Rio Ruiz is playing third base this afternoon and manager Brandon Hyde has put Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays in the same outfield again, as the Orioles head back to Bradenton to play the Pirates. Mullins is leading off and playing center field and Hays is in right. Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. Third baseman Maikel Franco gets the day off and returns to the lineup on Tuesday. Trey Mancini is the first baseman as he keeps proving that he'll be ready for opening day and an...

Tanner Rainey would've liked to walk off the mound at the end of the sixth inning Sunday and felt nothing but positive vibes about his first game appearance of the spring. Alas, these things don't always work out quite so swimmingly. Rainey's 2021 Grapefruit League debut, delayed three weeks by a small muscle strain near his right collarbone, wasn't pretty. "Today was not a good showing," the Nationals reliever said during a Zoom session with reporters. "The only positive I take away...

One reason right-hander Matt Harvey is having a good spring and making a strong push for an Orioles rotation spot is because he has found a new pitch. It's not at all new to the sport, but the power sinker is new to Harvey. It's really just a two-seam fastball being used by a pitcher who seldom threw one during a career that spans eight seasons. But when Harvey spent time before reporting to Sarasota at Baseball Performance Center in Pleasantville, N.J., they found he could throw the power...

The matchup was eye-popping on paper, the rare March 21 matchup that actually got people excited. Max Scherzer versus Jacob deGrom. A majority of regulars in the lineup for both the Nationals and Mets. Including both pitchers electing to bat against each other in an opening night preview 11 days early! And, yes, both pitchers have officially been named opening night starters, Mets manager Luis Rojas having announced deGrom earlier this month and Nats manager Davey Martinez having finally...

Turning in a perfect NCAA basketball tournament bracket is easier than figuring out the Orioles' opening day roster. Not knowing whether the Orioles carry 13 or 14 pitches is a complication, but there are others. The confusion isn't subsiding. It's actually increasing daily. The growing possibility of DJ Stewart going on the 10-day injured list has created more roster turmoil. It's March madness. If the Orioles carry 13 position players, they can hold onto outfielders Ryan Mountcastle,...

The recipe for ramping up a player in 2021 spring training includes a dash of hitting, a dash of fielding, a dash of baserunning. The exact amount depends on the individual and team. A later signing could require handfuls. The Orioles are going to keep Maikel Franco busy with less than two weeks remaining until opening day. Workouts on the back fields for a couple of days, an intrasquad game yesterday and his first exhibition game this afternoon. More starts at third base and maybe swings as...

He came into his start today at Ed Smith Stadium having allowed just one run in his last nine innings. Orioles right-hander Jorge López was quietly having a strong camp. But he ran into big trouble in the third inning this afternoon in Sarasota against the Minnesota Twins. The O's fell behind by six runs in that inning, but Maikel Franco, in his O's debut, and Ryan Mountcastle have hit them back into the game. López came into this outing on a roll. For the spring, over four appearances,...

Orioles outfielder DJ Stewart hasn't played since March 5 due to a hamstring injury. He isn't in today's lineup and could remain out at least during the early portion of the week. A "mild tweak," as it was described, is taking a significant amount of time to heal. Stewart is cleared to bat in intrasquad games. However, the Orioles don't want to turn him loose on the bases and risk a setback. Hamstrings require patience. Opening day is less than two weeks away and Stewart has appeared in...

Tanner Rainey will make his Grapefruit League debut at last today, a critical sign the Nationals reliever should be ready to open the season on the active roster. Rainey's spring had been delayed by a muscle strain near his right collarbone. Though it forced him to slow things down early in camp, the right-hander resumed throwing weeks ago and pitched in a simulated game earlier this week. With no more concerns about the injury, Rainey has now been cleared to pitch in a game. The Nationals...

As far as Grapefruit League games go, this is about as good as it gets. Max Scherzer versus Jacob deGrom, late in camp, with tons of regulars in the lineup for both teams. In what very well may be a preview of opening night at Nationals Park, arguably the two best pitchers in the National League (winners of four consecutive Cy Young Awards from 2016-19) are each taking the mound today in West Palm Beach, Fla. Each has been stretched out enough so far this spring to be able to go at least five...