The 2021 First-Year Player Draft is defined by the number of high school shortstops residing near or at the top of boards across the industry. The Orioles helped to steer it in a different direction tonight. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias used the fifth-overall selection on Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser. This is the second year in a row that the Orioles chose an outfielder with their first pick, following the University of Arkansas' Heston Kjerstad, who still...

Manager Davey Martinez had hoped the Nationals could use the final game of a West Coast road trip to end a three-game skid, prevent a sweep by the Giants and head into the All-Star break with a little bit of positive momentum. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Giants right-hander Kevin Gausman, who throttled the Nats in a 3-1 victory that gave his team a sweep of the three-game weekend series. Gausman allowed only four hits through six-plus innings - three of them of the infield variety -...

Double-A Harrisburg's Cade Cavalli flashed a little of the triple-digit velocity that made him a first-round pick by the Nationals in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft during a one-inning relief stint in Sunday's All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field in Denver. Relieving the Pirates' Quinn Priester to start the fifth inning with his National League team ahead 6-0, Cavalli struck out two and walked two during a 29-pitch inning. He threw 15 pitches for strikes and twice hit 100 mph on the radar...

The All-Star break is a time for rest and reflection, and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde knows exactly why his club has the worst record in the American League. Precisely what he's going to think about before play resumes Friday night in Kansas City. "For me," he said this afternoon, "it just shows you how far away we are, pitching-wise." Spenser Watkins tried to narrow the gap a little, maybe present Hyde with another option and keep earning more chances. He held the White Sox to one run in...

Orioles top prospect Adley Rutschman had a prime spot in the batting order today in the All-Star Futures Game at Denver's Coors Field. Rutschman began the game as the catcher and batting fourth for the American League team. He is the No. 2 prospect in the sport, but the No. 1 player remaining on the farm with shortstop Wander Franco now in the majors with Tampa Bay. In his first at-bat, leading off the top of the second for the AL team, Rutschman flied out to short left field. He hit a 1-0...

Ever the optimist, Nationals manager Davey Martinez will pause during the All-Star break to take stock of his team. However, he won't spend much time rehashing the injuries that have made roster management a daily challenge, the long stretches of ineffective offense and what might have happened had he had a healthy pitching staff for the season's half. When Martinez says he looks at the present and future, he's not just whistling in the wind. That's the only way he's survived a challenging...

Another day, another roster move for the Nationals. Right-hander Kyle McGowin is going on the 10-day injured list with a right biceps tendinitis, manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. Andres Machado is being recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take McGowin's roster spot. McGowin left Saturday's game after facing three batters in the sixth inning and working to a 1-1 count against Thairo Estrada. After the 10-4 loss, Martinez said that McGowin had...

The All-Star break arrives after today's series finale, with the Orioles sending rookie Spenser Watkins to the mound for his second major league start and third appearance. Watkins held the Blue Jays to one run over five innings last week. Ryan McKenna gets the start in left field and Austin Hays is in right. Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman and Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. Trey Mancini is on the bench before participating Monday in the Home Run Derby. Hot-hitting Ramón...

It's the final game before the All-Star break this afternoon in Baltimore as the Orioles host the Chicago White Sox to wrap up a three-game series and a rain-shortened homestand of five games. The Orioles will be swept for the 11th time this season if they lose the series finale today. The White Sox won 12-1 Friday night and 8-3 on Saturday afternoon, making the Orioles 1-3 on this homestand. They've lost the last three games at Oriole Park by a combined 30-6 score. The Orioles have 25 hits...

Before Cedric Mullins could rise to major league All-Star, he had to beat down the perception that he was too small, that he couldn't play in a bigger environment, that his ceiling was as a fourth outfielder. Justin Haire knew better, and his opinion went unchanged after the Orioles adjusted their plans for Mullins, taking him from starting center fielder to minor league project. Haire was Mullins' head coach at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. He was armed with all the necessary...