Roch Kubatko

Rollin' with Nolan

April 06, 2010, 9:47am

Orioles

If Nolan Reimold is going to play first base this season, he'll need to take care of an important piece of business. "I don't even have a first baseman's mitt yet," he said, grinning at his locker. Reimold took grounders at first on the last day of spring training, which created quite a stir after manager Dave Trembley and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail kept insisting all winter that he was strictly an outfielder. "People asked why we waited until the end of the camp....

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Nolan Reimold orioles

Getting Miggi with it

April 06, 2010, 9:46am

Orioles

Craig Tatum is taking throws at first base. Should I read anything into that? Kidding. Miguel Tejada said he's become a lot more comfortable at third base since the start of spring training. "That first game, the intrasquad game that we played, I felt a little bit different," he said. "Now I feel like I'm ready to go." Tejada heated up at the plate over the final weeks of camp, as we expected him to do, and raised his average to .274. All of a sudden, the ball's exploding off his...

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orioles

Making their pitch (updated)

April 06, 2010, 9:43am

Orioles

Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell will throw out the ceremonial first pitches before Friday's home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1970 World Series championship. Having Brooks and Boog together on Friday is a wonderful and appropriate gesture. Boog was the American League's MVP. Brooks was the Series MVP. Perfect. Gates open at noon. The Orioles will take batting practice from 12:25 p.m. to 1:25 p.m. The Blue Jays will take BP...

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orioles

Rays lineup for tomorrow

April 06, 2010, 9:42am

Orioles

Jason Bartlett SS Carl Crawford LF Ben Zobrist RF Evan Longoria 3B Carlos Pena 1B B.J. Upton CF Pat Burrell DH Sean Rodriguez 2B Dioner Navarro C James Shields RHP It must seem strange for Orioles manager Dave Trembley to be overseeing a workout on the day that most teams are starting their seasons. "You play the schedule as it's given to you," Trembley said. "Just like I tell people, I wish I was 29 again, 6-3 and had a full head of hair. Not going to happen. No sense crying over...

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orioles

The Opening Day lineup

April 06, 2010, 9:41am

Orioles

Brian Roberts 2B Adam Jones CF Nick Markakis RF Miguel Tejada 3B Luke Scott DH Matt Wieters C Felix Pie LF Garrett Atkins 1B Cesar Izturis SS Kevin Millwood RHP Manager Dave Trembley was asked earlier today whether he's confident that Mike Gonzalez will turn it up once the lights come on and the games count. "Well, he's the closer," Trembley replied. "He's going to get the opportunity to save the games. If it's a save situation, he's going to pitch and I'm confident that he's going...

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Pie vs. Reimold

April 06, 2010, 9:40am

Orioles

It's become the most interesting battle in the AL East. Forget the Yankees and Red Sox (and I keep trying). Orioles fans seem more worked up about Felix Pie unseating Nolan Reimold as the starting left fielder. Has he really done it? Reimold was brought along slowly this spring because of the Achilles surgery. He told me that he wouldn't be 100 percent until mid-summer, though he ran the bases much better as the Orioles were preparing to break camp. Reimold also started to look more...

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felix pie nolan reimold orioles

Luke Scott's spot in the order

April 06, 2010, 9:39am

Orioles

As expected, Luke Scott is batting fifth tonight against Tampa Bay right-hander James Shields. The lowest that he figured to drop was sixth behind catcher Matt Wieters, but fifth seemed to be his most likely destination. I had an interesting conversation with Scott earlier this spring - and most of them are interesting because the talk often shifts away from baseball - about his placement in the lineup. He actually suggested that he would make an ideal No. 2 hitter. Scott has accumulated...

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orioles

First day in St. Pete

April 05, 2010, 5:49am

It would make more sense if I drove to Tampa for a game against...wait for it...the Tampa Bay Rays, but I'd have a devil of a time finding The Trop. The Orioles will conduct a two-hour workout beginning at 3 p.m. in preparation for tomorrow night's opener. Media access is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. I'm switching hotels after a terrific stay at Homewood Suites Sarasota, a Hilton property that took very good care of me for almost seven weeks. I'll apologize in advance for the mess...

Angle to undergo surgery

April 05, 2010, 5:48am

Minor league outfielder Matt Angle will undergo surgery this week to remove a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Angle suffered the injury during his final at-bat of spring training, and I don't mean because he no longer could play. It happened in the eighth inning of Friday's game in Tampa. He wasn't expected to make an appearance in yesterday's finale in Sarasota. Typical of this injury, it happened when Angle swung the bat and didn't make contact. He wasn't hit by a ball and he...

Last day in Sarasota

April 05, 2010, 5:46am

Has it really been almost seven weeks? I'll be loading up the rental car and driving to St. Petersburg tomorrow morning so I can attend the 3 p.m. workout at Tropicana Field. In the meantime, it's pretty quiet today because the Sarasota complex is closed to the media and most of the players have scattered. Brad Bergesen is throwing a few innings before making his regular-season debut Friday at Camden Yards. And I still have to pause while figuring out the days, since the opener is ...

