Now healthy, Steve Johnson is showing some of his old form at O's camp

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles started this camp with six non-roster pitchers, and now only Steve Johnson and Chaz Roe remain.

Johnson said his right shoulder feels good following surgery in September to shave down a bone spur. He has looked good in three spring appearances, at times looking like the pitcher the Orioles saw in 2012 when Johnson went 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA and helped the team make the playoffs.

Manager Buck Showalter has taken note.

"I kept telling Wally (Dave Wallace), 'I've seen him right and it plays. Last thing to come is the breaking ball command and I'm hoping that happens before he leaves here. But Steve, you can tell on his face, he feels good about himself."

The St. Paul's graduate was bothered last summer by tendinitis in his shoulder that forced him onto the disabled list and limited him to 13 appearances at Triple-A Norfolk.

But so far, so good for the right-hander in this camp.

"Feel good. Just nice to be able to throw normal and have some of the velocity back and obviously the control," Johnson said. "Something wasn't right throughout the last year. Got that taken care of and hoping to be back to where I was a couple of years ago and stay healthy.

"I have (to find) just a little feel on certain pitches like my curveball and that will come a little slower, but my fastball feels good. I'm throwing with the velocity I normally throw at. And hopefully I am going to get stronger. Normally I'm around 87 to 91 (mph) and should be able to get higher than that during the season."

Johnson has pitched three spring innings, allowing two hits and one run (unearned) with one walk and six strikeouts.

"You can throw all you want, but you have no idea until you get into a game," Johnson said. "My first game was really the first time I was like, 'Am I back? I don't know.'

"Honestly, I was a little worried until I got the first reading on the gun. Just a nice feeling where I have the velocity where last year I didn't. If I'm 87 to 90, 91 (mph) with the deception I have, that is where I pitch. Have to change speeds and that is what I do."

Some of the late life on Johnson's fastball looks to be back. In 2012, he fanned 46 big league hitters in 38 1/3 innings. He didn't blow hitters away with big velocity, but he still struck them out.

"That is just the way I pitch," Johnson said. "For some reason, I can get it by guys with that. Last year, I didn't have that. Just hoping to stay healthy, keep things the way they are and I'm only going to improve with my other pitches. So, excited about that."

If he begins the year with Triple-A Norfolk, Johnson is not sure what his role will be. Johnson pitched just 48 innings last year between Norfolk, short-season Single-A Aberdeen and the Gulf Coast League.

"Yeah, they keep asking every now and then to see what I want to do," he said. "I'm all for anything. I like starting, but I also like relieving. I don't honestly know what the best thing is for me after something like this. It's up to them and I'm sure we'll have some conversations about it. I'm for whatever gets me back to the big leagues."

Minor league note: The Orioles' minor league teams begin playing exhibition games tomorrow. The Orioles' Triple-A and Double-A teams play on the road against Boston while their two Single-A teams play at home at Twin Lakes Park against Boston.

Here are the four scheduled starting pitchers for tomorrow: Eddie Gamboa (Triple-A), Terry Doyle (Double-A), David Hess (high Single-A) and Brian Gonzalez (low Single-A).