Orioles starter Chris Tillman threw off a flat mound this morning and reported only normal post-activity soreness as he progresses toward a possible exhibition appearance in mid-March.
“It went well,” Tillman said. “It went about as well as a first mound can go, I guess. It’s a positive. I’ve been feeling good. I didn’t expect anything different. I feel good. I’m sore today, but not the shoulder. Kind of just body sore, getting off the mound, first time in a long time. Feels good.”
If you’re a little confused about the concept of a flat mound, the term is not as oxymoronic as it might seem. It is an area in the spring bullpen that has a pitching rubber and home plate, but the mound area is not elevated. Rehabbing pitchers start there and work up to a half mound and then a full one.
“I think if you go straight from playing catch to getting on a full mound, especially with a shoulder injury, there’s a lot more torque that goes into getting the ball from up there to down there,” Tillman said. “I feel it’s a lot more pressure on the shoulder, so you want to build it up. With a flat mound, I think, tomorrow or the day after will be the half, so flat, half, whole, to kind of get the whole benefit of doing it the right way.”
Janish close to return: Utility infielder Paul Janish said this morning that he isn’t injured, but is coming along slowly in preparation to make his first exhibition appearance.
“I don’t feel terrible or anything,” he said. “There’s nothing bugging me, per se. It’s one of those deals, where there’s not a whole lot of motivation to stretch it at this juncture because if I tweak something now, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Janish came to camp in shape but said it’s impossible to fully replicate the conditions at spring training.
“It’s just the standard issue stuff and the fact that I’m getting old,” he said.
Showalter said Janish will play Friday.
Pitchers and catchers reported for duty on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017. The Orioles begin the 2017 season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 3.
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