Nationals prospect Alex Clemmey to participate in 2025 All-Star Futures Game

Alex Clemmey

Washington Nationals left-handed pitching prospect Alex Clemmey has been selected to represent the organization in the 2025 All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park in Atlanta on Saturday, July 12. The 26th All-Star Futures Game features the top Minor League prospects competing as part of All-Star Saturday.

Clemmey, 19, is the Nationals No. 4 prospect according to Baseball America, and the No. 5 prospect in the organization according to MLBPipeline.com. He leads the Nationals Organization and ranks third in the South Atlantic League with 88 strikeouts. Those 88 strikeouts are also the most by any player in Minor League Baseball under 20 years old, 12 more than the next closest teenager. He also leads all Nationals farmhands with 12.25 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, which is good for fourth in the South Atlantic League and 11th in all of Minor League Baseball (min. 60.0 IP).

A second-round pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Bishop Hendricken High School (RI), Clemmey was acquired as part of the trade that sent Lane Thomas to the Guardians on July 29, 2024. He is 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 15 games this season with High-A Wilmington this season and has limited opposing hitters to a .213 average against in 64.2 innings of work.

The 6-foot-6, 205-pound lefty helped the Fredericksburg Nationals to the league title in 2024 with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings of two-hit, one-run ball in the Championship Series.

The 2025 All-Star Futures Game will air live exclusively on MLB Network and will be simulcast on MLB.tv, MLB.com and on the MLB app at 4 p.m. ET. on July 12. 

Orioles select contract of catcher David Bañuelos

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The Orioles have made the following roster move:

  • Selected the contract of C David Bañuelos from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 91.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

Orioles trade Bryan Baker to Rays for Competitive Balance Round A pick

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The Orioles today announced that they have acquired a Competitive Balance Round A pick (No. 37) in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-handed pitcher BRYAN BAKER

Baltimore now holds seven of the top 93 selections in this year’s Draft. The first three rounds will take place on Sunday, July 13, at 6 p.m. ET. Rounds 4-20 are on Monday, July 14, at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Baker, 30, was 3-2 with two saves and a 3.52 ERA (15 ER/38.1 IP) with nine walks and 49 strikeouts in a team-high 42 games this season. Over four seasons with the Orioles from 2022-25, he went 12-9 with a 3.73 ERA (73 ER/176.1 IP). Baker was originally claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays on November 8, 2021.

LHP Grant Wolfram appointed as 27th man for doubleheader vs. Mets

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The Orioles have made the following roster move:

  • Appointed LHP Grant Wolfram from Triple-A Norfolk as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader.

Nationals announce multiple roster moves

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The Washington Nationals made the following roster moves on Tuesday. Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcement.

  • Agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Luis García on a one-year Major League contract
  • Recalled catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester
  • Placed catcher Keibert Ruiz on the 7-day Injured List (retroactive to July 6)
  • Optioned right-handed pitcher Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A Rochester
  • Transferred right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams to the 60-day Injured List

García, 38, comes to the Nationals after pitching in parts of 13 seasons with the Phillies (2013-18), Angels (2019, 2024), Rangers (2020), Cardinals (2021), Padres (2022-23), Red Sox (2024) and Dodgers (2025). He is 28-28 with a 4.20 ERA, 15 saves and 523 strikeouts in 573 Major League games (four starts) over that span.

A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, García has pitched in 60 or more games in three consecutive seasons coming into the year. Before he was traded to Boston at the deadline last season, he went 5-1 with a 3.71 ERA and a career-high four saves for Los Angeles (AL).

This year, García went 2-0 with a 5.27 ERA in 28 games for the Dodgers.

Millas, 27, returns to the Nationals after he played in three games for Washington from June 25-July 2. He knocked in the game-winning run with a double in the 11th inning of the Nationals, 7-4, win over the Angels on June 29.

Maryland Lottery Contestants of the Game can win big

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With the All-Star break nearly here, the Orioles are hoping to get healthy as they battle to keep up in the race for an American League wildcard playoff berth. Although the O’s are behind last year’s home run pace, every crack of the bat lifts the hearts of everyone in Birdland. 

And that unmistakable crack of the bat also lifts the spirits of the Maryland Lottery’s Contestants of the Game. The Home Run Riches Contestant of the Game promotion, a perennial favorite for baseball and Lottery fans alike, is in full swing. 

While each home run pushes the team closer to success, each dinger also puts cash into the pockets of Contestants of the Game, who are selected in monthly drawings through August. Each winner receives $500 for being selected, and is designated as the Contestant of the Game for an upcoming Orioles matchup. They’ll also win an additional $500 for each home run or $5,000 for each grand slam hit by the Orioles during their designated game. 

So far this year, the Orioles have hit 104 home runs and 3 grand slams awarding Contestants of the Game $111,500 in prizes. Raymond Mitchell from Germantown and Rich McFadden from Edgewood each won $6,500 this year, thanks to Orioles grand slams.

