Gregg aiming to reclaim role: Orioles RP Kevin Gregg may have had to defer to Jim Johnson in save opportunities late last season, but according to the Baltimore Sun, he isn't giving up the closer role without a fight. He aims to win back the role this spring and bounce back from a season in which he posted a 4.37 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. "I think my experience speaks for itself," Gregg said Friday. "Last year was definitely not the most notable year I could have, but the majority of our team can also say the same thing. As a group, when you lose that many games, you all have something to improve on." Manager Buck Showalter isn't willing to give Gregg any sort of edge but says he still has confidence in the right-hander. "Whatever role he ends up being in, I have the expectations of him pitching late in close ballgames," Showalter said. (Updated 01/30/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Gregg has five straight seasons with at least 20 saves, but he has been in and out of the closer role during that stretch, often losing ninth-inning duties to younger, more talented pitchers. That seems to be what happened to him last year in Baltimore as well. Even if Gregg is able to win back the closer role this spring, he's hardly guaranteed to keep it. Given his marginal stuff, he'd be one of the last closers to target on Draft Day. (Updated 01/30/2012).
09/24/2011 22:40 Verlander's win streak ends as O's bunt past Tigers
Justin Verlander lost his streak of 12 consecutive winning starts, and the Baltimore Orioles went on to a 6-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers when Matt Angle executed a tiebreaking squeeze bunt in the ninth inning Saturday night.
09/16/2011 22:21 Orioles SP Hunter helps slow Angles' playoff push
The Los Angeles Angels ' playoff push was slowed when Tommy Hunter pitched seven shutout innings for the Baltimore Orioles in an 8-3 victory Friday night.
Kevin Gregg enters his second season in Orioles black and orange with less of an established role as he did the previous year. Gregg was the team's closer for most of 2011, but only managed 22 saves in 29 chances with an ERA of 4.37 and a WHIP of 1.64, a career-worst. The 33-year-old was erratic, at best, and likely loses the closer job to Jim Johnson to begin the season. As a late-inning reliever, Gregg's only real value would stem from the opportunity to close again should anything happen to Johnson. (Updated 2/6/12)