Sarasota, FL (Sports Network) – Baltimore Orioles pitcher Justin Duchscherer will start the season on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hip.
The Orioles also decided to option top pitching prospect Zach Britton to Triple-A Norfolk for the start of the year, despite a stellar spring.
Duchscherer signed a one-year deal with Baltimore in February, but has been injury-prone during his career. His 2010 campaign with Oakland ended in late April because of a hip injury that eventually required surgery. He also missed the entire 2009 season because of elbow surgery and a bout with clinical depression.
The 33-year-old right-hander has a career record of 33-25 with 14 saves and a 3.13 earned run average in 224 games, including 32 starts. He was an All-Star as a reliever in 2005 with the Athletics, then became a full-time starter in 2008 and also earned an All-Star nod that summer before right hip surgery cut his season short in August.
Britton, a 23-year-old lefty, surrendered just three earned runs in 20 innings during spring training. The Orioles will use a four-man rotation for most of the first month of the season because of off days and could recall him in late April.
The Orioles also optioned catcher Craig Tatum to Norfolk and assigned infielder Brendan Harris to minor league camp.
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