coronavirus

Home confinement re-watch: 2019 NLDS Game 1

March 19, 2020, 9:11pm

The Nationals' run last October, when viewed in its entirety, was thrilling. That doesn't mean every single game along the way matched that description. There were a few clunkers mixed into those 17 postseason games. And maybe the biggest clunker of them all came only 48 hours after the euphoric National League wild card win over the Brewers. Flying high from that dramatic victory, the Nats headed west to open their best-of-five NL Division Series with the powerhouse Dodgers. And if you were...

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Group of 13 players still in West Palm Beach, none tested

March 20, 2020, 8:28am

Nationals

Group of 13 players still in West Palm Beach, none tested

Thirteen Nationals players, plus general manager Mike Rizzo, manager Davey Martinez and a skeleton crew of coaches, doctors, trainers and conditioning staff continue to ride out the coronavirus pandemic in West Palm Beach, Fla., though all have been instructed to take steps to ensure social distancing in an effort to prevent spread of the virus. Rizzo, who said three players and other staffers are now in Washington while others have returned to their various hometowns, said no players to date...

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"We're in a holding pattern that we've never been in before"

March 20, 2020, 11:24am

Orioles

"We're in a holding pattern that we've never been in before"

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he keeps waking up with the mindset that he has "47 things to do" as part of his day. Then reality sets in, a new normal that he can't escape. There is no baseball for a man who's never home on this date. He's supposed to be deciding on the final roster cuts before opening day. Setting his rotation, bullpen and bench. But the coronavirus pandemic is changing lives. Hyde's days are spent in Sarasota, but with his wife and children and away from the...

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Notes on LeBlanc opt-out date, minor league compensation and more

March 19, 2020, 4:19pm

Orioles

Notes on LeBlanc opt-out date, minor league compensation and more

The Orioles trimmed their camp roster to 50 players yesterday afternoon and reached an important date involving left-hander Wade LeBlanc. Well, it seemed to carry a lot more significance prior to the opening of camp and baseball's complete shutdown. LeBlanc's minor league deal, agreed upon in late January, included a March 19 opt-out clause. He could request his release and the Orioles would have 48 hours to add him to their 40-man roster or allow the veteran to reenter free agency. There...

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Home confinement re-watch: 2019 NL wild card game

March 18, 2020, 7:02pm

Nationals

Home confinement re-watch: 2019 NL wild card game

There's no baseball to watch right now, at least no live baseball. And there's not going to be any for a while. So how do we get our fix during this most unusual time in our lives? We watch old baseball games. There's a whole treasure trove of classic games available out there. And at some point, we might just get to them all. But for now, where better to begin than with the most recent games the Nationals played? Yes, it's time to re-watch - and re-live - the 2019 postseason. The plan is...

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A look at Orioles off the field during shutdown

March 19, 2020, 3:13pm

Orioles

The Orioles held a conference call today with both executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and senior vice president of community development and communications Jennifer Grondahl to discuss the current shutdown of baseball. Check Roch Kubatko's blog for Elias' updates on baseball operations and I will post Grondahl's comments on the business side for the club here. Grondahl's opening comments to reporters: "We're taking this situation one day at a time. As Mike (Elias)...

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Elias on roster moves, draft, Mancini and more

March 19, 2020, 3:35pm

Orioles

Elias on roster moves, draft, Mancini and more

The Orioles haven't emptied their spring training complex in Sarasota, but the number of players are dwindling. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias indicated this afternoon in a conference call that most of the Orioles returned home due to the coronavirus pandemic. They also were given the choice of going to Baltimore for informal workouts. "The general state of affairs in the Orioles organization is we have a small group of players that is still in Sarasota," he said. "Many...

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Orioles option four players

March 19, 2020, 1:32pm

Orioles

The Orioles whittled their camp roster to 50 players this afternoon while making their first moves since baseball's shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pitcher David Hess, infielder/outfielder Ryan Mountcastle, outfielder Cedric Mullins and infielder RamÃ³n UrÃas have been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. No cuts had been announced since left-hander Keegan Akin was optioned to the Tides back on March 10. A few competitions gained some clarity today. Mullins was a candidate to make the...

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Reviewing the roster during the shutdown

March 18, 2020, 11:28am

Orioles

Reviewing the roster during the shutdown

The Orioles would have been making the short drive to Bradenton today for a game against the Pirates if spring training had proceeded without interruption. The trip back always takes twice as long because of the traffic, but it's still the easiest one. Many of the competitions are unsettled while baseball takes a long break, but shortstop is set. JosÃ© Iglesias has the position locked down after signing a one-year deal with an option for 2021. He still holds the key. Iglesias came across as...

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Season is delayed, but what about the amateur draft?

March 18, 2020, 3:34pm

Orioles

Season is delayed, but what about the amateur draft?

