Around the AL: O's Loewen can't avoid injury

When the Baltimore Orioles made left-hander Adam Loewen the fourth overall pick in the 2002 draft out of British Columbia, they were so confident in his maturation as a pitcher that they gave him a major league contract. But six years later, he still can’t command his fastball with any consistency or stay healthy.

The minors aren’t an option for Loewen because he doesn’t have any. He’d have to pass through waivers before going to Triple-A, and that won’t happen. If he’s going to get any better, it’ll happen in Baltimore.

Or it won’t happen at all.

The latest setback came last week, when Loewen revealed for the first time that he’s felt some discomfort in his left forearm area. He went on the 15-day disabled list with “left elbow soreness.”

Close enough.

Loewen, 24, left Thursday’s game in Seattle after giving up five earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. He made only six starts in 2007 before undergoing surgery in June to repair a fracture in the elbow — doctors inserted a pin to speed up the healing process — and is 0-1 with a 7.85 ERA in four starts this year.

Orioles manager Dave Trembley said he doesn’t know much about the severity of the injury or whether it's related to the stress fracture. He also doesn’t know much about history, but I digress…

“I think he's probably to the point where he's really frustrated," Trembley said. "There's a reason why his command was the way it was. I've heard his quotes about the rust, but the rust for me couldn't have been the sole reason he was having command problems. It had to be something other than that."

Loewen was visibly distraught while meeting with reporters after Thursday’s game.

"It's starting to get worse in the general area of my forearm," he said. "It just starts off as a dull pain and gets sharper as I get on. I'll probably get it looked at. Hopefully, it's nothing serious, I don't think it is."

The real shame is that Loewen got off to such a promising start last year. He was 4-1 with a 1.64 ERA in spring training, and allowed two runs or fewer in four of his six outings in the regular season. He seemed to have turned a corner — and ran directly into a brick wall.

There was the elbow surgery, and the sore shoulder this spring that caused the team to skip one of his turns and give him additional rest between appearances. Kid gloves for the kid with the golden arm that has become so fragile.

It’s too bad. He’s a real gamer who just wants to pitch. The thought of going on the disabled list had to be as distasteful to Loewen as spying on Aubrey Huff in his hotel room.

"I kind of had a feeling that something wasn't right," second baseman Brian Roberts said. "Yeah, it [stinks]. This game is all about being healthy. It's tough to play this game if you're not 100 percent or close to it at least. It's tough because you see a guy fighting and battling to try to get through that. It's not fun. I've been there. I've been hurt. He's so young. You have to be patient and hopefully he gets everything right."

Hopefully, the Orioles got it right when they chose Loewen with the fourth pick.

From the “Things We’d Like To See” Department

With both of the Boston Red Sox’s emergency catchers, Alex Cora and Mike Lowell, on the disabled list last week, and starter Jason Varitek unavailable with the flu, manager Terry Francona had to find someone who could help out if the need arose.

He looked around the clubhouse and chose second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who hadn’t caught since high school.

Drastic times call for drastic measures — even when the person who’s chosen measures 5 foot 6.

"Pedroia says he can be a backup catcher and, at this point, that was good enough for me," Francona said. "Once somebody says he can do it, he may not get a second chance. We'll get some equipment to fit him and he'll be all right.”

Pedroia's plan for closer Jonathan Papelbon?

"I'll call a fastball,” he said. “Might be chasing it to the backstop, though."

Touchy subject

If you’re in a room filled with Los Angeles Angels, you might want to avoid one particular subject — how they can’t win at Fenway Park.

Better to discuss religion or politics.

Through last Wednesday, the Angels had lost 21 of their last 29 games there — including three playoff losses during first-round sweeps in 2004 and 2007. Their all-time regular-season winning percentage stood at .401 (116-173).

“You guys gotta let go of that bull (expletive),” Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher said while scolding reporters. “Seriously, it’s not this place. We’re a baseball team. They’re a baseball team. We’ve gotta go out and play. Whether it’s here or Anaheim or Detroit or Kansas City — wherever — you have to win ballgames.”

Reliever Scot Shields, who lowered his Fenway ERA to 16.39 last Tuesday, backed up Butcher like he was third base.

“To be honest with you, I’m tired of this (expletive) about our luck here,” he said. “They beat us. Move on to the next day.”

The Angels won the next day. Everyone moved on.

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