Tillman reports improvement in hip injury

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman described his injury this morning as a "hip flexor," but added that it feels much better today and he doesn't anticipate it building into anything serious.

Tillman didn't pitch yesterday because of the discomfort that first surfaced on Thursday.

"Felt much better today," he said. "Just want to be careful with it. We want to stay ahead of it and they'll check it out today.

"It's more of a hip, like a hip flexor. The reason it's confusing is because I feel it walking. Don't feel it running, don't feel it throwing. I've thrown every day. I haven't missed a bit of throwing or anything else, conditioning stuff. It's the small stuff that kind of bothers it right now, so it is confusing. I think that's why we want to make sure."

Tillman has never had a hip injury in his career. This one appeared to go away almost as quickly as it arrived, but he experienced a setback on Saturday.

"I think I noticed it Thursday," he said. "Came in Friday and it was good, went to sleep that night, I got up quick out of bed overconfident, I felt it again, kind of had a little setback, but it feels good today.

"I feel like I could do my stuff today, but we just want to get ahead of it and stay ahead of it. I'm OK with that because I'm not missing my throwing and I'm not missing my conditioning and that kind of stuff."

Tillman reported early to Orioles camp, now that he lives in Sarasota, so he's been ahead of most pitchers.

"I haven't really fallen behind because I've been throwing every day," he said. "I haven't missed a day of throwing, I haven't missed a day of conditioning. It's just a small thing like walking from here to there. The jogging doesn't hurt, running doesn't hurt. It's the small things.

"I don't think it will be that long to get it back unless it is something that we don't know, which I don't think it is."

Tillman was supposed to start yesterday for the home team in an intrasquad game that ended in a scoreless tie after 5 1/2 innings.

"If I had felt like I did the day before, I probably would have pitched, but I woke up in the morning and I kind of got overconfident with it," he said. "First thing in the morning I personally kind of messed it up, but if I felt like I did the day before or today, I probably would have pitched. But that's their call and I agree with it, to tell you the truth."

Asked about the risk of having the injury linger, Tillman replied, "Anything could linger. A splinter could linger if you don't take care of it and I just feel like we're way ahead of it and I want to stay ahead of it, so I'm not going to do anything stupid to jeopardize it because I am throwing and I am doing my conditioning."