The Baltimore Orioles have hung around contending for a playoff spot this season in part because of the fine pitching of Jason Hammel. Acquired from the Rockies in an offseason deal, Hammel has posted a 3.54 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 18 starts; the Orioles have gone 11-7 in those 18 games.

Now, though, Hammel could be facing knee surgery. He's been having knee problems for a couple of months, and had to leave Friday's game:

Hammel left Friday night's game against Detroit in the fourth inning after hurting his knee while throwing a pitch. He has been experiencing problems with the same knee since early May, and has been given extra time between starts to adjust for the pain.

That might not be good enough anymore.

"Honestly, I just want my knee to feel normal again," Hammel said Saturday. "So I'm kind of leaning toward surgery, but I haven't made that decision yet."

Hammel and the Orioles are expecting the results of an MRI on the knee Sunday, and then will make a decision on how to proceed. He's expected to miss at least one start regardless. The Orioles stand eight games behind the front-running Yankees in the AL East, but are currently one of the two teams in wild-card position.

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