Last season, the Orioles hit a total of 228 home runs and seven grand slams leading to $229,500 in prizes for the Contestants of the Game. 

RHP Castillo clears waivers

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The Orioles have made the following roster move:

  • RHP Luis F. Castillo has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Cairo named interim manager

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The Washington Nationals named Miguel Cairo the club’s Interim Manager on Monday. Washington Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcement.

Cairo joined the Nationals as the team’s bench coach in 2024 after spending the previous season as the Minor League infield coordinator for the New York Mets. He was the bench coach with the Chicago White Sox from 2021-22 and was the Club’s acting manager for the final 34 games of the 2022 season, posting a record of 18-16. He also served as acting manager on Aug. 12, 2021 vs. New York (AL) at the Field of Dreams Game (W, 9-8) and September 7, 2021 at Texas (W, 7-2).

“Miguel is well-respected in our organization and around baseball,” said Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo. “A diligent worker and student of the game, he has a proven track record of showing strong leadership in a variety of situations, and I believe that his voice and energy will serve as a catalyst to our team and our fan base in the second half of the season.”

From 2018-20, Cairo worked as the Minor League infield coordinator for the New York Yankees. Following his retirement as a player in 2013, he was a special assistant to the general manager for the Cincinnati Reds until 2017.

A native of Anaco, Venezuela, Cairo is a veteran of 17 Major League seasons, with playing experience at every infield position as well as left field and right field. He made his Major League debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1996 before stints with the Chicago Cubs (1997, 2001), Tampa Bay Rays (1998-2000), St. Louis Cardinals (2001-03, 2007), New York Yankees (2004, 2006-07), New York Mets (2005), Seattle Mariners (2008), Philadelphia Phillies (2009) and Cincinnati Reds (2010-12).

Gore, Wood named to NL All-Star team

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Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore and outfielder James Wood will represent the organization in the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Atlanta. Both are making their first All-Star Game appearance and both were selected by player voting. The 2025 All-Star teams were unveiled earlier this evening during the “2025 MLB All-Star Selection Show” on ESPN.

Gore, 26, entered Sunday ranked second the National League with 131 strikeouts (5th in MLB) and 11.30 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (4th in MLB). He ranks eighth in the National League with 104.1.0 innings pitched and he's tossed at least 6.0 innings 13 times this season, tied for the fourth-most in the National League.

Gore has pitched to a 2.44 ERA (13 ER/48.0 IP), a .213 opponents’ batting average, 47 strikeouts and just three home runs allowed in his last eight starts dating to May 23. He opened the season with a career-high and franchsie Opening Day record 13 strikeouts on March 27 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He added another 13-strikeout performance on April 19 at Colorado. Gore’s strongest outing of the first half came on June 4 vs. Chicago (NL) in which he tossed a season-high 7.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and three hits allowed in Washington’s 2-0 victory.

Wood, 22, was one of the top hitters in the National League through the All-Star break. Entering Sunday, he led National League outfielders and ranked in the National League in OPS (3rd, .943), wOBA (4th, .399), win probability added (3rd, 3.22), wRC+ (5th, 158), OPS+ 4th, 167), RBI (4th, 67) and home runs (5th, 23). He ranked second among National League outfielders in slugging percentage (.553), on-base percentage (.391) and walks (57).

Wood is one of five players in Major League Baseball with at least 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases, joining Shohei OhtaniPete Crow-ArmstrongCorbin Carroll and Juan Soto. According to Baseball Savant, Wood is in the 99th percentile in hard hit rate (57.2%), the 98th percentile in batting run value (26) and 97th percentile in average exit velocity (94.0 mph). According to FanGraphs.com, Wood leads all National League left fielders with seven defensive runs saved.

A statement from Nationals principal managing owner Mark D. Lerner

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The Washington Nationals today announced the replacement of longtime President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Manager Dave Martinez, citing the need for a fresh approach and new energy. Washington Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner made today’s announcement.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” Lerner said. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C. While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our Club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward."

Senior Vice President & Assistant General Manager, Baseball Operations, Mike DeBartolo has been named Interim General Manager. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the upcoming MLB First-Year Player Draft, alongside other key members of the department. An announcement will be made on the interim manager sometime on Monday.

“Mike DeBartolo is a smart and thoughtful executive, and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our organization,” Lerner said. “As we hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft and look ahead to the trade deadline, we are confident in his ability to lead the baseball operations staff through these next, important months.”

DeBartolo has worked across the organization to aid in decisions affecting all facets of baseball operations, assisting with contract and trade negotiations, MLB rules, player evaluation, salary arbitration and other operations. Originally from Bedford, Mass., DeBartolo joined the Nationals in 2012 as an intern and has worked in an Assistant General Manager capacity since 2019.

