Notes from first day of Orioles minicamp (with photos)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

January 12, 2015, 6:21am

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SARASOTA, Fla. - Rain began to fall about an hour into today's Orioles workout at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Pitchers have moved inside the batting cage to continue throwing.

Here are some early notes from Day One:

* Reliever Ryan Webb reported to minicamp as an unexpected visitor.

* Tommy Hunter said he won't throw while he's here. He's at the facility because he bought a condo in Sarasota. There's no need to rush back to a mound after pitching in Japan in November.

* Chris Tillman, sporting a thick beard, was told not to throw today. He's moving down here, as well, saying he wants to get out of California. Tillman said Miguel Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen also bought homes in Sarasota.

* Hunter Harvey, shut down over the summer with a strained flexor mass, said he's been throwing for a couple of weeks and his arm feels great. An MRI taken in mid-December didn't reveal any damage.

* Mark Hendrickson threw today. He talked the Orioles into giving him another tryout.

* Henry Urrutia and Single-A Frederick outfielder Michael Burgess shagged fly balls before it started to rain.

* Outfielder Alex Hassan, claimed off waivers from the Athletics, underwent hernia surgery in November and said he felt 100 percent after two weeks. He said it wasn't as serious as a sports hernia procedure.

* Rule 5 pitcher Jason Garcia sustained two concussions within two weeks in November and will visit a "balance specialist" on Tuesday. Garcia's vehicle was hit head-on by a cab in Greenville, S.C., and he fell while walking his dogs.

Here's a few more photos from the first day of minicamp: