Andrew Cashner faces Mets in second spring start (4-4 final)

Andrew Cashner faces Mets in second spring start (4-4 final)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Making his second Orioles start of spring training this afternoon, right-hander Andrew Casher held the New York Mets to a run through five innings as New York leads Baltimore 1-0. The Orioles were blanked through their first five at-bats by Mets righty Jacob deGrom. Making his second spring start, he fanned eight O's in the first five innings, allowing just one hit. That was a single by Austin Hays, who then stole second base in the third. Cashner, who pitched four...

Pregame notes on Chris Davis, homegrown pitchers and more

Pregame notes on Chris Davis, homegrown pitchers and more
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he expects first baseman Chris Davis to return to the Grapefruit League lineup on Sunday when the Orioles host the Mets in Sarasota. Davis has played in just five spring games due to right elbow tightness/inflammation. He is 2-for-13 (.154) with one homer. His last game was March 2. He got a cortisone injection on Saturday. "He is making good progress," Showalter said before today's game with the Mets. "Right now, the plan is for...

O's notes on Tanner Scott, Kevin Gausman and Joey Rickard

O's notes on Tanner Scott, Kevin Gausman and Joey Rickard
JUPITER, Fla. - For hard-throwing O's lefty Tanner Scott, maybe it is a case of less is more. The 23-year-old Scott has a fastball that can touch 100 mph. But it seems this spring he's taken a bit off the heater and it's producing solid results. The Orioles need a lefty for their bullpen besides Richard Bleier and Scott's latest chance to state his case came Thursday in Jupiter. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning against the Cardinals and again did not walk anyone. For the spring, he has...

O's win, but get disappointing injury news on two fronts

O's win, but get disappointing injury news on two fronts
JUPITER, Fla. - On a day when five Orioles pitchers combined for a 1-0 shutout of the St. Louis Cardinals, the news was not all good. After the game, we found out that Mark Trumbo will begin the year on the disabled list and that O's third base prospect Ryan Mountcastle will begin the year on the DL in the minors. An MRI earlier today showed that Trumbo's troublesome right quad has a Grade 2 strain and he will miss the next few weeks. "He'll be out a minimum of three to four weeks,"...

Jonathan Schoop's power surge continues (O's win 1-0)

Jonathan Schoop's power surge continues (O's win 1-0)
JUPITER, Fla. - Like his good friend Manny Machado, Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop is swinging a hot bat in Florida. It doesn't matter whether it's the West Coast or East Coast of the state. As the Orioles began a two-day East Coast swing today, Schoop homered again. He led off the top of the second with his fifth spring homer as the Orioles took a 1-0 lead on the St. Louis Cardinals. Schoop homered to left off a 1-2 pitch from St. Louis right-hander Jack Flaherty. Flaherty is ranked...

Mark Trumbo gets an MRI, plus other pregame notes

Mark Trumbo gets an MRI, plus other pregame notes
JUPITER, Fla. - Mark Trumbo was scheduled to be on this two-day trip with the Orioles to the East Coast of Florida. But he stayed back in Sarasota. Trumbo went 0-for-3 as the designated hitter yesterday in his first game since March 6. He was out with a sore right quad muscle. After playing Wednesday, he felt more soreness and stiffness. "He went and got an MRI this morning and we haven't gotten the results on that yet. That is why he's not here. That was a little discouraging," manager...

O's top pick DL Hall preps for his first full season of pro ball

O's top pick DL Hall preps for his first full season of pro ball
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles' 2017 top draft pick, prep lefty pitcher DL Hall, is very excited about beginning his first full season of pro ball. He's ready for a lot of baseball. "I've heard numerous stories about the long grind of the season," Hall said Wednesday morning during an interview at Twin Lakes Park. "But I could not be more excited to get in my first full pro ball season. Want to pitch in a live game with fans and really good hitters and showcase my talent again." Hall is...

Richard Bleier on his outing at minors camp (plus other notes)

Richard Bleier on his outing at minors camp (plus other notes)
SARASOTA, Fla. - When the Orioles' minor league spring training games got underway this afternoon at Twin Lakes Park, the Orioles' two Single-A teams had major league pitchers on the mound. Right-hander Mychal Givens was pitching for the team representing Single-A Delmarva and left-hander Richard Bleier for Single-A Frederick. Both got in two innings, but yielded runs to aggressive young hitters from the Minnesota Twins. Givens allowed three hits and one run with one walk and three...

O's 2016 top pick Cody Sedlock is fully healthy at minors camp

O's 2016 top pick Cody Sedlock is fully healthy at minors camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - For Orioles 2016 top draft pick, right-handed pitcher Cody Sedlock, his first full season of pro baseball did not go as planned. He spent two stints on the disabled list, injured for the first time in his life. He also could look at a stat sheet that he may not have liked, also probably for the first time in his life. He went 4-5 with a 5.90 ERA for Single-A Frederick. He missed time due a right elbow flexor strain and a forearm strain. But he is back now, completely healthy...

Mychal Givens on his connection with Alan Mills and more

Mychal Givens on his connection with Alan Mills and more
SARASOTA, Fla. - Let's just say he will work to keep it pretty basic and not overthink it. Once drafted as a shortstop, right-hander Mychal Givens has become a quality late-inning reliever for the Orioles. After a very good 2017, he will just look to do more of the same this year. "Pretty much will try to keep things simple and just get better," he said concisely of his goal for this season. Givens put together one very solid season, going 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA over 78 2/3 innings last summer....

