Ryan Mountcastle has returned to the Orioles' lineup tonight after being scratched yesterday. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter against the Pirates in Sarasota. Maikel Franco is the cleanup hitter. Trey Mancini is starting again at first base. Cedric Mullins is leading off and playing center field, with Austin Hays in right. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said wants to see better fastball command from Dean Kremer and Keegan Akin. Kremer started last night. Akin gets his chance...

The Orioles have turned a reclamation project into one of their starters to begin the 2021 season. Veteran right-hander Matt Harvey's contract was selected this morning and he's on the 40-man roster and in the rotation. Harvey, who turns 32 on Saturday, signed a minor league deal in February that included an opt-out clause this week. He could have returned to the free-agent market, but he's headed north with the team and might start the season's third game in Boston. John Means gets the...

The heart of the Nationals lineup has put up some huge numbers this spring. But here's the strange thing about that: Juan Soto has had nothing to do with it. While Josh Bell, Ryan Zimmerman and Kyle Schwarber tear up the Grapefruit League with a combined 10 doubles, 14 homers and 31 RBIs, Soto has produced next-to-nothing this month. The best hitter on the team, possibly the best hitter in baseball, is batting .182 (6-for-33) with zero extra-base hits and zero RBIs. Spring training stats, of...

Stephen Strasburg was on the mound in a Grapefruit League game, 10 days since he departed his last such appearance with what, believe it or not, was a ruptured tendon in his left calf. And he threw 83 pitches while showing no obvious lingering effects of an injury that isn't nearly as serious as it sounds. Those are positive developments for the right-hander and the Nationals, who have no reason to worry at this point he won't be ready when the season begins next week. "He feels good,"...

When he takes the ball a week from today at Boston, Orioles left-hander John Means can check off another box: opening day starter. A tired arm kept it from happening last July. But Means' rise from 11th-round draft pick and overlooked prospect continues on an upward trajectory. He followed up an All-Star nod and second-place finish for American League Rookie of the Year in 2019 with a stunning end to his 2020 season. One where Means went 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in his last four starts. He walked...

The optioning and reassignment of players to Twin Lakes Park is done only to reduce the camp roster. They aren't confined to the complex as if surrounded by an electrical fence. The Orioles have the freedom to play them in Grapefruit League games. Out of sight on occasion, for sure, but not banned from the site. They are still able to remain visible and fresh in the minds of the evaluators on the Ed Smith side of spring training. The last round of cuts on March 16 removed infielders Rylan...

Ryan Mountcastle was supposed to make the trip to Fort Myers and play left field tonight for the Orioles. It said so on the first lineup card posted in the afternoon. The second card an hour later had Tyler Nevin in left field, also batting third. An explanation on Mountcastle's removal sort of came after a brisk 2-0 loss to the Red Sox. Manager Brandon Hyde explained on his Zoom call that Mountcastle was scratched with "a non-physical injury." "It's just something that I can't disclose...

It could have been his last spring training game of 2021. Or right-hander Dean Kremer could pitch one last time in the spring finale on Monday. That would be his fifth day to pitch. Tonight he threw one pitch that cost him, but otherwise had a solid outing against the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers. Kremer went 4 2/3 innings and that is the longest outing by an Orioles starter this spring. He allowed five hits and two runs with one walk and five strikeouts. His ERA is 6.32 through five spring...

Though the Nationals do not believe Starlin Castro's hamstring cramp is serious, they will have the veteran infielder undergo a precautionary MRI to check for anything that could sideline him longer than another day or two. Castro pulled up a bit while running from first to third base during the seventh inning Tuesday in Jupiter, Fla., and was removed from the game. Afterward, he described it as a "cramp" and said it didn't compare at all to previous, more severe hamstring injuries he has...

It's been 10 days since Stephen Strasburg strained his left calf while throwing a pitch against the Astros, and though he hasn't pitched again in an official game, by all accounts, the right-hander hasn't been hindered at all. He threw in a simulated game Friday just to make sure he was fine. And now tonight he's back on the mound to face the Astros again and move one step closer to game-ready for the regular season. Strasburg is set to throw 80 pitches tonight, according to manager Davey...