[新聞] Notes: Huff slated for hernia surgery
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Notes: Huff slated for hernia surgery
Veteran infielder could miss early days of Spring Training
BALTIMORE -- Aubrey Huff became Baltimore's first offseason casualty Thursday
night, when the designated hitter announced through the Orioles that he will
undergo surgery to repair a sports hernia on Friday in Philadelphia. Huff,
who hit 15 home runs last year, is expected to be able to resume full
activity in six weeks.
That return date could cause him to miss the first few days of Spring
Training, which are generally reserved for sprints and light conditioning.
Huff, a notoriously slow starter throughout his career, followed that same
pattern in 2007, but also hit for the cycle and posted batting averages of
.363 and .330 in the final two months of the season.
Huff pitched in at both infield corners last season and is expected to play
the same role in 2008. His role took on added significance last month, when
Baltimore traded primary power source Miguel Tejada to the Astros. Huff, who
had hit at least 20 home runs for five straight years before 2007, is one of
the few remaining Orioles with a consistent track record.
The 31-year-old should be back well before Grapefruit League games start in
early March, leaving Baltimore to sort out playing time between veterans
Kevin Millar and Jay Gibbons. Huff, who will be rehabbing for the rest of the
time before the team convenes in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., may be one of the
only players you can eliminate from potential trade talk.
The Orioles have been connected to the Chicago Cubs in talks for second
baseman Brian Roberts, and to Seattle and Cincinnati in discussions regarding
staff ace Erik Bedard. Fellow veterans Millar, Jay Payton and Ramon Hernandez
have also been involved in trade rumors, but none quite as contagious as
those involving Roberts and Bedard.
Fine-tuning: Demolition began on the center-field scoreboard at Camden Yards
on Thursday, making way for the enhancements Baltimore plans to unveil for
Opening Day. The right-field scoreboard and club-level displays had already
been removed the week before and will be replaced by next-generation LED
boards.
Baltimore will install a state-of-the-art videoboard in center field and an
equally cutting edge scoreboard in right field. The next phase for ballpark
improvement will involve an improved sound system and high-definition
televisions throughout the ballpark. That part of the process is expected to
be completed by the start of the 2009 season.
Greg Bader, the team's director of communications, released a statement to
address the initiative.
"Upgrading the Oriole Park scoreboards, sound system and control room to
state-of-the-art quality has been the Orioles' goal for many years," it said.
"And we are pleased to witness today's important step in this process."
Stockpile: With rotation slots earmarked for Bedard, Adam Loewen, Daniel
Cabrera and Jeremy Guthrie, the Orioles have quite a bit of competition lined
up for one vacant spot. Southpaws Garrett Olson and Troy Patton will compete
with right-handers Matt Albers, Hayden Penn and Radhames Liz to see who's the
best immediate fit.
That likely leaves Brian Burres back in a relief role, and the bullpen will
probably swallow up a few of the other candidates for starting jobs. The
Orioles are steadily building the upper-level depth they've coveted for
years, a commodity that will allow them to take their time with low-level
arms like Chorye Spoone, Brandon Erbe and Pedro Beato.
That same depth is missing from the bullpen, where Baltimore would like to
patch together a relief staff around situational specialists Jamie Walker and
Chad Bradford. Waiver claim Greg Aquino will play a role in that effort, as
will Rule 5 Draft pick Randor Bierd and hard-throwing organizational arms
like Jim Hoey and Bob McCrory.
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