It's the bullpen for O's third-round pick Dan Klein

It's the bullpen for O's third-round pick Dan Klein
If you were under the impression, as I was, that O's pitching prospect Dan Klein would be used as a starting pitcher this year, that is not the case. The decision has been made to use Klein, the O's third-round pick in the draft last June, out of the bullpen this season in the minor leagues. The biggest factor seems to be the fact that Klein pitched just 58 1/3 innings last year. The O's don't feel he can or should be asked to handle the number of innings needed for a starting pitcher...

Orioles agree to terms with 22 players, renew Berken

Orioles agree to terms with 22 players, renew Berken
The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with 22 players on one-year contracts. The list of players recently signed includes: Robert Andino, Matt Angle, Jake Arrieta, Josh Bell, Brad Bergesen, Zach Britton, Brandon Erbe, Pedro Florimon Jr., Jake Fox, Luis Lebron, Joe Mahoney, Troy Patton, Nolan Reimold, Adrian Rosario, Alfredo Simon, Brandon Snyder, Chroye Spoone, Craig Tatum, Chris Tillman, Rick VandenHurk, Pedro Viola and Matt Wieters. Additionally, the Orioles renewed the...

Matusz leaving team for procedure

Matusz leaving team for procedure
SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Matusz is flying to Philadelphia at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning to have a wart removed from the middle finger on his pitching hand. He's expected back in Sarasota later that night. Is that enough health news for one day? Manager Buck Showalter told reporters about Matusz's procedure following a 2-0 loss to the Twins. The wart is located on the side of his finger near the nail. He feels it while trying to throw his breaking ball. Matusz tossed two scoreless innings...

Peter Angelos speaks on O's fortunes, Guerrero, Sarasota renovations

Peter Angelos speaks on O's fortunes, Guerrero, Sarasota renovations
Orioles managing partner Peter G. Angelos took in today's home exhibition opener in the renovated Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., and spent a few minutes chatting with WBAL-AM announcers Joe Angel and Fred Manfra during the top of the eighth inning during broadcast of the game. "We always like the club in the beginning of the season," Angelos said, referring to the O's victory in their Grapefruit League opener Monday and a 12-6 lead over Tampa Bay on Tuesday. "Hopefully, this will be...

Uehara shut down with sore elbow (updated)

Uehara shut down with sore elbow (updated)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Reliever Koji Uehara, who was scheduled to pitch today, has come down with a sore right elbow and will receive a cortisone shot this afternoon. Uehara will be shut down for the next few days and re-evaluated. The Orioles don't believe it's anything serious, but it counts as another health issue in spring training. Uehara has been sidelined with sore hamstrings the last two years. Here's the Twins lineup: Denard Span CF Tsuyoshi Nishioka SS Luke Hughes 3B Joe Benson...

Matusz tosses two scoreless (updated)

Matusz tosses two scoreless (updated)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander Brian Matusz didn't allow a hit in two scoreless innings today against the Minnesota Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. Matusz walked one and struck out two. He went to a full count with Denard Span leading off the first inning and Jason Repko leading off the second, but he retired both batters. Matusz threw 35 pitches, 20 for strikes. His fastball topped out at 91 mph. Josh Bell, starting at first base, caught Repko's pop up. The Orioles are hacking against Twins...

Jim Callis and Joe Jordan on high school vs. college in the draft (with update)

Jim Callis and Joe Jordan on high school vs. college in the draft (with update)
It's a topic that followers of the first year player draft in baseball have debated for years: Should a club draft more high school players that may have a higher ceiling with their talent or more college players that they have scouted more and are closer to the majors? In the recent listing by Baseball America of its top 100 prospects in the game, there was some interesting math worth discussing. Of the game's current top 100 prospects on that list, 50 were drafted out of high school and...

Orioles hang on for 6-5 win

Orioles hang on for 6-5 win
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies homered twice off left-hander Nick Bierbrodt in the bottom of the ninth, and another run scored on Chris Jakubauskas' wild pitch, but the tying run was stranded on second base. Orioles 6, Phillies 5. Manager Buck Showalter must have really wanted this win. He removed Bierbrodt with one out and a runner on third, and his last two relievers were warming up in the bullpen. He didn't need Mike Ballard or Chris George. Jakubauskas retired Harold Garcia and...

Duchscherer makes progress, Lee targeting Saturday

Duchscherer makes progress, Lee targeting Saturday
SARASOTA, Fla. - Justin Duchscherer played catch again this morning and threw from the half mound. He's now moved over to a regular mound. Duchscherer is making significant progress from the hip soreness that kept him off the field Saturday. Also, Derrek Lee is penciled into Saturday's lineup. Josh Bell still projects as the third baseman at Triple-A Norfolk if he doesn't make the club out of spring training.

Fox talks about Britton

Fox talks about Britton
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Minnesota Twins are coming here from Fort Myers. Better that they make the trip than me. The lineup hasn't been posted, and the Orioles closed the clubhouse to the media at 8:30 a.m. for a players association meeting. Bobby Bonilla and Phil Bradley are in the house. Left-hander Brian Matusz is starting for the Orioles today. Adrian Rosario, Kevin Gregg, Koji Uehara, Jeremy Accardo, Clay Rapada and Josh Rupe also are slated to pitch. The Twins are sending pitchers Carl...

