As if this week's events - and the prospect of events still to come - hadn't already left the Nationals and all who observe them on edge, here now was the sight of Trea Turner departing tonight's game in Philadelphia after scoring on Josh Bell's top-of-the-first homer. Given the date on the calendar and the organization's July freefall, it wasn't inappropriate to immediately wonder if Turner had just been traded. Then, as replays of his trip around the bases began to be shown, it seemed...

To keep the activity in its proper order, discussions about filling vacancies on the Orioles roster should be tabled until trades are consummated. But who said anything about being proper? The Orioles are receiving interest in left-handed relievers Paul Fry and Tanner Scott, and removing one likely leads to a promotion from Triple-A Norfolk. They are the only southpaws in the bullpen. This could open the door for veteran Fernando Abad, who has spent the entire season with Norfolk. The 5.23 ERA...

Scouts who descended upon Camden Yards again tonight weren't attracted to the crab cakes and pit beef. Those are just perks of the job. The Orioles are sellers again and the trade deadline is 4 p.m. Friday. Contenders are checking on available players and determining whether there's a potential match and at what cost. The weekend series against the Nationals and the current two-game set against the Marlins comprise the final homestand before August. Remaining observations on Orioles trade...

The Orioles have won two of three series since the All-Star break, going 6-3 in those games. And we know they were an out away - a strike away, really - from that being three of three with a 7-2 record. So they have some momentum going as they host the Miami Marlins tonight to open a two-game series to conclude a five-game homestand. The Orioles swept the Washington Nationals by scores of 6-1, 5-3 and 5-4. They scored twice in the last of the ninth Sunday to record the walk-off win. It was the...

A week that already was shaping up to be one of the saddest in the Nationals' recent history was jolted by another dagger of bad news today: Stephen Strasburg needs surgery for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, a potentially career-altering injury. Strasburg's diagnosis came Monday night after an examination by specialist Gregory Pearl, the same Dallas doctor who performed thoracic outlet surgery on Nationals reliever Will Harris earlier this year. Unlike Harris, whose condition was caused...

DJ Stewart is in right field tonight and Austin Hays is starting in left as the Orioles begin a two-game series against the Marlins at Camden Yards. Ryan Mountcastle is the cleanup hitter and first baseman, and Trey Mancini is serving as the designated hitter. Mancini is 13-for-33 (.394) with two doubles and two home runs during his eight-game hitting streak. He has multiple hits in five of those games. Domingo Leyba took ground balls at second base before batting practice and that's where...

In what is shaping up to be one of the most significant weeks in club history, the Nationals do still have games to play every night. It may be too late for their performance on the field to change the front office's mind about what comes next, but they will be taking the field nonetheless and attempting to win a game against the Phillies. Losers of five straight and 16 of their last 21, the Nats will try to get back on track tonight behind Erick Fedde, who was sharp last time out, allowing...

The Nationals are going to be sellers this week, of that there can be no doubt at this point. If it wasn't already clear after Sunday's walk-off loss in Baltimore, it surely was after Monday's walk-off loss in Philadelphia. But there are different approaches to selling at the trade deadline, and that's where the real intrigue comes in as general manager Mike Rizzo starts fielding phone calls from his counterparts across baseball and decides how to proceed. Are the Nats just selling veterans...

Whatever the rest of this week has in store, of one thing you can be sure: Davey Martinez is going to keep encouraging his Nationals to block out whatever trade deadline chatter they're hearing and just concentrate on that night's task. "That message stands firm. I want them to focus on today," the fourth-year manager said on Zoom prior to tonight's series opener in Philadelphia. "Nobody knows what's going to happen an hour from now, nevertheless tomorrow or the next day. We've got a...

If you try to cast a silver lining into Tyler Wells' baseball world relating to his wrist injury, you won't get a nibble. The Orioles are monitoring his innings after he underwent Tommy John surgery and didn't pitch the last two seasons. A brief stay on the injured list makes it easier, giving the Rule 5 pick an unexpected rest period that could benefit him over the last two months. Wells stood in front of the dugout steps Sunday morning while teammates did some throwing in the outfield, a...