Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel said he felt great and thought he was back on track tonight in his second start since coming off the disabled list.

Then he felt something in his right knee again, on the second pitch he threw to Evan Longoria with two outs in the top of the fourth. He went on to walk him and shortly after that, Hammel left the game, injured again.

Again, the right knee. The one he had arthroscopic surgery on in July.

“It felt exactly the same as it did in the game against Detroit (on July 13). It was just one pitch and then after the pitch, I couldn’t load on the leg again. Anytime I tried to transfer the weight towards the plate, it was a very sharp pain in the knee in the same spot,” he said.

“Thought we had cleaned it up, but now it’s a wait-and-see thing and see how it feels tomorrow now. I’ve been told the scar tissue (from the procedure) can react like that, too. It’s frustrating because it felt exactly the same. I mean there are positives in that there is no swelling, which is good but for it to feel the same. I want to know what the hell is going on. Any lateral movement, it feels like I’m getting stabbed in the leg,” Hammel said.

“I will be going to see the doctor tomorrow and I asked for an MRI. So hopefully that will show something, but it feels exactly the way it did. See how it feels.”

He is hoping against hope that this will not end his 2012 season.

“I don’t want to think that. I’m still holding on to (hope it’s) the scar tissue. I don’t want to be done yet. If there is anyway I can pitch, I’m going to,” Hammel said.

After that pitch to Longoria, he just didn’t have much use with the right leg.

“The pitches after that, I was using no leg at all. It was all arm after that and that’s when you get hurt when you do that,” he said after giving up just one run and one hit on 44 pitches over 3 2/3 innings.

It’s very disappointing for several reasons, including the fact he was having another good outing.

“I felt good. Against the Yankees, I felt great, yhought I was back on track,” Hammel said. “I know I can help this team when I’m healthy. It’s very frustrating. I had no reservations on the mound. I was letting it go. Then to have it pop up like that, it’s scary. Thought we had it figured out, now it’s back to the drawing board.”

He said the fact there was no swelling is a good sign but also “that just puts more question marks in my mind about what is going on. We’ll find out tomorrow.”