Stroll through a pre-pandemic spring training clubhouse, or eye up what's happening on the back fields of a camp complex, and you'll see a lot of teaching and mentoring going on. Even if it's not readily apparent, it was happening. A young hurler could ask a veteran about pitch grips. An inexperienced infielder can work with coaches and teammates to refine his footwork or positioning. An outfielder of the future spends time between shagging fly balls by picking the brain of a guy with a deep...

The likelihood of Hunter Harvey going on the injured list prior to opening day creates the latest curiosity in Orioles spring training. Exactly how the Orioles choose to replace him in the bullpen. Hyde could pivot and carry an extra bulk-type reliever rather than concentrate on a back end, one-inning type. The latter scenario would appear to make more sense with the team prioritizing length and having an abundance of candidates to fit the description. Folding another closer candidate into the...

Wade LeBlanc has resurfaced to start today's game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, his first Grapefruit League appearance since tossing two scoreless innings on March 3. LeBlanc has been building innings on the back fields. The Orioles are putting Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays in the same outfield again today - Mullins in center and Hays in left. They're batting first and second in the order. Yusniel Diaz is in right field. Chance Sisco is the designated hitter and Jahmai Jones is the...

There are only 19 days to go until opening night at Nationals Park, and there are still a whole lot of decisions that must be made before then. Will Joe Ross be the No. 5 starter? Will Victor Robles be leading off? Will Carter Kieboom be the starting third baseman? Who will round out the bullpen and the bench? Oh, yeah, and this little question that still needs to be answered: Will any fans be allowed in the park to watch the Nationals and Mets open the season? In some respects, it's kind of...

The growing possibility that Chris Davis begins the season in the injured list, whatever its length, removes the misguided argument that he's blocking a prospect. Davis hasn't done it. Prospects aren't kept at Triple-A or the alternate camp because he's in the organization. Ryan Mountcastle wasn't making the club on opening day 2020. Yusniel Diaz isn't making it next month. (Mountcastle is 2-for-19 with a double, home run, five RBIs, no walks and four strikeouts. Don't panic.) A four-man...

He was a fixture at the top of the lineup and in center field for the 2019 Double-A Bowie Baysox team that played for the Eastern League championship. He was back at Bowie last year as part of the alternate site camp. But outfielder Ryan McKenna's first major league shot is getting closer. And his rise from high school fourth-round draft pick in 2015 to the big leagues is almost complete. For those Baysox in 2019, over 135 games, McKenna, 24, batted .232/.321/.365/.686 with 26 doubles, six...

Orioles reliever Hunter Harvey threw one pitch today and left the mound. The same questions about injuries and durability followed him. At least it wasn't Harvey's arm, the only good news attached to the scene. The Orioles announced that Harvey injured his left oblique, which should keep him off the opening day roster and adjust the team's bullpen plans. An oblique doesn't heal quickly. The Orioles have plenty of references at their disposal. Today was supposed to mark the third appearance...

It has been a bit of a rarity for the Orioles this spring - a solid starting pitching performance. But they got one today from the left-hander that is expected to be their opening day starter. John Means, making his third spring start, allowed just one run in four innings as the Orioles hosted the Philadelphia Phillies at Ed Smith Stadium. Means pitched a 1-2-3 first inning, getting a called strikeout and two flyball outs to start his day. He entered this outing having allowed eight hits and...

In the latest sign that Major League Baseball is moving in carefully measured increments toward the normalcy that didn't exist last summer, the Orioles are allowing fans back into Camden Yards at 25 percent capacity to begin the 2021 season. In observation of social distancing guidelines and approved capacity limits, the club will begin the season by hosting approximately 11,000 fans per game, according to a press release issued this morning. As the public health situation improves, the...

Exactly one year after the pandemic gripped communities across the globe and halted the baseball industry, the Orioles today announced plans to welcome fans back to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the 2021 season. In observation of social distancing guidelines and approved capacity limits, the club will begin the season by hosting approximately 11,000 fans per game, operating at 25 percent capacity. As the public health situation improves, the Orioles will consult with the City of Baltimore,...