Lough keeping spirits high

The tarp remains on the field as a light rain falls at Camden Yards. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown in front of the Orioles dugout.

Another lineup card was posted today that didn't include outfielder David Lough.

Lough checks it to make certain, knowing that he's more likely to be used as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement in the late innings.

Lough has made one start since June 16 and two since June 10. He's appeared in 59 games, batting .191/.268/.287 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBIs.

When asked to assess his season as it's moved into the second half, Lough chuckled and searched for the right words. The review wasn't going to be positive.

"I would say offensively not so well," he said. "Not how I planned it to go, but I feel like defensively and doing some small things for the team and kind of filling in as the backup, playing the outfield, running late in games, it's going well. Whenever I'm called upon, I'm ready to go in any situation. But offensively, sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. It's all about getting that comfort level and feeling good at the plate.

"It just comes. It comes with at-bats, it comes with just being able to play. But I'm glad we're winning games and we're right in the thick of things. I couldn't be happier."

Lough could be playing more if Steve Pearce didn't have a stranglehold on the left field job.

Pearce is batting .322/.385/.599 with 12 doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBIs in 47 games. He's having a career year - interesting timing, given how he was out of a job for a short period - and continues to bat second every night.

"Pearce is swinging well," Lough said. "Nobody wants to see anybody in the clubhouse do bad or anything like that so they can get playing time. It's not like that. I want Pearce to do well. He filled that spot and he's done such a great job over the past couple of weeks and this past month of coming in and filling that.

"Obviously, they gave me a shot and I kind of slacked and didn't do the things that were asked of me offensively, so it is what it is. You guys have been around the game and kind of know how it is, but like I say, when I'm called upon, I'm ready to go. If it's starting a game, if it's coming in late in innings, I'm always watching the game and I'm always ready to go."

Lough is good physically, with none of the concussion symptoms that surfaced in spring training and again early in the season.

"Everything's gone now, everything's fine," he said. "Like I said, it's getting at-bats. And it's a hard thing. Seeing what Delmon (Young) does, I kind of tip my cap to him because he comes in games and he just has to pinch-hit and gets a hit like non-stop. The guy is a true professional hitter who can do that because it's such a hard task to be able to do stuff like that. But whenever I'm called upon, I'm ready to go."

The Orioles acquired Lough from the Royals on Dec. 18 for infielder Danny Valencia, two players out of minor league options with different skill sets. Lough was supposed to be the primary left fielder with his plus speed and defense. He finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting in the American League last season after batting .286/.311/.413 with 17 doubles, four triples, five homers and 33 RBIs in 96 games.

Never able to get on track at the plate, Lough is able to stay relatively sharp with extra hitting and the way Showalter is using him. At least he's not permanently attached to the bench.

"I think it helps," said Lough, the only true backup center fielder on the club. "It's a comfort thing. If I was to sit there one week, two weeks without even seeing the field or going out there and being part of the team, you kind of lose that sense of being actually on the team. Just being on the field helps no matter what, whether it's three out in the top of the ninth or the bottom of the ninth. It doesn't matter."

Meanwhile, Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Henry Urrutia is beginning an injury rehab assignment next week after undergoing sports hernia surgery. He was batting .220/.250/.293 with six doubles and seven RBIs in 20 games.

Urrutia appeared in 24 games for the Orioles last season, going 16-for-58 (.276) with a triple and two RBIs. He worked hard to improve his defense and conditioning, and it showed in spring training.

Urrutia left Norfolk's active roster, but he hasn't disappeared from the Orioles' plans.

"We've just got to get him on the field health-wise," Showalter said. "Hopefully, this is the last thing. I thought he was primed to have a pretty good year. Heck, we considered him on our club this spring. I remember how heartbroken he was when we sent him down. That was a tough send out. But he's very much in the picture, someone we were counting on at Triple-A this year.

"He'll hopefully get in that flow very quickly. I'm not sure where they're going to start him. I'm hoping Aberdeen, personally."