It was right about this time last year that Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts felt a twinge in his lower back.

Not a big deal, or so he thought. Just a back spasm or maybe a kidney stone. There was still a month to go before the start of full squad workouts, so there was little reason for concern that the problem would impact the season.

Roberts was wrong, of course. Everybody knows that now. He had suffered a herniated disk in his lower spine and that would limit him to just 59 games and — he said at FanFest Saturday — left him wondering if it might cut short his career while he was still very much in his prime.