O’s Guthrie Strains Back
By Editorial Staff
The curse continues.
The Orioles were finally able to claim a victory over the Blue Jays in the Rogers Center Thursday. Today’s contest snapped a streak of 16 consecutive losses for the Orioles in Toronto.
However, it may be the stadium that has the last laugh, as Orioles’ starter Jeremy Guthrie was forced to exit the game in the 5th inning with a strained back.
Guthrie shut out the Blue Jays before leaving after experiencing discomfort in his back. He later tweeted that the pain got worse with each pitch, keeping him from heading out for the 6th inning.
The 32 year old will undergo an MRI tomorrow to see the extent of the damage.
“The plan is to see the team Dr. tomorrow and get evaluated to see what is going on back there,” Guthrie tweeted after the game.
Guthrie has been Baltimore’s de facto ace for a few years now, and has been a very solid contributor for the club. This season the right hander has pitched 91 innings for the O’s, maintaining an ERA of 3.56 and a 1.18 WHIP.
The Orioles have gotten incredible value out of Guthrie, a player they were able to pick up off of waivers in 2007. The starter has been durable for the team, averaging over 190 innings pitched per season in his 4 years with the club.
Friday’s MRI will go a long way in determining if the veteran will be forced to the DL. Baltimore can ill afford the loss of a starter, as the team’s number two pitcher, Brian Matusz, has injury concerns of his own.