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UPDATE: An MRI exam showed no structural damage in Wieters’ surgically repaired elbow, so the Orioles will hope a little time off does the trick.

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Uh oh. Matt Wieters‘ elbow soreness has lingered long enough that the Orioles sent him to undergo an MRI exam, with Richard Justice of MLB.com reporting that the three-time All-Star catcher has already been told “a period of rest” is needed at the very least.

Elbow problems are worrisome for any catcher, but particularly with Wieters because he missed most of 2014 and a big chunk of 2015 following Tommy John surgery.

Wieters also bypassed the potential for multi-year offers as a free agent to return to the Orioles via the one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer, clearly hoping that a healthy, productive 2016 season would lead to an even bigger payday next offseason.

In other words, both Wieters and the Orioles have a lot riding on the results of his MRI exam.

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