The Orioles are carrying a full 40-man roster and counting the number of injured players. Increases that are painful on a number of fronts. Relievers Hunter Harvey, Dillon Tate and Rule 5 pick Mac Sceroler are in various stages of recovery from oblique, hamstring and shoulder ailments, respectively. Harvey is on the 60-day injured list and doesn't count against the 40-man, but he also hasn't been an option for a team that's working up a sweat trying to keep its bullpen fresh. First baseman...

Remember how we all wondered if Max Scherzer would ever be able to pitch at a Cy Young Award-caliber level again? Well, guess what? He's doing it right now. The Nationals ace has been nothing short of magnificent so far season, entering tonight's game against the Cubs seventh in the National League in ERA (2.10), third in WHIP (0.760), fourth in walk rate (1.4 per nine innings) and fourth in strikeouts (68). And when he's been good, he's been really, really good: In six of his eight starts,...

He has been one of the best pitchers in the majors this year and tonight the Orioles ask left-hander John Means (4-0, 1.21 ERA) to pitch them to a win to end a losing stretch. Not a losing streak so much, but a run where they have lost five and six and eight of their last 10 games. Means is pitching on seven days' rest since his last outing on Tuesday May 11 at the New York Mets. That day, he pitched six scoreless innings on six hits in the follow-up act to his no-hitter. Four times this year,...

A knee injury limited Chris Davis to 16 games last summer. Today's hip surgery prevents him from joining the active roster and playing in 2021. The countdown to the end of Davis' franchise-record $161 million contract is accelerating, though the deal includes deferred payments through 2037. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias provided the update this afternoon in a Zoom call, the first of any substance since Davis was shut down following the exhibition opener. Two at-bats and...

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis won't play in 2021 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery today in Dallas to repair the labrum in his left hip. Davis received two at-bats in the first exhibition game and didn't play again. The Orioles anticipate that he's going to be full-go for 2022 spring training, the final year of his franchise-record seven-year, $161 million contract. Davis tried to rehab the injury back home and finally decided on the surgery, according to Orioles executive vice...

Before he made a start last week at Citi Field against the New York Mets, Orioles right-hander Matt Harvey was solid during his most recent three-start stretch. In those games - against the Yankees, Athletics and Red Sox - he went 2-1 with a 1.72 ERA, .193 batting average against and .608 opponent OPS. I think Birdland would happily take that and run with it. But Harvey had another early exit last night when he allowed a pair of three-run homers in the second inning in a 13-6 loss against Tampa...

The storylines surrounding this Nationals lineup haven't really changed since spring training. They still need consistent production from big offseason acquisitions Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber. Trea Turner is showing his sneaky pop is no longer sneaky. Juan Soto is still waiting to break out of his funk to reach the incredibly high standards he's set for himself. And Ryan Zimmerman's return is proving that a year off may have done the veteran first baseman some good as he provides a lethal...

There was still some love in the air between the Cubs and their former teammates who now wear the curly W on their caps Tuesday night. After Kyle Schwarber enjoyed a tribute video before Monday night's game, it was Jon Lester's turn to have his moment after starting last night's game on the mound. He was treated with a tribute video on the big scoreboard at Wrigley Field and was given the famed W flag that flies after Cubs victories covered with signatures and notes from his former...

Matt Harvey stood with his back turned to home plate and his right hand on his hip tonight as Austin Meadows' ball sailed over the center field fence for the second three-run homer of the second inning. The second-shortest start of his major league career was happening before his eyes. He had to look. Though perhaps in disbelief. A bloop single by Brandon Lowe with two outs brought manager Brandon Hyde out of the dugout. The Rays were dinking Harvey to death, too, but it didn't hurt as much...

The latest Orioles transaction this month unfolded yesterday with Rio Ruiz taken off the 40-man roster and Stevie Wilkerson returning to the majors, again transforming a minor league contract into an opportunity. The May movement began on the third with reliever Isaac Mattson recalled from the alternate camp site in Bowie and left-hander Bruce Zimmermann optioned in an exchange of rookies. Mattson was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk five days later, with left-hander Zac Lowther recalled from the...