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Johnson receives diagnosis of oblique strain

ST. PETERSBURG -- Orioles pitcher Steve Johnson has a slight strain in his left oblique, an MRI exam taken Friday revealed. Johnson, who was placed on the disabled list Thursday, is rehabbing at the team's spring facility in Sarasota, Fla.

Johnson first felt the injury while warming up before Wednesday's game, and he had trouble finishing his pitches, surrendering two homers to the Astros. Oblique strains are pesky injuries, and there is no timetable right now for his return.

Also recovering from injury is top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy, who will start a throwing program Monday. Manager Buck Showalter said he planned to speak with Bundy, joking that the 20-year-old might be nervous.

"He's been champing at the bit," Showalter said of Bundy, who has been sidelined since Spring Training with right flexor mass tightness, which affects the forearm/elbow area.

Bundy was shut down after being prescribed a platelet-rich plasma injection by Dr. James Andrews last month. The plan for the first day is for Bundy to throw 25 times from 60 feet and progress from there.

Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Twitter @britt_ghiroli.
Read More: Baltimore Orioles, Steve Johnson, Dylan Bundy