Mickolio speaks

April 05, 2010, 5:43am

Kam Mickolio is angry - at himself. Mickolio looked like a strong bet to make the club after impressing manager Dave Trembley in the early days of camp, but he couldn't pitch because of a groin injury and was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Mickolio hurt more than his groin. He also hurt his chances by walking seven batters in 9 1/3 innings, which countered a 1.93 ERA. "I'm disappointed and very mad at myself mostly," he said. "They said they'd like me to start working up to an...

Andino speaks

April 05, 2010, 5:42am

Robert Andino knew his days with the Orioles were numbered once they traded for Julio Lugo. He walked into manager Dave Trembley's office after today's game and got the official word. The Orioles designated him for assignment after he batted .241 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 24 games. They'll try to pass him through waivers. Though angry about the move, Andino chose his words carefully while standing at his locker. "They said I wasn't good enough from what they've seen," he said....

Mickolio optioned (Updated)

April 05, 2010, 5:41am

The Orioles optioned Kam Mickolio to Triple-A Norfolk. Now it's Robert Andino's turn to visit the manager's office. Mickolio was told to stretch out to multiple innings because the Orioles have so many short relievers at Triple-A. Update: Andino was designated for assignment after the Orioles failed to work out a trade. They want him to play shortstop at Norfolk if he clears waivers. I'll be filing quotes from Mickolio and Andino in a few minutes.

Matusz on Matusz

April 05, 2010, 5:39am

Brian Matusz was satisfied that he got in his work today. He'll also take the four scoreless innings. "Fifty to 60 pitches was what we were looking at," he said. "It was nice to work with Matt [Wieters] to get on the same page. I didn't shake Matt one time. When I faced Luis Castillo the second time, we went four fastballs down and away, and he ended up coming back to me. I was unsure why we were going four pitches down and away in a row and then I talked to Matt afterwards. I didn't...

Reimold goes deep (updated twice)

April 05, 2010, 5:38am

Nolan Reimold hit a two-run homer off Sean Green in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase the Orioles' lead to 7-0. Reimold has two home runs this spring. He's also singled and walked today. Maybe that's why manager Dave Trembley waited to replace Reimold with Felix Pie. He knew that home run was coming. Talk about being one step ahead. Mark Hendrickson allowed two hits in a scoreless top of the sixth. Update: Brian Roberts delivered another run in the sixth with a ground ball....

Grand performance for Miggi

April 05, 2010, 5:37am

Miguel Tejada hit a grand slam off Mets left-hander Jon Niese in the fifth inning to give the Orioles a 5-0 lead. Tejada hadn't homered before today. The Orioles strung together five straight singles to open the inning, but scored only once. Nolan Reimold was thrown out trying to steal, and the Orioles were playing station-to-station baseball. Adam Jones' third hit scored Garrett Atkins for a 1-0 lead, and Tejada followed with a towering fly ball that cleared the left-field fence. Matt...

Koji on DL (with Matusz update)

April 05, 2010, 5:33am

In a move that surprises no one, the Orioles placed pitcher Koji Uehara on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. The move is retroactive to March 26. Uehara posted a 1.69 ERA in six exhibition games covering 5 1/3 innings. He limped off the mound during a March 18 game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. Uehara was supposed to be the seventh-inning reliever and a bridge to set-up man Jim Johnson. Maybe one of these days. The Orioles must turn in their final roster to the...

Matusz through two

April 05, 2010, 5:28am

Brian Matusz has turned in two scoreless innings today. He allowed singles to Jason Bay and Fernando Tatis in the second and threw a wild pitch, but he struck out Gary Matthews and retired Henry Blanco on a fly ball. Matusz has thrown 34 pitches, 18 for strikes. He's on a reduced pitch count - probably no more than 50 - before making his first regular-season start on Thursday. Adam Jones reached on an infield hit in the first, but he was caught stealing. From the Department of Irony: New...

No place like home

April 05, 2010, 5:25am

The Orioles are down to their last exhibition game, and their first year at Ed Smith Stadium has been a rousing success at the gates. They've drawn 94,405 fans for 14 dates and will exceed 100,000 at a Grapefruit League ballpark for the first time in club history. The Reds drew 77,758 fans in 15 dates last year before moving their spring home to Arizona. We've had seven sellouts going into today's game. On four occasions, the Orioles have topped the previous record for highest attendance...

Trembley talks about Mike Cuellar

April 05, 2010, 5:24am

Orioles manager Dave Trembley notified the team this morning of Mike Cuellar's passing. It was one of the most difficult meetings he's ever conducted in baseball. Trembley let us know later how close he had become to Cuellar over the past two years, when the former Orioles great had served as a guest instructor at spring training. "If there was ever a guy who epitomized what the Orioles are all about, it's Mike Cuellar," Trembley said. "All he ever wanted to do was help. It's really a...