Shoulder Surgery

- Former Orioles' first-roundpick Matt Hobgood, who has battled ineffectiveness and injury in his brief pro career, will have right rotator-cuff surgery on April 2 and is expected to miss all of the 2012 season. The 21-year-old Hobgood, whom the Orioles selected in the first round (fifth overall) in 2009, was shut down earlier this month with shoulder discomfort, something that previously has hampered him in his career. He was examined by Dr. Craig Morgan earlier this week and surgery to repair the shoulder was recommended, according to John Stockstill, the Orioles director of player development.

Orioles first-base prospect Tyler Townsend, a Delaware native who was the organization's third-round pick in 2009 out of Florida International, is hurt again and has no set timetable for returning to action. Townsend, 24, injured his right wrist in the offseason and entered minor league camp with that injury, according to a team official. He's now dealing with a hip flexor and has not been able to play in games. Once considered among the system's best power prospects, Townsend has been riddled with injuries and played in just 68 games last season - although he had six homers in 21 games for Double-A Bowie last year.

While other Orioles pitchers head to different fields to throw bullpen sessions or work on their fielding and pickoff moves, Brandon Erbe stays off to the side and plays catch with an athletic trainer. It is a tedious and, at times, frustrating routine for the pitcher, but it's also a necessary one if the former McDonogh standout hopes to rebound from shoulder surgery and get to the big leagues. "It's tough because you want to get back as soon as possible," said Erbe, a 23-year-old right-hander who had surgery to repair a torn labrum in mid-August.

- Former Orioles' first-roundpick Matt Hobgood, who has battled ineffectiveness and injury in his brief pro career, will have right rotator-cuff surgery on April 2 and is expected to miss all of the 2012 season. The 21-year-old Hobgood, whom the Orioles selected in the first round (fifth overall) in 2009, was shut down earlier this month with shoulder discomfort, something that previously has hampered him in his career. He was examined by Dr. Craig Morgan earlier this week and surgery to repair the shoulder was recommended, according to John Stockstill, the Orioles director of player development.

A Ravens player will undergo shoulder surgery this week, but it won't be linebacker Ray Lewis. The Ravens announced that quarterback Kyle Boller will have arthroscopic surgery today to clean up damaged tissue in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Boller, who was named the Ravens' starter last month, is not expected to miss any minicamps. Lewis, however, will have surgery on his thumb Wednesday, a team spokesman said. There had been talk that the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year would need a minor operation on his right shoulder, which was stabilized by a harness for the final month of the season.

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Despite winning his past six decisions and being named UPI's Comeback Player of the Year in 1991, some wonder whether Orel Hershiser will be the same pitcher he was before undergoing radical shoulder surgery in 1990.Hershiser isn't bothered by the skepticism. He wonders, too."If one day I pronounce I'm back as far as the form of 1985 or 1988 . . . that's such a huge statement," the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander said Wednesday during a 3-0 loss to Montreal. "I don't know if that would happen.

The Orioles are confident All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar will be ready for spring training after undergoing arthroscopic surgery earlier this month to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.Alomar underwent the surgery Nov. 14 in Los Angeles after enduring the condition for the season's final four months. The procedure, which Orioles officials anticipated would be needed, involved tightening the labrum via a staple. The labrum is the cartilage that surrounds the shoulder socket.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick had two more hits yesterday. He raised his spring average to .318 and gave no outward indication that his first three weeks of spring training have been anything but good. It is not that simple, of course. Bordick, who is working his way back from shoulder surgery, still can't say he feels like a new man. The strength in his shoulder is improving steadily, but it is on its own schedule. "There's always that process," he said yesterday.

VIERA, Fla. - Beau Hale, the Orioles' first-round draft pick in 2000, will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and might not pitch this season. Hale underwent a magnetic resonance imaging test on the shoulder last week, and was examined Sunday by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Charles Silberstein at the minor-league complex in Sarasota, Fla. No date has been announced for the surgery, which executive vice president Jim Beattie described as "exploratory." "They saw something on the MRI and they want to take a look and see what it is," Beattie said.

There was no imaginable reason the Orioles would want to keep Alan Mills for 1996, and every reason to believe they'd dump him. At least that's what Mills figured.The pitcher had a terrible season and underwent shoulder surgery, and teams rarely invite back damaged goods. As the December deadline for teams to tender contracts approached, Mills assumed he wouldn't hear from the Orioles. "I thought there was no way I'd be back," he said.But the third week of December, a fat envelope arrived in the mail -- a 1996 Orioles contract.

