Baltimore Orioles sign Joel Pineiro

The Baltimore Orioles have signed free agent right-hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league contract, according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.

Acdg to couple sources, hearing #Orioles agreed to terms on minr lg deal with RHP Joel Pineiro, 34, who pitched briefly for Norfolk in 2012

— Dan Connolly (@danconnollysun) February 4, 2013

Pineiro signed with the Philadelphia Phillies last January only to be released by the club in March. The right-hander then signed with the Orioles in April and went on to start five games in the team's minor league system, including two starts at the Triple-A level, prior to his shoulder injury. Pineiro required surgery to repair a SLAP tear in his right shoulder in July, ending his season.

Over his five combined starts in the minors last season, Pineiro maintained an ERA of 2.96 with 7.0 strikeouts and 0.4 walks per nine innings.

Pineiro last appeared at the major league level as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He spent the 2010-11 seasons with the Angels, maintaining an ERA of 4.47 over 50 appearances, including 47 starts, spanning 298 innings.

Pineiro, 34, has spent 12 seasons at the major league level, posting a career ERA of 4.41 with 5.4 strikeouts and 2.5 walks per nine innings.