Orioles select Jackson's contract, put Sánchez on IL

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The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

  • Selected the contract of C Alex Jackson from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 70.
  • Placed C Gary Sánchez (right knee sprain) on the 10-day Injured List.
  • Transferred INF/OF Jorge Mateo (left hamstring strain) to the 60-day Injured List.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

Nationals recall Ogasawara, option Loutos

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The Washington Nationals recalled left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday and optioned right-handed pitcher Ryan Loutos to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Ogasawara, 27, who will start and make his Major League debut today, is in his first season in American professional baseball after he became the first player signed by the Nationals directly from Japan on January 24, 2025. He went 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts and six walks in 24.0 innings in six Minor League games between Triple-A Rochester, High-A Wilmington, and the FCL Nationals. In his final rehab outing on June 25, Ogasawara struck out five in 4.0 innings of two-run ball for the Wilmington Blue Rocks against the Hudson Valley Renegades (NYY).

Ogasawara pitched 6.0 innings of one run ball with six strikeouts against Lehigh Valley (PHI) in his Triple-A debut on April 1. He allowed just one run on two hits in 5.0 innings with four strikeouts 12 days later against Scranton-Wilkes Barre (NYY).

Ogasawara turned professional at 18 years old and pitched to a 54-72 record with a 3.67 ERA in nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He was named an NPB All-Star in 2023 after he went 7-12 with a 3.59 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 160.2 innings. In his final season in the NPB in 2024, Ogasawara issued just 22 walks in 144.1 innings while pitching to a 3.12 ERA.

Loutos, 26, was 1-0 with a 9.82 ERA in 10 games for the Nationals this season.

Orioles acquire catcher Jackson from Yankees

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The Orioles today announced that they have acquired minor league catcher ALEX JACKSON from the New York Yankees in exchange for international bonus pool space and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Jackson, 29, is batting .226/.308/.463 (37-for-164) with seven doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 31 runs scored, and 34 RBI in 44 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He’s thrown out 26.3 percent (10-of-38) of stolen base attempts for the RailRiders.

The former No. 6 overall pick by the Seattle Mariners in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft has appeared in 124 major league games between the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays while slashing .132/.224/.232 (40-for-302) with 12 doubles, six home runs, 30 runs scored, and 24 RBI. Jackson has caught 29.1 percent (16-of-55) of would-be base stealers in his MLB career.

After signing a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds on November 8, 2024, he was acquired by the Yankees along with right-handed pitcher Fernando Cruz in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino on December 20, 2024. Jackson has been part of five trades in his career, including to the Marlins from the Braves in exchange for outfielder Adam Duvall on July 30, 2021.

Bowman, Rivera clear waivers

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The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

  • RHP Matt Bowman has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.
  • INF Emmanuel Rivera has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

O'Neill comes off IL

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The Orioles have made the following roster move:

  • Reinstated OF Tyler O’Neill (left shoulder impingement) from the 10-day Injured List.

Carlson to Norfolk

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The Orioles have made the following roster move:

  • Optioned OF Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.

Wood to take part in Home Run Derby

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Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood has been selected to participate in the 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby taking place on Monday, July 14, at Truist Park in Atlanta. Wood will be the third different Nationals player (2005-pres.) to participate in the Home Run Derby, joining Juan Soto (2022) and Bryce Harper (2013 and 2018). 

Wood, 22, is hitting .283 with 19 doubles, 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 56 walks and 55 runs scored in 86 games this season. Entering play on Thursday, he ranks first in OPS (.934), home runs (22) and RBI (65), second in both slugging percentage (.547) and walks (56) and third in on-base percentage (.387) among all National League outfielders.

Wood ranks second in Major League Baseball with 12 home runs hit harder than 110 MPH behind only Shohei Ohtani (13), and he leads Major League Baseball with four home runs that travelled longer than 445 feet ahead of Aaron Judge (3). Additionally, he paces MLB with 52 batted balls hit harder than 108 MPH ahead of Aaron Judge (51).

Combined with his nine home runs in 2024, Wood’s 31 career home runs tied for the most in Nationals history (2005-pres.) through a player's first 162 games with Bryce Harper (31) and ahead of Juan Soto (31).

Orioles agree to minor league contract with Jose Barrero

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The Orioles have made the following roster move:

  • Agreed to terms on a 2025 minor league contract with INF/OF Jose Barrero.

Orioles recall Yennier Cano, select contract of Corbin Martin and more

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The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

  • Recalled RHP Yennier Cano from Triple-A Norfolk.
  • Selected the contract of RHP Corbin Martin from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 48.
  • Placed LHP Keegan Akin (left shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day Injured List, retroactive to July 1.
  • Designated RHP Matt Bowman for assignment.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

Tigers-Nationals postponed, split doubleheader Wednesday

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Tonight’s game has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be played as part of a split doubleheader tomorrow Wednesday, July 2.

Game 1: (the rescheduled game from tonight) will begin at 1:05 PM ET

Game 2 (the originally scheduled game) will remain at 6:45 PM ET