Orioles closer Britton could be out two months

[May 10, 2017]    (The Sports Xchange) - Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton could be out for two months, according to various reports on Tuesday.

Britton, who was placed on the disabled list for the second time this season on Saturday with left forearm discomfort, will be shut down for two weeks, but has a cautious timeline of 45-60 days to return.

Orioles pitcher Zach Britton (53) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Baltimore defeated Toronto 2-1. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Britton, who is currently at the club's spring training facility in Sarasota, Florida, received a second opinion on Monday after having a pair of MRIs in Baltimore. X-rays reportedly came back negative, meaning the injury is just the forearm muscle and not structural.

"The only hard time that (doctors) gave me was saying, 'Let's take 10 days or so and not throw,'" Britton told MLB.com in a phone interview.

"At that point, if my forearm feels good and I have no symptoms, I can start a throwing program. Anything after that is based on how I feel. There's no hard timetable because it's kind of a unique injury."

The early indication is a mid-July return for Britton, who is 5-for-5 in save opportunities this season with a 1.00 ERA. He has converted 54 save opportunities in a row, tied for second most since the save became an official statistic in 1969.

(Editing by Larry Fine)

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