Could be from over lifting and could be steroid related. Hopefully its not.

common medical treatment for herniated disc....steroids, injected or oral. Hope BR has a good chiropractor.

Shhh. If you listen closely, you can actually HEAR the wheels coming off the season before it even starts.

What next? Adam Jones breaking an ankle while brushing his teeth?

work for a hospital and have spoken with many orthopedic and spinal surgeons, both as part of my job and as a patient. I underwent a laminectomy in 2003, also known as a spinal decompression, to remove a tissue and portion of calcified disc that was causing me severe sciatic pain. I was 40 when I had the surgery and had blown out my back in 1989 lifting weights so I had a long history of back issues and degeneration. My guess is, as a top level athlete, and given his age, Brian Roberts doesn't have anything on that level. Herniations can occur and typically will work themselves out over time. Research in fact shows, comparing back pain sufferers, some on bed rest and some continuing some level of activity that the latter did better, so by doing a regular light routine and taking PT, I'm sure Brian will be fine. I think we forget just how incredibly stressful and demanding it is to play this "kid's game" on a major league level. Typically when we hear stories like this, and now Tillman, just a kid with "back spasms," we get comments about "how come we didn't have all these problems back in the day" when it seemed a guy would step on a mine, be attacked by a shark and then throw a complete game. I think it is because we are a much more sedentary society than "back in the day." In the early days of baseball, there were no video games, no peewee soccer leagues, no television, kids would play baseball as their bodies were growing and forming, from sunrise to sundown. It adapted their bodies to the sport. Today's young ballplayers typically played many other sports besides baseball and it seems when they're not doing that, they're in the clubhouse playing videogames. Price of progress, I suppose...

I know a little about back problems and herniated discs...If there is not nerve root impingement, (and it appears as though there is not) then he will be able to play. However, he will be in pain. How much pain and how much medication and steriodal injections can help relieve that pain is the real question. But give the guy a chance. I think that players which are comitted are just as dedicated as those players "back in the day".

By the way, where exactly is the spring training camp? I find myself on the Gulf Coast of Florida for this spring, and I want to catch as many games as I can. ut it seems that they have moved, and nobody seems quite sure where...

Man, I get back spasms and I only do 6-12 reps of 12 oz, plus a few reps at 1 oz 2-3 times per week. He and Tillman will be fine...please!

Kory
Fell's Point Frame and Design
1622 Thames St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
443.869.4945

Peter-
This is the O's luck. They get to a point where they might start to play some quality ball, the their 2b isn't 100%.

This is another example of why its more of a risk to sign 30+ year olds to long deals.

I mean, I used to be able to handle a case of beer and a couple cocktail waitresses without feeling it on Monday morning. Now, I can't. Well, except for the waitresses. :)

Roberts will soon be a 10 and 5 guy, and I think Macphail should strongly consider using that last decent chip.
He could have landed something for Roberts this year then gone after Hudson or somebody to handle 2b.
Thats done now, but, I think he HAS to consider it before it's too late.

This team cannot afford to start the year with several hurt players. Even if they're not on the DL, they won't be as productive as they should be.

$5 says Atkins will be the next one to reveal some sort of injury. Any other predictions out there?

Geez, I hope Brian is ok. I have a herniated disk in my lower back. The pain can be incredible. When it flares up, normal life comes to grinding halt. You can’t even put on your own socks, much less play second base and swing a bat. Athletes ALWAYS hide the true extent of an injury. This is bad news. Tell Andino to forget shagging balls in the outfield. Better put in some 2B time.

To quote "Oddball" from KELLY's HEROES, "Always with the negative waves, Moriarty, always with the NEGATIVE WAVES!" Can we at least TRY not to give up on the season before they've even played one freakin' game? Sheez....

This is not a little, inconsequential physical problem. At best, BR will be a part-time player until his back is repaired.

I think it's time to add Felipe Lopez as insurance policy because Brian might need to take some days or even weeks off if it worsens. I am not feeling too good about Wiggy playing 2B for a long period of time.

69 wins - tops!

All hail the 5 game increase!