Lefty Tanner Scott finds a mentor during spring training

Lefty Tanner Scott finds a mentor during spring training
SARASOTA, Fla. - If you are a young lefty reliever with the Orioles at spring training, one hoping to have a nice big league career, you can do worse when looking for a mentor then closer Zach Britton. Britton might be one of the best relievers in the sport. But right now, he's out injured, giving him more time to pass on some pointers and provide some guidance to hard-throwing left-hander Tanner Scott. They are both southpaws with big fastballs and Britton resides where Scott looks to go - as...

Self critic: Gausman not happy when he looks back on 2017

Self critic: Gausman not happy when he looks back on 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. - Right-hander Kevin Gausman knows the Orioles are counting on him. They are counting on him today, tomorrow and hopefully for many years to come as a key member of their pitching rotation. He is a homegrown Oriole - drafted No. 4 overall in 2012 out of LSU - and he's made 106 career starts in the orange and black. But when you ask Gausman about the rotation's poor performance last year, he directs the criticism at himself, throwing himself under the bus after a season where he...

Dylan Bundy talks about his start today against Pittsburgh

Dylan Bundy talks about his start today against Pittsburgh
BRADENTON, Fla. - Considering he had yielded 10 runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 in his first two Grapefruit League starts, Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy produced much better results this afternoon at LECOM Park against Pittsburgh. Bundy became the first O's pitcher to throw five innings this spring and he allowed seven hits and one run with no walks and five strikeouts. He did not have a strikeout in those first two games. But this afternoon, he had a nice pitch mix working, throwing 84 pitches,...

Kevin Gausman on Andrew Cashner (DJ Stewart on time in camp)

Kevin Gausman on Andrew Cashner (DJ Stewart on time in camp)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman's spring training has gotten considerably better since his first game on Feb. 26. That day he collided with the Tigers' Jeimer Candelario backing up at home plate. It left him with a cut above his left eyelid and some soreness in his back. But since then he pitched three hitless and scoreless innings with five strikeouts March 3 versus the Phillies. He threw four innings and 65 pitches March 9 in a simulated game. Last night he was a spectator and enjoyed...

For the Orioles, youth was served in Sunday's win over Boston

For the Orioles, youth was served in Sunday's win over Boston
SARASOTA, Fla. - It was in a spring training game that will soon be forgotten, but some of the Orioles promising young pitchers put up some zeros on Sunday in Fort Myers versus the Boston Red Sox. And this is after two of their young guns - Hunter Harvey and Tanner Scott - combined to allow three runs (two earned) over the first four frames. It could have been worse for that duo, but they impressively pitched out of a couple jams. In the last of the fifth, soon to be 23-year-old lefty Keegan...

Hunter Harvey on his start today against Boston (O's win 7-3)

Hunter Harvey on his start today against Boston (O's win 7-3)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - After facing the Rays and Twins earlier this spring, today right-hander Hunter Harvey got his toughest test of camp. He faced the two-time defending American League East champion Red Sox and most of their regulars were in the lineup. "It was fun. Been watching this team for a couple of years and it was cool to face them," Harvey said outside the Orioles clubhouse. He threw 49 pitches, 29 for strikes with a fastball that often touched 93 and 94 mph on the JetBlue Park radar...

Harvey expected to get more spring starts (O's lead 4-3)

Harvey expected to get more spring starts (O's lead 4-3)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey is making the start here this afternoon against the Boston Red Sox. It is a split-squad game for the Orioles with the other half of their roster taking on the Phillies at home tonight. It will definitely not be his last this spring in the Grapefruit League. Harvey is expected to pitch in a simulated game, likely next Friday and then get his fourth Grapefruit League start on March 21 in Tampa versus the Yankees. "He's staying. He's...

Taking a guess at the minor league pitching rotations

Taking a guess at the minor league pitching rotations
SARASOTA, Fla. - On Friday we took a shot at projecting the rotation for Single-A Delmarva. It seems the Orioles have discussed using seven pitchers as starters with the Shorebirds. They would pitch as part of a five- or six-man rotation. The seven that we could see in Salisbury include include 2017 top draft pick left-hander DL Hall along with fellow 2017 picks Zac Lowther, Michael Baumann and Cameron Bishop. They would be joined by 2016 draft picks Matthias Dietz and Brenan Hanifee and 2015...

More free agent talk and some props for Hays

More free agent talk and some props for Hays
Even if the Orioles or any other team gets one of the big three remaining free agent pitchers, can any of them even be ready for opening day at this point? We are talking about Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn and the answer is that they probably can't be ready by March 29. Teams play nearly five weeks worth of spring training games and starting pitchers need that entire time to ramp up their innings and get their arms ready. Even at that point, some are only prepared to throw 90-100...

Projecting Delmarva's rotation: Young, talented, crowded

Projecting Delmarva's rotation: Young, talented, crowded
The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds will very likely have more starting pitchers than rotation spots when the season begins next month. The Orioles have to be excited about a group of seven young and talented pitchers that project to pitch in either a five- or six-man Shorebirds rotation. The Orioles could use one or more pitchers in piggyback situations, when they pitch as part of the rotation yet follow another starter into the game somewhere in the middle innings. The group of seven currently...