Triple A

Just after the clock reached 2 a.m. on the east coast early Friday morning, the Orioles' leash on struggling Opening Day starter Jake Arrieta snapped. Following his second straight outing of a season-worst 3 2/3 innings, Arrieta became the third member of the Orioles' Opening Day starting rotation to be told, 'It's not good enough,' and sent to Triple-A Norfolk. Arrieta (3-9, 6.13 ERA) probably had more chances that Tommy Hunter and Brian Matusz before him, simply because of his performance this spring to earn the Opening Day starter nod. But following Thursday's 9-7 loss to the Angels, Arrieta - undoubtedly one of the most thoughtful players on the Orioles roster -- couldn't make a solid case to make another start.

As the Orioles packed up for their final road trip of a surprising first half Sunday evening, left-hander Brian Matusz was left behind, the obvious casualty of a club - and a starting rotation - that is seemingly wilting as the summer progresses. Matusz, in a funk for his past five starts, secured a trip to Triple-A Norfolk by failing to get through the fifth in a 6-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians - the Orioles' ninth defeat in their past 12 games. “In my last five, six outings [I]

The Orioles made an additional roster move tonight, optioning RHP Tommy Hunter to Triple-A Norfolk. Hunter is 3-4 with a 6.11 ERA (81.01 IP, 55 ER) in 15 games for the Orioles. He had 13 starts. Hunter made a relief appearance on Saturday in an 11-5 loss against the Cleveland Indians. He allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings. He threw 51 pitches. The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly reports, Miguel Gonzalez is expected to be promoted.

The D-Train starting era began at Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday It didn't last long. Veteran lefty Dontrelle Willis, making his first start for the Tides, lasted just 2 2/3 innings. He gave up four earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four batters against Columbus, the Cleveland Indians' top affiliate. He threw 70 pitches, only 43 for strikes. Not exactly what the Orioles or Willis were looking for considering Dontrelle-Gate back in April. The Orioles signed the affable 30-year-old to be a situational reliever in March after he was cut by the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Orioles will try to salvage one game from the Angels tonight in the end of this brief two-game series against the Halos. Jason Hammel (8-2, 2.61), who hasn't allowed an earned run in his past 19 innings, takes the mound for the Orioles. He will face Angels right-hander Jered Weaver (7-1, 2.40), who threw a no-hitter May 2. Before the game, the Orioles optioned utility man Steve Tolleson to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for right-handed reliever Matt Lindstrom, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list (right middle finger)

Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold will have surgery to remove a bulging disk in his neck and have his spine fused Monday morning. And although he holds out hope he could return by the end of the season, Reimold likely will be out for the rest of the year. "I think it is possible, if everything works out, that's a possible, best-case scenario," Reimold said of returning in 2012. "I am resigned to the fact I need to get the surgery and I need to do my rehab until I feel like I am able to play at this level again.

Jamie Moyer made his third start for Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday night, allowing one run on three hits in four innings against Buffalo. The Tides won, 3-1, but Moyer -- who struck out four and threw 54 of his 77 pitches for strikes -- didn't get a decision. He's 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA for Norfolk, making a case that he could help the Orioles' rotation. After signing Moyer two weeks ago, Dan Duquette said the 49-year-old lefty would likely get two or three starts in Triple-A to assess where he is. Moyer was 2-5 with a 5.70 ERA in 10 starts with the Colorado Rockies before being released.

The Orioles' decision-makers gathered in manager Buck Showalter's office Saturday afternoon to decide their next step with Jake Arrieta. Their closed-door discussion went to the brink of the deadline to make a roster move - three hours before the first pitch of their game against the Phillies. They weighed sending their struggling Opening Day starter toTriple-ANorfolk to work out his struggles, but ultimately decided otherwise, choosing to move Arrieta to the bullpen instead. The 26-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched as a reliever since his first days as an Orioles farmhand in 2007, when he threw 18 scoreless innings in the Arizona Fall League, but that's where the Orioles will try to rebuild him and his confidence.

While watching Jake Arrieta struggle on the mound against the Phillies on Friday night, Orioles manager Buck Showalter firmly believed that sending Arrieta to Triple-A was the best solution. Arrieta himself thought it was a real possibility. He talked to his father on the phone Friday night about the likelihood. But the Orioles brass contemplated Arrieta's fate to the 11th hour and decided to move their Opening Day starter to the bullpen to work out his problems instead of optioning him to Norfolk.