I think we need to take a deep breath and then slowly exhale about Roberts, Bergenson, Tillman, and whatever other injuries manifest themself this Spring. The"plan"was to come into this season with little veteren depth so as not to block the young players. It's not like the team is anywhere near a contender so there is no sense getting uptight. Sure, 77 wins could turn into 67 wins if the injuries mount, but isn't that all part of rebulding? Does it really matter? Two steps forward and one step back. Since we are committed to the process, there is not much else to do but watch and hope.

As far as Andy Macphail is concerned, his methods really lend themselves to the old axiom... It's either going to be a Castle or a Sh**house. Let's hope eventually we end up with the former.

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on a sports blog...

tony,

Are you serious? So another dismal season would be ok with you?

Have you looked closely at Andy's record the past decade? And if so, you would have no problem with a third disastrous season under his so called plan?

When are you people going to wake up? This team has zero depth, with zero room for error. When are you going to realize that most developing players are suppose to develop at AA and AAA ball - not the major league club?

Rebuilding? Rebuilding from what tony? Rebuilding from being a last place club?

It never matters to guys like you, does it? You never, ever tire of losing seasons. You are always about rebuilding. You are always about 'it was never about this year'.

You are always about spinning things the way the club would want you to, and you are always ok with losing.

What does that make people like you? I don't know the answer to that. I just know it must be a tough way to go in life.

69 wins..... tops! But it doesn't matter, right tony? It never matters!

Anon,

That's exactly what we've been hearing on these blogs for a year now. I mean it's so unbelievable.

Winning doesn't matter to baseball fans in Baltimore. Many actually act as though it's a minor league team where winning doesn't matter.

Some people are never embarrassed at how bad this team actual is each year. AFter 3 years, MacPhail will have as bad a record (if not worse) than the three years before.

By this time next year, this same guy will be talking about how 81 wins will be an amazing success. When the losing begins though, he'll start typing about how this year didn't matter anyway.

As Tom Davis and other Oriole employee's have become unlistenable, many of the people here have become unreadable.

I agree that the optimism is unfounded. The best question is - when does the plan start to produce wins? In year 4? Year 5? I didn't use to care about AndyMac's Chitown record, but it really is hard to dismiss. The plan there obviously didn't work, and if the orioles don't at least have a winning season this year, one has to begin questioning the direction. It's ok to better the minor leagues, but if it doesn't mean the big club ever improves, then who cares? You just can't keep saying 'be patient' forever. Injuries happen to every team, but the orioles will use it as their latest excuse in 2010. I can't imagine how bad the attendance will be once this team starts to lose. FanFest was one thing, as it was something to do in the winter. The middle of the season when last place is already locked up is quite another.

Almost Former could be a pinhead.

Slipped discs from twisting motions and are very common. A good chiropracter can get him back into shape in a few weeks. Neither steriod use nor overlifting have anything to do with it.

Surgery would only be necessary if he had a severely pinched nerve. He clearly does not because if he did he would not be standing or even sitting. He would be in a fetal position in a bed and taking large amounts of pain meds. I have been there and done that.

He should be fine in a few weeks unless he talks to a surgeon.

Dear Anonymous & Co.

It is what it is, bro's.
Perhaps you'd be more comfortable following/blogging on the American League franchise from New York, NY, where the future is always RIGHT NOW.

If Pete has an impostor than i think will be ok since the injuries would than be faked!!

He may get some epidural steroid injections to shrink the herniation and avoid pressing on the nerve root. Little rehab and strengthening he'll be back to normal soon. I had a moderate herniation, couldn't stand up straight.

I wonder if it was more of a bulging disk and not a full blown herniation?

Does anybody really believe B-rob has much interest in Spring Training? This is the same guy who doesn't run out groundballs, doesn't bunt as a leadoff hitter, and turns triples into doubles to pad the stats. Great hitter, but just saying he is probably wanting to pull a Brett Favre.

Sounds like you are describing Tejada also!

