FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Orioles laid out their pitching plans for the first week of the regular season on Wednesday, with Rodrigo Lopez named to his third Opening Day start in the last four seasons.

Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo said Lopez was his choice to start the April 3 game at home against the Devil Rays from the beginning of Spring Training, and all he had to do was fit the pieces around him. When Daniel Cabrera returned from the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, the Orioles were free to move forward.

"It wasn't taken lightly. You reward the people that are supposed to be rewarded, and he was the right guy for this particular spot," Perlozzo said of Lopez. "He's got a lot of confidence. He's a smart pitcher. I think he's learned how to compete, and he's learned how to win with his lesser stuff. ... He knows what's working for him that night, and he goes to it."

Perlozzo gathered his five starters to announce his intentions, and he said they greeted the news with a healthy round of applause. The manager told the pitchers -- and the media -- that he'd be happy with his staff in virtually any order.

With that said, here's how they'll shake out in the early going: Erik Bedard and Kris Benson will follow Lopez in the first series, and Daniel Cabrera and Bruce Chen will follow in sequence. By arranging his arms that way, Perlozzo ensures a lefty and two righties in each of his first two series.

Lopez, who won 15 games last season, was appreciative of his manager's gesture. The right-hander is 51-40 in four seasons with Baltimore, a shocking run for a pitcher who seemed to come from nowhere. Lopez pitched in the Mexican League in 2001 and signed with the Orioles as a Minor League free agent that winter.

He impressed in Spring Training and wound up finishing second in the American League's Rookie of the Year balloting. With the exception of some struggles in 2003, he's been one of Baltimore's best pitchers ever since. On Wednesday, Lopez lauded each of his fellow rotation mates and said it meant a lot that they gladly accepted the manager's decision.

"When they started clapping, I just started laughing. But it's good to have their support," said Lopez. "I think we're better than the last two years. Basically, we're the same people -- we just added Kris, a veteran who's a real good pitcher. ... That's why I count on it being a better rotation than last year."

Bumps and bruises: Brian Roberts played his second straight game on Wednesday, but a sore left hand forced Kevin Millar from the lineup. Millar was on the receiving end of a game-tying hit-by-pitch on Tuesday, and the Orioles thought they'd be better off to let him have some time to heal.

"You're scared any time you get hit. But it wasn't my wrist -- it was the top of my hand," said Millar. "I've got all the strength, and it's just a bruise."

Perlozzo said Millar wouldn't make the trip to Viera, Fla., on Thursday -- and neither would Roberts or Jay Gibbons, who just returned from a two-week absence due to a sore hamstring.

"My bet would be that if you really wanted to force the issue, [Millar would] go tomorrow," said Perlozzo. "But I don't think that's necessary. It's more important that he, Roberts and Gibbons are ready April 3. [Thursday] is kind of a perfect day in the spring that they can get a rest, and after that, pretty much all of us have to get as much time in to get ready."

Roberts went 1-for-3 on Wednesday and is 1-for-6 in two games, but Perlozzo said he's seen some encouraging signs.

"I thought Brian looked good again," Perlozzo said. "He gives me good indications that he's fine, and he sure does look fine. Barring any setbacks, I've got my fingers crossed that he'll be ready to go."

Cuts: The Orioles sent 10 players away from big-league camp on Wednesday. Prospects Val Majewski, Brandon Fahey and Hayden Penn were optioned to Triple-A Ottawa, and Jeff Fiorentino was optioned to Double-A Bowie.

Non-roster invitees Winston Abreu, Scott Rice, Alejandro Freire and Andy Tracy were reassigned to the team's Minor League complex in Sarasota, Fla., and veterans Ricky Bottalico and Luis Lopez were given their outright release. Those moves bring the official camp roster to 41 players, but injured pitchers Aaron Rakers and John Parrish are still around.

Most of the cuts were expected, but Penn had been mentioned in recent days as a threat to break camp with the parent club.

"There was a lot of discussion about Hayden possibly pitching in the bullpen for us," said Perlozzo. "But he wouldn't be pitching high enough into the back end of the rotation to get enough work in, and he's a kid that we feel can be a good starter for us. He needed to go down there and pitch, get some innings and be ready for us if something happens up here."

Quotable: "Five innings and you give up three runs. The damage control was a lot better than we've seen in the past." -- Perlozzo, critiquing Cabrera's erratic outing on Wednesday

Coming up: The Orioles will head to Viera, Fla., on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. ET, and they'll start Bruce Chen against Washington's Ramon Ortiz. Cory Morris, John Halama and Tim Byrdak also are expected to pitch for Baltimore.