FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Two bullpen sessions brought different levels of encouragement yesterday for two injured pitchers in Orioles camp.
George Sherrill sounded optimistic about his strained right hamstring. Troy Patton became more discouraged about the tightness in his left shoulder - and perhaps his chances of pitching this year.
Sherrill will throw on the side again tomorrow and could appear in his first exhibition game Monday.
"I threw somewhere around 30 pitches and I felt fine," he said. "Toward the last two or three, I started to get a little tired. I think it was a good number."
Patton described his first session as "all right, nothing real great." He reported to camp with shoulder stiffness that he attributed to not throwing for four months after the 2007 season and the possibility that he has a torn labrum.
"It's about the same. It's still uncomfortable," he said. "I just don't have the arm strength or the arm action that I'm used to right now. It's not coming back as easy as I thought it would."
Once considered a leading candidate to win the fifth starter's job, Patton might have to undergo surgery if his condition doesn't improve.
"I'll tell them how I feel, and if they make that decision, then we'll do that. But I'm just going to keep trying to get on this program and get better," he said.
Said manager Dave Trembley: "Right now, I'd say he's right where he should be because he didn't do any throwing at all before he came here."
Jones rebounds, hits slam
Yesterday's second intrasquad game was scoreless until Scott Moore drew a bases-loaded walk off Fredy Deza in the fourth inning and Adam Jones followed with a grand slam to right-center field.
"I was just trying to get something up with a runner on third and less than two outs," said Jones, who also singled in the first inning. "I wasn't trying to do that."
Jones rebounded nicely from Tuesday's intrasquad game, when he misplayed a fly ball and ran into two outs on the base paths.
Around the horn
Thirteen of the first 15 pitches from reliever Kam Mickolio missed the strike zone in a scoreless third inning. He walked the first three batters, but catcher Ben Davis threw out Freddie Bynum trying to steal. ... Jay Payton was sent home yesterday morning after complaining of flulike symptoms. ... Rick Dempsey and Scott McGregor are scheduled to arrive at camp Saturday to begin working as instructors. ... Trembley said he'll inform Deza, Chris Tillman and Ryan Keefer that they won't make the team and soon will be reassigned to minor league camp. ... Adam Loewen will start today's exhibition opener against the Florida Marlins' Sergio Mitre. ... There will be an open tryout March 8 at noon at Oriole Park for people 18 and older who want to be a ballboy or ballgirl this season.
roch.kubatko@baltsun.com