Markakis update and postgame quotes

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

March 11, 2013, 12:33pm

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BRADENTON, Fla. - Well, it's not much of an update, but Nick Markakis had an MRI on his neck this afternoon and the Orioles will examine the results later tonight. The club isn't expected to pass along the results until Tuesday morning. Also, Zach Britton will take off three days and make Friday's start against the Boston Red Sox in Sarasota. Britton only went two innings today, and manager Buck Showalter wants to get him back on the mound and extend him. It worked today with Jake Arrieta. Arrieta gave the Orioles four scoreless innings, with no walks and five strikeouts. "Jake was OK," Showalter said. "He only had four first-pitch strikes. That's something he's going to have to get better at. That's why he had some deep counts he shouldn't have had, but statistically, the results were there. He's got to get some counts in his favor. "It was good, though. Don't get me wrong. He threw the ball well. He was crisp, he was good. You can tell he feels good."