Holy crap. will you all shut the heck up? You all call yourself oriole fans. I have never heard so many over dramatic cry-babies in my life. The idea of being a fan is to support the team through thick and thin/ Its been thin for the last 12 years, but we finally have reason to see thickness again. Our minor league systems are bursting at the seems with talented young guns. All of the front offices in baseball see the facts, the orioles are going to be a great team. Its just a matter of it all coming together at the same time. Tampa didn't build their team overnight and look how good they are now. so before we all go jumping off a roof because b-rob and tillman are stiff in the first couple days of spring training, lets sit down shut up and enjoy the season.

orioles finish 83-78 and surprise people with a third place finish.

It sounds as though Roberts is suffering from something known as Internal Disc Disruption. What happens is that the inside of the disc is filled with fluids, mostly water and such, and the outside is more of a durable fiber-type of material. A bulging hemorrhage would be where the outer parts of the fibers would break causing enough damage to cause fluid compression to push the disc out, or create a bulge. We all don't know the stipulations of the case, but often more times than not, minor herniation's are often of the Internal Disc Disruption variety. What happens here is that the innermost fibers of that protective coat to the fluids breaks, but not enough to cause an actual bulge. The thing is, this fibrous capsule is loaded with pain fibers, so with tearing comes a lot of inflammation and pain. If this is the scenario, then steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs will be affective, and B-Rob should be just fine. These usually correct over time with continuous usage of anti-inflammatory meds to avoid further complications. However, without any imaging on Roberts, it could also be a simple bulging disc without any nerve compression. I thought this was an interesting time to post this because I am currently studying for my neurology exam in med school, and this is on it. Just thought it would be a cool piece of info to share with anybody who was interested.

Also, on a baseball note, I think the O's surprise us all and get 84 wins this year, setting up next season as the return to the top part of the division.

I've had a herniated disc for 10 years and there's no way I could play ball if I wanted. I've had shots and spent hours on chiropractors tables and nothng has worked.Sometimes these things just fix themselves if they aren't that bad.I'd rather live with what I have than wake up paralyzed after surgery. But Roberts is always injured in spring training. I don't think he likes the grueling workouts like Suggs. I'm a lot more worried about Bergy. Somethngs really fishy about his situation.A popped capsule doesn't sundlike something that will fix itself.

Tampa is our role model? Wait. I have to get off the floor when I'm done laughing.

The Rays/Devil Rays/Double A's traded Scott Kazmir in August because they aren't going to pay anybody. They got three "prospects" when they were still within sniffing distance of the wild card. The team predictably collapsed faster than you could say, "Trembley got an extension."

Their more recent off-season endeavors include trading nobody's with the Pirates -- the only MLB team with a longer season losing streak than Baltimore.

Ya-hoo! Let's sit back and root for luck, no injuries, good teams to have down years, and pink flamingos leaving a winning lottery ticket in the mailbox.

Like a true fan. Through opaqueness and transparency.

I have two cracked vertabrae and two slipped discs, they are painful, but I'm still able to do everything I want. They even get better with lateral activity, i.e. swinging a bat, running. Lifting can hurt when done in excess. Roberts will be fine...

james,

you're right about one thing... something sure is 'thick' around here!

Hmmmm... let's see.......
OK, I remember now.

I once was among the last to be picked when they were choosing sides for softball.

Therefore I guess I know exactly how Tejada feels.

Anon, Ted, BMS, Waspman There is no turning back from the direction of "the plan" and we got a clear understanding this offseason as Andy Macphail did not pursue the immediate fixes that the team needed and fill the holes. It's all about the future and the hope that the young players will eventually coalesce into a winning group. The organization needed a new direction, however it appears that The Orioles have gone from one extreme to another without considering a mix of both rebuilding and bringing in some top level talent to speed up the process and galvanize fan support.

I have no illusions and I think this is going to be a bad team again this year. Rebuilding strictly through the farm system is a crap shoot but it is what the organization is committed to. In a worse case scenario the first wave of young arms blow out and by 2011 and 2012 we are looking at 20 straight losing seasons. I hope that doesn't happen but it could just as esay as not.