The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is scheduled for June 10-12. The Orioles will hold the No. 2 overall pick for the first time. They've now picked No. 1 overall twice, but never have had the second pick. The Detroit Tigers, who went 47-114 in 2019, have the No. 1 pick for the second time in three years. They selected Auburn right-hander Casey Mize 1/1 overall in 2018. The Orioles, who went 54-108, will select after Detroit. But with opening day on hold and the season canceled...

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Nationals will donate $1 million to pay ballpark workers

March 17, 2020, 9:11pm

Nationals

Among those who immediately realized they would be affected by last week's suspension of spring training and delayed start to the baseball season were the workers at ballparks across America, those who rely on game days for steady income and now face weeks or even months without that assurance. On Tuesday, Major League Baseball and its clubs took the first step toward ensuring those people will be taken care of. Each of the 30 franchises has agreed to donate $1 million to cover the incomes of...

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Coming to grips with this new reality

March 16, 2020, 9:14pm

Nationals

This was supposed to be the start of the final countdown to opening day. The last week of spring training, with decisions looming on the starting third baseman, the No. 5 starter, a spot or two in the bullpen and maybe a spot on the bench. The Nationals were going to head north after this Sunday's Grapefruit League finale, make a brief stop in D.C. for an exhibition game against top prospects one week from today, then continue to New York for opening day against the Mets. One week after that,...

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Learning more about Orioles before spring training ended

March 17, 2020, 10:58am

Orioles

The Orioles would have been traveling to Fort Myers today for a game against the Twins if spring training had proceeded without interruption. They tried it last Thursday and didn't get a mile from the complex before the buses pulled back into it. Four left turns and they were exactly where they started. A pretty good hint that Major League Baseball was shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic. It won't attempt to start the regular season before the middle of May. No one would be floored...

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Nats may have to break up camp under new guidelines

March 15, 2020, 8:51pm

Nationals

Nats may have to break up camp under new guidelines

How many Nationals players are staying in West Palm Beach, Fla., during the coronavirus crisis, and what will their workouts look like? The answers to those questions have changed seemingly every day since Major League Baseball announced the halting of all spring training games Thursday. At first, the entire team intended to stay in place and continue to hold full-squad workouts - and maybe even scrimmages - during MLB's hiatus. Then the league notified players they were free to leave town,...

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Orioles facing longer wait for opening day

March 16, 2020, 12:07pm

Orioles

Opening day has been pushed back again. Major League Baseball, maintaining a dialogue with health officials and the Players Association, has determined that it should follow the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that are restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks. The initial decision to move back opening day at least two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic would have put the Orioles' first game on April 9, but that's no longer...

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Strickland's release opens door for others to make roster

March 14, 2020, 8:52pm

Nationals

Strickland's release opens door for others to make roster

It may feel trivial to discuss baseball right now, but even as the sport sits in hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Nationals made some baseball decisions Saturday. And so it's appropriate to discuss baseball matters. The club cut 13 players from major league camp. Twelve of those players (inlcuding pitchers Dakota Bacus, Bryan Bonnell, Wil Crowe, Aaron Barrett, Ben Braymer, Kyle McGowin and David Hernandez) weren't seriously expected to make the opening day roster. The other one,...

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Williams exhibiting patience again while in holding pattern

March 15, 2020, 5:23pm

Orioles

Williams exhibiting patience again while in holding pattern

Mason Williams had a chance to audition for the Orioles in September until crashing into a wall and injuring his knee. He made it through only 11 games. Williams had an opportunity in spring training to convince the Orioles that he should make the club as an extra outfielder, and perhaps the starter in right until Trey Mancini returns, but exhibition games were stopped and camps closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The importance of baseball competitions and roster decisions shrank as...

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An attempt to answer some pressing questions

March 13, 2020, 7:20pm

Nationals

An attempt to answer some pressing questions

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - These are strange times. Strange times with no real road maps to consult. Major League Baseball has dealt with work stoppages before, but those were strikes or lockouts or a one-week hiatus following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This is quite different. It's tempting right now to try to project what's going to happen in two weeks or two months. But the truth is, we have no idea what's going to happen in two days. Let's try to take a rational look at the...

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Latest on Orioles' spring fleeing and roster decisions

March 14, 2020, 4:35pm

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Night turns to day and there isn't much clarity to the Orioles' plans moving forward since Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association provided three options for teams on Friday. As it pertains to the Orioles, they can: * Stay in Sarasota for informal workouts* Return home* Head to Baltimore for informal workouts Or can they? Personnel on the minor league side at Twin Lakes Park were told to stay. An email arrived early yesterday morning with those orders, a...

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Shortened spring training schedule had noteworthy moments

March 13, 2020, 2:22pm

Orioles

Shortened spring training schedule had noteworthy moments

SARASOTA, Fla. - So the Orioles' spring training schedule came to an end when Major League Baseball made its announcements on Thursday afternoon. They finished with a Grapefruit League record of 9-7-3. They got in 19 games and had 15 more remaining, including the now canceled game at the Naval Academy. The Orioles produced a winning spring training record for the third time in the last four years and fifth time in the past eight. In 2019, they were 12-17-3 in the spring. Here is a look back at...