So much for easing in a Rule 5 draft pick. That was the hope and goal for O's skipper Brandon Hyde with his Rule 5 pitchers, but it doesn't always work out that way. One Rule 5 pick, righty Tyler Wells, made it into the blowout win Sunday. But right-hander Mac Sceroler did not. A pitcher that had not thrown above High-A ball took the mound last night. It was the Yankee Stadium mound. It was to face Aaron Judge. Did I mention the bases were loaded? Go get 'em, kid. And he did. It would be...

The two scoreless innings Sunday afternoon from Orioles reliever Cole Sulser didn't spare him an option yesterday to the alternate training site. It didn't erase the struggles last summer that cost him the closer's job, with the loss of control and skyrocketing walk totals forcing manager Brandon Hyde to scrounge for lower-leverage situations. Those innings, however, were important to a team knowing that it's going to need him in a 162-game season. Knowing that he must be trustworthy no...

Ryan McKenna has no idea how long he's going to stay with the Orioles beyond the trip to New York. His taste of the majors could sit on the tip of his tongue as he reports to the alternate training site in Bowie later this week. He could be introduced to fans at Thursday's home opening day. A mere taste turning into a mouthful. An appetizer or a feast. He isn't counting courses. He's just appreciative of the invitation, so unexpected less than a week into the season. Rule 5 pitcher Mac...

For 31 innings to start the 2021 season, Orioles pitchers were throwing a lot of strikes. But in the fifth inning tonight, they didn't at Yankee Stadium. And it led to their first loss of the year. Right-hander Jorge López was mostly rolling through four innings tonight, just about matching Yankees lefty Jordan Montgomery in a pitchers' duel. It was 1-0 Yankees in the opener of a three-game series. Aaron Judge hit a 344-foot homer - a Yankee Stadium special - to right field on a 2-0...

After a three-game sweep by a combined 18-5 score at Boston, the Orioles begin a three-game series in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium tonight. New York has begun the year 1-2. They lost 3-2 in 10 innings to Toronto in their opener. They won their second game 5-3 on Saturday and lost to the Blue Jays 3-1 on Sunday. So New York scored just eight runs in that opening series. The top four in tonight's batting order - DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton - are a combined 7-for-45...

The Orioles have placed outfielder Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring and recalled Ryan McKenna from the alternate training site. McKenna was on the taxi squad. The latest downturn in Hays' health occurred yesterday at Fenway Park on his double in the third inning. He limped off the field after diving back into the bag and Pat Valaika pinch-ran and played left field. Manager Brandon Hyde didn't notice that Hays was hurt until he saw the outfielder heading...

The Orioles will make a decision later this afternoon about the status of outfielder Austin Hays, whose sore right hamstring could force the club into placing him on the 10-day injured list. Hays is having the leg examined again today. "He's still sore," manager Brandon Hyde said in his Zoom call. "We're getting him checked out and we're going to have a decision on him here very shortly. Probably the next 30 minutes or so." Hays injured the hamstring yesterday in Boston on his double in...

As he emerged from the dugout at Nationals Park this afternoon and scanned the group of players assembling for one cobbled together workout in advance of Tuesday's rescheduled season opener, Davey Martinez could've chosen to focus on who wasn't there. That list, by the way, would include the likes of Trea Turner, Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Harrison, Patrick Corbin, Jon Lester, Brad Hand, Yan Gomes, Alex Avila and Jordy Mercer. Anyone who knows Martinez, though, knows that's not how his...

Here's some good news to brighten your Monday morning: The Nationals are going to hold a workout today at Nationals Park, and they're finally going to open their season Tuesday. It's far from ideal, and the roster that takes the field Tuesday afternoon to face the Braves is going to be missing a significant number of big league players. But given the apparent severity of the situation when the weekend began, it's probably the best possible scenario they realistically could've asked for. At...

There was a lot to like about the Orioles' big weekend in Fenway Park. Besides winning all three games, there was outstanding pitching, solid defense and some timely hitting. The Orioles pitching held Boston to five runs and 15 hits over 27 innings with six walks to 24 strikeouts. They walked two batters in each game, and throwing strikes like that would be a very welcome sight this year. The ERA for the three games was 1.67.The starters' ERA was 2.55 as John Means, Matt Harvey and Bruce...