What I am trying to say is that when rape is inevitable, as fans we might as well just lie back and enjoy it.

That last post was from me

ain't the bear cold & james,

You're just not 'right now' kind of guys, are you? It's never 'right now' for you, is it? Instead, it's always.... i mean always about next year, or the year after that, etc, etc....

It's always about rebuilding to you guys, isn't it? It's always about the young and developing players to you, true?

You guys get your kicks seeing the minor leagues having better players that they've had in the past, right? That's what maters to you most, correct?

So no....... goodness forbid - it's not about this year. Was never suppose to be, right?

Bear, I bet you didn't get 6mil to play softball! So I'd imagine Tejada still feels ok to be pulling down 37g per game even on days off.

Roberts' back is at this point a minor worry. It lingers into the season and Trembley's going to have to manage him with some days off. Look for Andino to get some games at 2nd in ST games just in case. Can't see Wiggington manning second much.

That's another reason I can see him being moved before opening day. The O's have all kinds of depth at the corners of the infield and outfield. If Wiggington doesn't give them any help up the middle, Montenez or Aubrey's young bats would be more useful then Wiggy's.

Montenez is a guy that might have to learn to be a "super sub" to make the big club. As a former minor league SS, you would think he could adapt to playing all around the diamond in an attempt to make the big club.

When talking disks there's a big difference between minor herniation and full ruptured disk. Even with a rupture it depends on if it is impenging on a nerve or not. At least the O's have Justin Turner at AAA. Another nice pc. McPhail picked up in the trade last winter with the Reds.

That's where the improved organizational depth that some of us talk about comes in. You've got to have guys waiting in the wings at the minor league level. In baseball nobody goes wire to wire with 25 guys.

Right now catcher and SS seem to be the two positions that the O's lack real depth in the upper minors. There's some prospects at the lower levels, but none really knocking at the door yet.

Of all the things I read that the O's should have done, the one that I think is most glaring is the lack of a competent ML backup catcher. A guy that could give Trembley a good enough job defensively and offensively that he doesn't get tempted to catche Weiters into the ground.

I'm not sure I see good option on the springtraining to fill that role yet.

It would be great if the O's had a SS knocking at the door too. I think they need a stronger bat then Andino's to take over for Izturis next year. Right now, their best option could well be resigning Izturis. At least he's rock solid defensively.

A negative rant by any other name is still our old friend Wayne...

The right way to build a baseball team is to restore orgaizational depth. When a club's scouting was a terrible as the Bird's for so long, that's the first step.

Trading to pickup some prospects is another way to restock the pipeline.

The Nationals have been honest enough with their fans to include loing at the major league level as part of the process. Top 5 picks give you talent that can jump start a moribond minor league system because your gaining talent that should rocket up through the system.

Guys like Weiters and Mutusz would be examples of what you can gain drafting from the top.

When McPhail came on board here after as many years of losing as the O's had in a row. He sure wasn't going to come right out and say,"It's going to get worse before it gets better."

The O's need to turn it around this year, and based on the talent that arrived last year, I beleive they are on the verge of a major turn around. But don't listen to me, Brian Cashman has labeled the O's as a team to watch THIS YEAR, not in 2012.

So we'll see...

Mountain,

What was Cashman suppose to say on the radio the other day? You really took that seriously? Do you realize how hard NY fans would be laughing at you right now?

ANd for the last time, Wieters was not drafted by MacPhail, preriod!

And what are you basing MacPhail's successful Plan on? His last 5 years? His last 10? Perhaps his last 15? Or are you going back to time when the game was financially managed in a completely different way? Just asking!

PIRATES SOUTH!!!!

FIRE MACPHAIL

Heh Wayne, how many NY fans read this blog!

What does that make people like you? I don't know the answer to that. I just know it must be a tough way to go in life.

69 wins..... tops! But it doesn't matter, right tony? It never matters!

Posted by: Anonymous
~~~~~~~~~~~
Funny but it seems to me that it would be tough to forever be the eight year old in the back seat asking every ten seconds "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" as opposed to the adult in front seeing the mile markers flashing by indicating progress.