A few thoughts on Urrutia and Reimold

The only drama following the news that Henry Urrutia would be joining the Orioles in Arlington was whether he would start against one of the Rangers' left-handers. It didn't happen last night and it may not happen Sunday, but Urrutia was a slam dunk to start tonight against right-hander Ross Wolf, the former Orioles farmhand. The Orioles didn't bring up Urrutia so he could sit on the bench every game. That would make no sense. He needs to play and they need to evaluate him. And he's going to be the left-handed designated hitter with Chris Dickerson no longer on the roster. At some point, Urrutia figures to make a start in left field. After all, the Orioles lost two outfielders yesterday and only brought up one replacement. Danny Valencia is a corner infielder/designated hitter. Ryan Flaherty can play the outfield, but his experience is limited. I'd just like for him to play. Period. It will be interesting to find out whether the Orioles stay with this bench for an extended period of time, or whether they feel shorthanded in the outfield - especially from the right side of the plate. Nolan Reimold and Steve Pearce are on the disabled list. Reimold's season is likely done. Reimold is scheduled to undergo surgery on his neck Tuesday morning in Florida. He's trying to get another opinion, but the procedure is inevitable. I'll say it again: Reimold isn't soft. He's just extremely unfortunate when it comes to his health. He came back too quickly from the surgery in June 2012 to remove a herniated disc in his neck - it had shattered into multiple pieces - and fuse two vertebrae. He tried to play through the discomfort, just as he tried to play with a small tear in his hamstring this season. Remember the fastball from Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb that slammed into his jaw in March 2012? Remember how quickly he returned to the lineup, the swelling still evident in his face? He kept playing with a torn left Achilles tendon in 2009 before finally undergoing surgery in September. Imagine the pain. But he kept ignoring it until the Orioles finally shut him down, which should have been done much sooner, so he could have reported to spring training the following year without the slight limp. It basically ruined his 2010 season. Reimold once strained both obliques while playing at Double-A Bowie. Not at the same time, but still... Reimold obviously has a high threshold of pain, but he's hit another low. Have we seen the last of Reimold in an Orioles' uniform? If so, it's extremely unfortunate how his career is playing out. So much promise, so little luck.