Duke throwing lightly, still targeting Opening Day

Justin Duchscherer threw from 100 feet on flat ground on Thursday and planned on doing it again on Friday. He said he is dealing with some tightness in his left hip and is just trying to stretch things out. He’s also not overly concerned about only pitching two innings this spring.

Duchscherer is still targeting being ready come Opening Day and being a part of the O’s rotation. Here’s what he had to say…

[on his rotation spot being in peril]
“I can only do what I can do. Obviously that’s not my goal. I don’t want to be in this position right now.  But all I can do is go in get my treatment, get my stretching and do whatever I can to get myself where I feel good enough to go pitch.  Once I’m out there I feel like that stuff will take care of itself. I know what I can do as long as I take the field. I just got to get out there.”

[on if he has a goal in mind]
“Yeah, I want to be ready by Opening Day. I feel like, I mean last year I only threw 13 innings in spring training and I started the season [with Oakland] just fine. So, as long as I’m healthy I feel like  I’ll be out there and ill compete.”