| | BALTIMORE -- The second opinion was the same as the first,
so the Baltimore Orioles placed closer Mike Timlin on the 15-day
disabled list Friday and recalled right-hander Gabe Molina from
Triple-A Rochester.
| |  | |
| Trombley |
| |  | |
| Timlin |
Timlin has been bothered for weeks by a torn muscle in his left
side. A magnetic resonance imaging test Thursday revealed a
five-centimeter tear in the oblique muscle, and a second doctor
confirmed the diagnosis Friday morning.
"We wanted to wait for a second opinion to make sure that's
what we wanted to do," Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. "We
were 98 percent sure this was going to happen anyway."
Because Timlin had not pitched yet this season, the move was
retroactive to April 2. Hargrove expects Timlin to return April
17 or shortly thereafter.
"I'm not down about it," Timlin said. "After a couple of days
off I feel pretty dang good."
Mike Trombley, who had 24 saves with the Minnesota Twins last
season, will fill the closer's role in Timlin's absence.
Molina will be used for one to three innings at a time, Hargrove
said. Although he had a 10.38 ERA in spring training, Molina said
he was experimenting with a few pitches and that the results were
inconsequential.
"Spring training is kind of weird," he said. "I don't think
it's a good indicator of how you can pitch. I didn't feel that I
made a bad impression because I threw the ball well."
Hargrove knew enough about Molina, and young pitchers in
general, to throw out the numbers.
"I think it's a terrible trap that a lot of us fall into with
young players, with reading too much into what sort of spring
training they have," Hargrove said. "I still like Gabe Molina. He
has a good arm."
Molina, 24, was 1-2 with a 6.65 ERA in 20 games with Baltimore
last season. He last pitched on April 2 in the Orioles' minor
league camp.
"I threw in the bullpen yesterday so I'm ready," he said. "It
doesn't matter how they use me; I'm confident whether I'm the first
pitcher in the game or the last." | |
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