http://tinyurl.com/nsqqxv Uehara may miss next start RHP, 34, says he asked out of last game; Norfolk's Hernandez pulled early Wednesday night, could be called on to fill in Sunday By Jeff Zrebiec | [email protected] │ June 25, 2009 MIAMI — - Orioles right-hander Koji Uehara's next start is in jeopardy as he deals with what the team is describing as arm fatigue. "Physically, I'm OK," Uehara said through his interpreter, Jiwon Bang. "Elbow-wise, not perfect. It's like a fatigue." Uehara acknowledged that he asked out of his start Tuesday after six innings in which he allowed only one earned run and seven hits while throwing 76 pitches. Uehara (2-4, 4.05 ERA), who got a no-decision and remained winless in his past 10 starts dating to April 13, said after the game, "I couldn't really [use] my strength in my arm, so I asked to pull myself out." Triple-A Norfolk starter David Hernandez was pulled after four perfect innings Wednesday night so he can be ready in case Uehara misses his next start. In three starts since coming off the disabled list June 11, Uehara, who is 34, has gone five innings twice and six innings once. In 12 starts this season, he has gotten through seven innings just once. That has intensified speculation that he might do better pitching out of the bullpen, which he did in parts of the previous two seasons in Japan. However, both manager Dave Trembley and pitching coach Rick Kranitz said that such talk is premature. "He's a starting pitcher," Trembley said. "We're in a stretch of games where we don't have any days off. What we'd like to do is keep everybody healthy until we get to the All-Star break and then go from there. It has not been brought to my attention nor has it been discussed at this point in time that he does anything other than start." Said Kranitz: "As far as I'm concerned, he's a starter. That's what we brought him over here as, and he's a very good starter. I would love to keep him in the role that he's in. That hasn't come up yet. I think we're getting ahead of ourselves in talking about that." The Orioles' biggest concern is when Uehara will be able to pitch again. Trembley, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells met before Wednesday's game to discuss the pitcher's status. Trembley said that no decisions were made and the hope is that Uehara will be able to make his next start, which is scheduled for Sunday against the Washington Nationals. "We'll see how he is tomorrow and go from there," Trembley said. "That's going to be up to him whether or not he feels if he can or not. We certainly don't want to put him in a position where he's going to get hurt. But I think he's pitched long enough and knows himself well enough that he'll let us know if he can do that or not. ... We'll have to see." Asked whether his next start is in jeopardy, Uehara said: "At this moment, I don't know. I'm not a young guy, so I have to confer with my body." --

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