Pitcher Bud Norris dealing with elbow inflammation, expects to return soon

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris, who is being skipped one turn through the rotation due to right elbow discomfort, doesn't feel the issue is serious and said he expects to miss just the one start. "Yeah, hope so," Norris said this afternoon. "Just been doing my treatment and have seen some progress. Anytime you get back on the mound, it has the opportunity to flare back up, but hopefully this extra five days, or whatever it turns out to be, will give me a chance to calm it done. "I really just feel it's inflammation. Some wear and tear. Been pitching through it a couple of starts. Hope it is nothing too serious and get back out there when I'm ready." Norris is 4-2 with a 4.67 ERA in nine games, including eight starts, since the O's acquired him from Houston on July 31. "Throughout your playing career, minor leagues and so forth, you'll have some things go on," he said. "You'll see some elbow, shoulder, finger kind of stuff. This is something I've had before. Just let it calm down and go from there." So for now he is just resting the elbow? "I won't throw off the mound for a while. They'll give me a couple of days to calm it down," he said. Last night, manager Buck Showalter said Norris' elbow began "barking" during an outing in Arizona. Norris, who gave up four runs over 4 1/3 innings in his last start in Cleveland, made a relief outing in that Aug. 14 appearance at Arizona. Did pitching out of the bullpen contribute at all to this latest issue? "I don't want to point fingers at any one day. Anytime you go out there and pitch you can hurt yourself. I don't think I hurt myself that specific day. It is just wear and tear, pitching 170-plus innings and making 29 consecutive starts, it will happen. I've worked really hard and want to get back out and there and hopefully help push us into the playoffs," Norris said.