Trey Mancini is making his third start today in the last four days, going back to first base for a 1:05 p.m. game versus the Phillies in Sarasota. Mancini is 4-for-14 with an RBI and is searching for his first extra-base hit. He underwent surgery exactly one year ago to remove a malignant tumor from his colon, but has made a full recovery and is expected to be in the opening day lineup. Austin Hays gets his turn in center field and Ryan McKenna is in right. Rio Ruiz, who's 1-for-12 this...

The Nationals are off today, and there is some strange symbolism to be found there, because exactly one year ago, they played one of the final six games to be held in Florida before Major League Baseball shut down all spring training operations. March 12, 2020, was a day unlike any we'd ever experienced. It was surreal. It was filled with uncertainty. It was, as it turned out, the end of an era. "It was tough," manager Davey Martinez said Thursday, reminiscing about the one-year anniversary...

The charter buses circled the Orioles spring training complex one year ago today and returned to the home site, a series of left turns that would symbolize a day of dizzying news and activity. Manager Brandon Hyde, his coaches and players walked through the narrow doors, down the steps and back indoors, their minds filled with equal parts confusion and concern. Media packed up laptop bags and headed to cars for the drive to Fort Myers and a night game against the Twins, only to learn of the...

When minor league baseball begins in May, there will be some changes with new rules. It's Major League Baseball's attempt to look at new rules on the farm to see if they want to bring them to the big leagues. MLB said it would "closely monitor and analyze the impact of each rule change throughout the 2021 season and report to clubs on their effects for further analysis. Consistent with the preferences of our fans, the rule changes being tested are designed to increase action on the...

When Patrick Corbin pitched 364 days ago - in what proved to be the final game of spring training 2020 before Major League Baseball shut down in response to the rapidly growing pandemic - his fastball hovered in the 87-88 mph range. And though it ticked up to an average of 90 mph once the season finally took place last summer, it wasn't enough to prevent the left-hander from giving up the most hits in the league. When Corbin pitched this afternoon in Jupiter, Fla., in his second start of this...

What to do with Cedric Mullins is one of the items that's missing from manager Brandon Hyde's plate. Mullins is going to be on the opening day roster. He's going to play a lot of center field. And he's going to hit in the leadoff spot. Baseball is losing its prototypical leadoff types, but Mullins fits the description and fits in the Orioles lineup. He began today's 7-5 loss to the Pirates with another hustle double and scored on Yolmer Sánchez's single. Center fielder Anthony Alford...

It was another day when the Orioles did not get a strong outing from their starting pitcher. Right-hander Félix Hernández, a six-time All-Star and the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner, again had a shaky outing as the Orioles faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. Hernández did not express concern over either the stat sheet or that his fastball again was mostly in the mid-80s. He'll no doubt get more chances to show he can be effective but his ERA is 9.64 after two spring...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde hasn't decided on 13 or 14 pitchers for the opening day roster, and whether he's carrying one or more super-utility players. But he knows what's required in order to make the setup work. Anyone backing up in the infield obviously must be able to play shortstop and be trusted at the position, which gives an edge to Ramón Urías and Pat Valaika. "For me, a true utility player is able to play short, is able to spell your shortstop, able to spell your second...

Juan Soto reported to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches this morning, feeling better after spending Wednesday at home with what was believed to be a sinus issue, and wanted to play in the Nationals' exhibition game against the Marlins. And Davey Martinez initially put Soto in his lineup. He was batting second, behind Victor Robles and ahead of Trea Turner in the latest attempt by the manager to see if that new-look trio atop the order could work. Then Martinez thought better of it. Soto was...

Another day, another opportunity for Davey Martinez to try out what appears to be his preferred opening day lineup. That's the one that opens with Victor Robles, Juan Soto and Trea Turner, in that order. At this point, it should be clear Martinez really, really, really wants Robles to prove he can handle the leadoff spot. And though he has flip-flopped Soto and Turner in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, this arrangement (with Turner serving as Soto's protection) seems to be the manager's...