As the Orioles continue to strengthen their international presence, the club today announced plans to develop a new, state-of-the-art training academy in Guerra, Dominican Republic. The 22.5-acre complex will be home to the Orioles' Dominican player development operations, which will include three full fields, a sports turfed agility field, batting and pitching tunnels, administrative buildings, dormitories, and educational facilities. "We have made tremendous strides over the last couple of...

It's crunch time now, the final week of camp, when big decisions need to be made. And for the Nationals, there may be no bigger decision to make than at third base. All winter and all spring, they have made it clear Carter Kieboom is their guy, so much so that to date they hadn't had Starlin Castro or Luis García take grounders at third, just in case. Well, take a look at today's lineup against the Cardinals and look who's at third: Castro. We'll be hearing from manager Davey Martinez...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is starting Adley Rutschman behind the plate this afternoon, probably no coincidence with the game versus Tampa Bay airing on MASN. Rutschman, the No. 2 prospect in baseball, is batting seventh ahead of left fielder Austin Hays. Cedric Mullins is leading off and playing center again. Trey Mancini is the first baseman, appearing in the lineup on back-to-back days. Maikel Franco returns to the lineup today for his second game after signing a one-year contract. The...

Would you believe it's the final week of spring training? That's right. The Nationals have only seven more days in West Palm Beach, Fla., before heading north. Opening night is tantalizingly close now. The question, of course, is: Are the Nats ready? And the answer is: not quite. There are several matters that still need to be sorted out before the end of camp. Players must prove they deserve to make the roster. The front office and coaching staff must decide who makes it and who doesn't....

The vision of a broad and impactful presence internationally, as outlined by Mike Elias after his hiring by the Orioles as executive vice president and general manager in November 2018, stretches beyond the players who are pursued and signed. The Orioles also are serious about the way they're trained and treated. The team announced today plans to develop a new state-of-the-art academy in Guerra, D.R. Construction is set to begin in the coming months and last 12-16 months before reaching...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde could be dropping hints about his opening day lineup with some of the recent versions posted for exhibition games. Though the usual warning is attached about never reading too much into a lineup. That warning softens as the weeks melt in the Florida heat. Hyde keeps finding ways to start Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays in the same outfield. Hays relocates to left or right, and the early narrative about a center field competition or platoon also turns into a...

It was the top of the fifth inning on March 2 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. For most of those watching that day, it was just another spring training baseball game with the Chicago Cubs hosting Kansas City. But for right-hander Gray Fenter, it was not just another day. He was about to pitch in a big league game for the first time. Taken by the Cubs from the Orioles organization in December's Rule 5 draft, Fenter was trying to beat long odds and win a bullpen job for a team that has been in the...

John Means got his work in today. His arm is healthy. The opening day assignment is waiting for him. The rest are just details. Means threw 82 pitches in 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates at LECOM Park in Bradenton. He walked the leadoff batter in each of the last three innings. He struck out the last two that he faced. He's ready. "I feel like I'm ready to go," he said in his Zoom call. "Feel like my body is there. I'm recovering well. Yeah, I feel pretty...

In his next to last start before his opening day assignment in Boston, Orioles lefty John Means saw the Pittsburgh Pirates produce a load of foul balls against him and he got his pitch count up, working into the fourth inning in Bradenton. Means had quite a wild ride as the Pirates batted in bottom of the first. Shortstop Kevin Newman jumped on a first-pitch fastball and doubled to deep left. Erik González then produced a single on a swinging bunt toward shortstop to leave runners on the...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he doesn't anticipate making any roster cuts for the next few days. Then they should be spread out over the last few weeks, with opening day April 1 in Boston. Fifty-seven players remain in camp, including the batch at Twin Lakes Park. There's a lot of work to be done. Chris Davis remains out of the lineup and workouts since straining his lower back on Feb. 28. Is the 60-day injured list a possibility? Hyde was short with his answer on today's Zoom call,...