Good afternoon from Nationals Park, which just experienced a minor hurricane a few minutes ago. Seriously, it was intense. The skies have let up since then, and at this moment the forecast suggests it will be dry until about 8 p.m. That, of course, doesn't guarantee anything. So don't assume anything. As always, when we know something about the status of the game, we'll let you know. If they play, the Nationals will be looking to stay red hot against a particularly difficult opponent: the...

The Orioles never tried to promote the idea that their roster would be set for the majority of the 2021 season. That the lineup, rotation and bullpen would largely be untouched. They knew that a return to a full schedule and the realities of life in a rebuild would cause a substantial amount of personnel commotion. Reliever Spenser Watkins is waiting to become the 45th player used as the Orioles venture into the mathematical second half. That is, if he stays long enough to do it. The shuttle is...

Only once in his career had Jon Lester made a major league start on a hotter day, and that was 11 years prior when his Red Sox were in Texas on a 102-degree afternoon. So there was a built-in excuse for the veteran left-hander to use Wednesday after he slogged his way through five innings on a muggy 95-degree late afternoon at Nationals Park, if he chose to use it. Which he did not. Though the conditions were miserable, Lester would not give them any credence in affecting his performance during...

ABERDEEN - Orioles infield prospect Jordan Westburg said he has made a "seamless" transition to professional baseball, but it happened under anything but normal circumstances. After the club selected him No. 30 overall out of Mississippi State in the draft last June, there were no minor league games to play and no place to report to and begin his career. Westburg did eventually get to meet some of his new coaches and teammates during fall instructional league in Sarasota, Fla. This came after...

Cedric Mullins is expected to represent the Orioles at the All-Star Game, finding out Sunday night whether he made it as a starter. Trey Mancini already confirmed his participation in the Home Run Derby. They can hang out in Denver. Ryan Mountcastle won't be tagging along, but he's distracted with strengthening his candidacy for American League Rookie of the Month. With more prestigious hardware in his sights. Astros starter Luis Garcia hung a slider tonight with two outs in the top of the...

The thermometer was loaded with mercury, the heat index was in triple digits, the ball was flying at Nationals Park, and as everyone else was dragging from exhaustion, there was Trea Turner racing around the bases in the bottom of the sixth, chasing history. Having already singled in the first, doubled in the third and homered in the fourth, here was Turner - on his 28th birthday - lining a ball over Manuel Margot's head in right field and immediately deciding it was time to turn on the...

An Orioles offense that has scored 22 runs the past two nights in Houston should get a test tonight from an Astros rookie right-hander who will try to pitch his team to a sweep-avoiding win tonight. The Orioles beat Houston 9-7 on Monday night and 13-3 last night. Last week in Baltimore they got swept three in a row by Houston and scored just three runs on 14 hits in that series, hitting one homer while going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. In the first two games this series,...

If we ever forget how special it can be for a player to reach the big leagues, we can go back and check out today's interview with one of the newest Orioles: pitcher Spenser Watkins. Signed by the club as minor league free agent Feb. 3, the 28-year-old right-hander earlier today got the call he has always waited for. He was added to the Orioles active roster from the taxi squad in Houston. After eight seasons - most spent in the Detroit organization - and more than 600 minor league innings, he...

Orioles pitcher Travis Lakins Sr. isn't done undergoing tests on his right elbow. Manager Brandon Hyde said today on his Zoom call that Lakins will have the elbow checked again later this week after the team arrives in California to finish its road trip against the Angels. The Orioles are off Thursday. No matter the result, Lakins is expected to be unavailable for a significant stretch. "Right now we're still calling it an elbow strain, but they're going to do some further tests on it,"...

The Orioles placed pitcher Travis Lakins Sr. on the 10-day injured list today with right elbow pain, selected the contract of pitcher Spenser Watkins from Triple-A Norfolk and recalled reliever Isaac Mattson. Watkins and Mattson were on the taxi squad. Left-hander Alexander Wells was optioned to the Tides after earning his first major league win last night. The Orioles also declared infielder Stevie Wilkerson has been designated for assignment to create room for Watkins on the 40-man...