Brian Roberts, 2009 Topps Chrome #83

I haven't talked about Brian Roberts in a while because there's not anything new to say, particularly not anything that's not discouraging. The 33-year-old first second baseman made it through the first six weeks of the season without his balky back crumbling to dust, and I thought last year's disaster was behind him. Then he sustained his second concussion in less than a year while sliding headfirst into first base on May 16, and he's been on the shelf ever since. He hasn't been able to resume workouts for more than a few days without his symptoms recurring. The pessimist in me says that Brian Roberts might be finished.

There is still reason for some positivity, though. Ryan Adams, in his second stint with the club this year, is performing well. Given the chance to play every day at second base, the 2006 2nd-round draft pick has hit safely in 8 of his 9 games with the O's this month, which includes 4 doubles. He also went 2-for-5 tonight with the game-winning hit, a tenth-inning single that gave the Birds a walkoff victory. There's reason to believe that he can be a solid big leaguer for a few years, based on his .783 minor league OPS and defensive improvement in recent years. I would love to feature Ryan tonight, but I was keen enough to use my only Ryan Adams card in a 2008 post mocking his 52-error season at Delmarva. I'll catch you on the rebound, Ryan.