Britton battled Phillies and nerves

Britton battled Phillies and nerves
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Matt Wieters has three singles and two RBIs today. Felix Pie contributed a run-scoring double in the seventh, and Wieters delivered pinch-runner Nick Green for a 5-1 lead, though an interference call on the third baseman took away the RBI. Zach Britton walked into the hallway outside the visiting clubhouse, saw the five reporters waiting for him and brought up the elephant in the room. "Could you tell how nervous I was?" he asked with a grin. "I have no idea what...

Game update and Tillman

Game update and Tillman
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Brian Bass pitched the eighth inning for the Phillies, and his former team loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Robert Andino, Brandon Snyder and Pedro Florimon. Matt Angle's bouncer to first scored Andino for a 6-1 lead. Michael Gonzalez and Jim Johnson each threw a scoreless inning. Pedro Viola is pitching the bottom of the eighth, and he just gave up a run on Delwyn Young's single. Orioles 6, Phillies 2. Chris Tillman said he was a little too "jumpy" on the...

Fox on the run (updated)

Fox on the run (updated)
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jake Fox homered, singled and drove in two runs in yesterday's home exhibition opener. Apparently, the bus ride didn't cool him off. Fox has singled twice today as the starting catcher. He played first base yesterday. Joe Mahoney is starting at first today, and he singled to right field in the fourth inning. Left-hander Zach Britton was a little too amped up in the third inning. He appeared to be overthrowing, and Fox made two trips to the mound to settle him...
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Talking Tillman and Samuel (updated)

Talking Tillman and Samuel (updated)
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Chris Tillman retired the first two batters he faced in the first inning, striking out Jimmy Rollins, but he's behind 1-0 as we move to the top of the second. Raul Ibanez singled with two outs and scored on Ryan Howard's double to right. The wind might have knocked down the ball and prevented it from landing on the hill beyond the fence. Tillman threw 21 pitches, 12 strikes. Randy Winn, who couldn't make a play on Howard's fly ball, led off the game with a walk, but...

Tillman shaky but resilient (updated)

Tillman shaky but resilient (updated)
CLEARWATER, Fla - Chris Tillman completed two innings today, and he got quite a workout. Tillman threw 42 pitches, 25 for strikes. He allowed one run and three hits, walked one and struck out one. The Phillies threatened in the second when John Mayberry Jr. doubled with one out and Brian Schneider walked. With Mark Worrell warming in the bullpen, Tillman got a fly ball and grounder to escape the jam. Tillman threw 21 pitches in each inning. It's common knowledge that Tillman needs to...

Updates on Duchscherer, Lee and Atkins

Updates on Duchscherer, Lee and Atkins
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter just arrived in Clearwater after staying back to watch Justin Duchscherer throw off flat ground and further test his left hip. Showalter indicated that Duchscherer got through the session without incident and could throw off a mound Friday. "He had a good day," Showalter said. "Threw on flat ground, stretched it out. We'll see how he feels the next day or two. It was good. It was encouraging." Also, Derrek Lee took batting practice...
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Machado on Baseball America's ranking and his goals for this year

Machado on Baseball America's ranking and his goals for this year
When I talked to Orioles 2010 first-round draft pick Manny Machado this week, I asked him his reaction to being named baseball's 14th best prospect by Baseball America. "It's an honor to be ranked that high, but I really don't look into the rankings. If I'm No. 1 or No. 100, I just want to give 110 percent and be the best at what I do," Machado said. The 18-year-old shortstop from Miami is about to begin his first full season with the Orioles after playing nine games late last...

Today's lineups

Today's lineups
SARASOTA, Fla. - I'm heading to Clearwater later this morning. Here's the Orioles' lineup: Randy Winn RF Felix Pie CF Josh Bell 3B Matt Wieters DH Nolan Reimold LF Jake Fox C Brendan Harris 2B Joe Mahoney 1B Cesar Izturis SS Chris Tillman RHP Left-hander Zach Britton will follow Tillman to the mound. Left-hander Michael Gonzalez also will pitch today. Mahoney said he's eager to get some at-bats after fouling a ball off his right knee during Sunday's intrasquad game. For the...

Ken Rosenthal takes a shot or two at the Orioles

Ken Rosenthal takes a shot or two at the Orioles
Well, it wasn't Keith Law this time. A frequent critic of the Orioles over the years, Ken Rosenthal takes a few pokes at the team in a column today. The former Baltimore Sun reporter and columnist, who now works for Fox Sports and MLB Network, makes some valid points and remains, in my opinion, one of the top writers/analysts that covers the game. However, Rosenthal does seem to often have a little extra zing or two heading the O's way. To me, the timing of today's posting, on the same...

Showalter time

Showalter time
SARASOTA, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter gave today a passing grade. A nice ceremony before the first pitch to celebrate a refurbished Ed Smith Stadium, and an inspired power display that triggered a 12-6 victory over the Rays. Who could complain? "I'm glad that the weather held out for us," Showalter said. "It was a lot of fun. You couldn't have scripted it much better. It was a good start for the ballpark and everything. The organization and the city of Sarasota put a lot of time and...