 1996 to 1998, was an All-Star in all three seasons. He helped lead the team to the playoffs in 1996 and 1997, the Orioles losing in the American League Championship Series both years.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts was not cleared Tuesday to begin baseball activities during his third appointment with concussion specialist Dr. Michael Collins , a development that pushes back his return to the team's lineup until late July at the earliest. Roberts, who hasn't played since May 16, when he started getting headaches after sliding headfirst into first base to beat out a game-starting infield single against the Boston Red Sox, will be evaluated in two more weeks.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts , who hasn't played since incurring concussion symptoms after sliding headfirst into first base May 16, has been shut down from baseball activities for at least two more weeks. Roberts was re-examined by sports concussion specialist Dr. Michael Collins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, and, though he can begin cardio and weight work soon, the leadoff man will not pick up a baseball for two more weeks, at the earliest. "I wouldn't call it bad news," manager Buck Showalter said.

When Nathan Pitts Jr. walked onto the baseball field at Digital Harbor, coach Dave Verdi knew he had a special player. Just how good, however, didn't become completely clear until near the end of this season. That's when Verdi decided to calculate Pitts' batting average and discovered his second baseman was in the process of setting the state single-season record. Pitts wrapped up his season at .721. Verdi is collecting all of the game scorecards for verification with the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association.