As Orioles starters continue to churn out short outings, the rotation is in need of a jolt.
Right-hander Daniel Cabrera, 25, could provide a spark soon. He worked through four innings with relative ease Wednesday night in Bowie, as he made a rehab appearance with the club?s Double-A Baysox at Prince George?s Stadium.
The Orioles? Director of Minor League Operations Dave Stockstill, who was in attendance with Vice President of Baseball Operations Jim Duquette, said the timetable for Cabrera?s return is still up in the air.
“It?s hard to tell,” Stockstill said, shortly after Cabrera departed Wednesday?s game. “Everything is going to depend on how his body and arm react over the next three days.”
Cabrera went on the disabled list May 15 with inflammation in his right shoulder.
On Wednesday against the Erie Seawolves, he struck out seven and didn?t give up a hit. But he battled through a wild spell in the third and fourth innings with one walk and three wild pitches.
Cabrera sounded confident that he was back to full health.
“All my pitches were working,” Cabrera said. “I?m ready to go.”
What about the wildness? “It was a good wild because the pitches were down, breaking out of the strike zone,” Stockstill said. “I was real happy with the way he pitched.”
When he returns to Baltimore, Cabrera said he will continue to work on hitting corners and on improving his curve and changeup.
“(His curve) was very sharp, and he threw it in the right situations,” Stockstill said. “I think he went about his business very, very well.”
The Orioles, meanwhile, suffered through another disappointing start from veteran left-hander Bruce Chen on Wednesday. Cabrera?s return couldn?t come at a better time.
“Early we had a couple injuries,” Cabrera said. “Now Javy (Lopez) is back, Brian Roberts is back, and I?m going back. I think now we can look better.”
THE CABRERA FILE
Age: 25
Height: 6-feet-7
Weight: 260 pounds
Did you know? Cabrera was signed by the Orioles as a non-drafted free agent on March 11, 1999 by scout Salvador Ramirez ? Cabrera has a career record of 24-23 in 65 major-league games ? Cabrera is 2-2 with a 5.23 ERA in eight starts with the Orioles this season ? He has walked 39 and struck out 43 in 41.1 innings.
