"There were very few positives on the field during the Orioles' 1-6 trip, which ended Sunday with a 5-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals. However, the recent play of Brian Roberts certainly should ease concerns about the second baseman's future.

Roberts, who was held out of the starting lineup Sunday as the organization continues to try to give him periodic days off, went 8-for-22 (.364) with two doubles, three runs and a stolen base in five games on the trip.

He also felt no ill effects from the herniated disk in his back that kept him out of the lineup and on the disabled list for nearly 31/2 months.

"I feel better playing a week in the big leagues than I did playing two days in spring training," said Roberts, who has eight hits in his past 20 at-bats. "I'm really encouraged. Hopefully, we're past everything and I won't have any more problems."

Roberts, who was activated July 23 after a three-game rehabilitation stint with Double-A Bowie, acknowledged that he still had some anxiety when he returned because there were things he hadn't done. He hadn't stolen a base, one of his final acts before landing on the DL, he hadn't slid headfirst and he hadn't dived for a ball in the hole at second base. But he got all of those things out of the way on this trip.

"It's been better as we've gone along, actually," Roberts said. "I wasn't 100 percent sure what to expect. It took me a couple of days to get back into it, but physically, I am doing a lot better than I even expected to be doing. I don't have really too much left that I'm worried about. I've done just about everything that probably scared me coming in."

Roberts has been activated for 10 games and has sat out three of them. That kind of schedule doesn't figure to change over the final two months of the season.

"I kind of knew what the process was going to be," Roberts said. "I like to play every day, but right now, let's just be smart. I just want to get some games in going into the offseason and feel good about that. As much as I like to play, I'm not going to sit here and worry about it too much right now.""