Former Orioles top pick Matt Hobgood, who has battled ineffectiveness and injury in his brief pro career, will have right rotator-cuff surgery April 2 and is expected to miss all of the 2012 season. The 21-year-old Hobgood, whom the Orioles selected in the first round (fifth overall) in 2009, was shut down earlier this month with shoulder discomfort, something that previously has hampered him in his career. He was examined by Dr. Craig Morgan earlier this week and surgery to repair the shoulder was recommended, according to John Stockstill, the Orioles' director of player development.

Luke Scott would have made at least $6 million in arbitration - and likely more - if the Orioles had offered him a contract this offseason. They didn't, primarily because he was coming off season-ending surgery and they thought it would be a risk to invest that much into a 33-year-old with a repaired right shoulder. They never made him a formal offer during the offseason either. Their American League East counterparts, the Tampa Bay Rays, apparently weren't as worried -- giving Scott a guaranteed $6 million in his new contract.

Suspended senior Maryland receivers Ronnie Tyler and Quintin McCree will be allowed to return beginning Saturday against Towson, and they will start, coach Randy Edsall said Sunday. But the Terps — who have lost the past two games — will be missing starting safety Matt Robinson , who will undergo shoulder surgery and is out for the season. Robinson, who started Saturday's 38-7 loss to Temple, entered the game second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles (11.5 per game)

With his right shoulder not improving as much as he would like, Orioles left fielder Luke Scott will be shut down for a couple of days, but he still hasn't abandoned hope of playing again this season. "Hopefully, it'll just be a couple more days. That's my goal. The goal was to be ready today, and just after these first two games, I'm just not ready to play yet. But I'm working to get there," said Scott, who played in two rehabilitation games for Double-A Bowie, going 2-for-6 with a homer and two strikeouts.

• Cornell attackman Rob Pannell is expected to play against Dartmouth on Saturday after injuring his shoulder against Penn last week, team spokesperson Julie Greco said. He left the game for about 10 minutes but returned in the second half of the Big Red's win. • Bucknell midfielder/attackman Billy Eisenreich is expected to miss one or two weeks after a shoulder injury. He hurt it against Lafayette on March 19 and did not play this week against Penn State. Eisenreich missed most of the fall recovering from shoulder surgery.

• GIANTS : Closer Brian Wilson strained his left oblique, his second setback this spring. Manager Bruce Bochy called the injury "mild," and Wilson said he'll be ready for the start of the regular season. Bochy said he was concerned and would address the issue after Wilson is re-evaluated Monday. Wilson was sidelined by a stiff lower back earlier this spring.   • BREWERS : Starter Shaun Marcum got a good report on his right shoulder.

Orioles first-base prospect Tyler Townsend, a Delaware native who was the organization's third-round pick in 2009 out of Florida International, is hurt again and has no set timetable for returning to action. Townsend, 24, injured his right wrist in the offseason and entered minor league camp with that injury, according to a team official. He's now dealing with a hip flexor and has not been able to play in games. Once considered among the system's best power prospects, Townsend has been riddled with injuries and played in just 68 games last season - although he had six homers in 21 games for Double-A Bowie last year.

Former Orioles top pick Matt Hobgood, who has battled ineffectiveness and injury in his brief pro career, will have right rotator-cuff surgery April 2 and is expected to miss all of the 2012 season. The 21-year-old Hobgood, whom the Orioles selected in the first round (fifth overall) in 2009, was shut down earlier this month with shoulder discomfort, something that previously has hampered him in his career. He was examined by Dr. Craig Morgan earlier this week and surgery to repair the shoulder was recommended, according to John Stockstill, the Orioles' director of player development.

While other Orioles pitchers head to different fields to throw bullpen sessions or work on their fielding and pickoff moves, Brandon Erbe stays off to the side and plays catch with an athletic trainer. It is a tedious and, at times, frustrating routine for the pitcher, but it's also a necessary one if the former McDonogh standout hopes to rebound from shoulder surgery and get to the big leagues. "It's tough because you want to get back as soon as possible," said Erbe, a 23-year-old right-hander who had surgery to repair a torn labrum in mid-August.

INDIANS: Free agent reliever Chad Durbin is close to signing a one-year contract, multiple news outlets reported. ESPN.com said the deal is for $800,000 with $1 million in incentives. Durbin, 33, who spent the last three seasons with the Phillies, will report to camp Sunday for a physical.   ROYALS: An MRI of RHP Henry Barrera's elbow revealed a bone bruise and strained flexor but no structural damage. Barrera threw only three pitches in an intrasquad game Friday before walking off the mound in pain.