"Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will not return this winter to the Athletes' Performance facility in Arizona, where he has been doing his offseason workouts since 2002. However, it has nothing to do with the state of the herniated disk in his back.

In fact, Roberts said, since returning to the Orioles' lineup in late July after a 3 1/2-month absence, he has had no problems with his back and doesn't expect the injury to significantly affect his offseason workouts.

"I will make some adjustments, and part of it will be certainly staying away from some things that could cause me problems, but I don't foresee anything," said Roberts, who will be relocating from Arizona to Sarasota, Fla., this offseason, which is the reason he won't be attending Athletes' Performance. "I think I'll be very smart about it. I'll work just as hard, but I'll try to do it as positively as possible."

Roberts, who is known for having a rigorous offseason program, said he will stay in Baltimore until mid-December, which will allow him to work out with Orioles strength and conditioning coach Joe Hogarty or two of the Orioles' former strength and conditioning coaches, Tim Bishop and Jay Shiner, who still live in the area."