Mailbag: Recovery year for Roberts?

Do you think all the reconstruction and repairing of Brian Roberts' left elbow will affect his rhythm at the plate? Will this be a recovery year?-- Marcus K., Annapolis, Md.

Roberts has looked solid during the last week, and he's actually played four games in a four-day span. His timing hasn't been great at the plate, but he's fielded his position well and shown the ability to hit the baseball on a line. The switch-hitter has only been playing meaningful games for a short period, though, so he may treat April like an extended Spring Training.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Roberts started off so hot last season and may not have been realistically able to match that this year -- even without the injuries. Now, the expecations and pressure are off. The All-Star just has to get healthy and prove he can hold up on an everyday basis, and nobody will say a bad word if he's not immediately at his best.

It's fair to dub this a recovery year for Roberts. He wouldn't phrase it that way, and neither would anybody within the organization. But it often takes at least a year to recover from severe injuries -- not just physically, but to rebuild your confidence to where it was. Roberts is still young and has a bright future, but right now, he's a hard player to peg.

As of right now, who's the Opening Day starter in Baltimore? Is it the emerging Daniel Cabrera, the new guy Kris Benson or old hand Rodrigo Lopez?-- Shawn S., Milton, Del.

Lopez was chosen for Opening Day honors, marking his third time in the last four years. The right-hander has proven to be a pretty consistent pitcher for Baltimore, winning at least 14 games in three of his last four seasons, while notching a winning record in each of those campaigns. His lone stumbling point was a 7-10 record and a 5.82 ERA in 2003.

There doesn't seem to have been much of a debate regarding the top slot in the rotation. Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo favored Lopez all the way and didn't see any reason to change his mind during the spring. The rest of the rotation seemed to agree -- Perlozzo said the other four starters gave Lopez a rousing ovation when the decision was announced.

The rest of the staff shakes out in predictable order. Southpaw Erik Bedard will pitch second, breaking up the top-heavy right-handed rotation. Benson and Cabrera will pitch third and fourth, followed by Bruce Chen in the fifth slot. That arrangement ensures that Baltimore will pitch two righties and one lefty in each of the first three series.

Lopez joins some pretty exclusive company in Baltimore's record books. Just four other Orioles -- Steve Barber, Dave McNally, Jim Palmer and Mike Mussina -- have pitched as many as three Opening Day games. Palmer and Mussina tied for the most with six each, and McNally worked five openers as Baltimore's ace.

Why are the Orioles not considering Nick Markakis for the No. 2 spot in the lineup? With his knowledge of the strike zone, patience and great on-base percentage, it seems like a perfect fit. I know he is a rookie, but the kid is very talented.-- Kirk, Glen Burnie, Md.

Well, for one, Markakis isn't even a sure thing to start the season with the parent club. I believe he will, and so do several of the other writers covering the club, but the Orioles have been extremely guarded about their decision-making process in the outfield. Markakis may be ready, but he may also cause a logjam at left field and designated hitter.

Markakis does seem like a perfect option for the two hole, which is currently filled by Melvin Mora. The youngster's blend of patience and power would allow Mora and Miguel Tejada to hit in the lineup's power slots, which would be an ideal usage of their talents. Perlozzo prefers to bring Markakis along slowly, though.

In other words, if he makes the team, he'll likely start out at the bottom of the batting order. Over time, he'll move up -- perhaps eventually to a run-producing slot in the middle of the lineup, but before that, a get-on-base role between Roberts and Mora.

We followed Val Majewski closely a couple of years back when we lived in Maryland. He lost a year with the injury. What are his prospects of making the team and getting significant playing time this year?-- Steve T., Natick, Md.

Majewski's hopes for big-league playing time are likely tied to the performance of Markakis and the existing regulars. Majewski wasn't impressive in camp and likely needs some upper-level seasoning to make up for lost time. He's completely over his injury, but he may take some time to get back into the swing of things.

The Orioles tried Majewski at first base this spring and want him to try playing there on a part-time basis during the Minor League season. The flexibility will give him more of a shot to make the big-league roster -- when he proves his bat is ready. Majewski will likely get another September callup, but he may not be up for good until 2007.