Stevie Wilkerson is starting at third base today and Pat Valaika is across the diamond as the Orioles travel to Bradenton to play the Pirates. Yusniel Diaz is the right fielder. Jahmai Jones is the designated hitter. Félix Hernández made his Orioles debut on Saturday against the Tigers. He retired the side in order in the first inning, issued back-to-back walks in the second and surrendered two runs in a 6-5 loss. Hernández retired the first four batters with two strikeouts. "It was...

There are two types of ballplayers in any spring training camp: Those who know they can use this time to prepare themselves for the regular season, and those who believe they need to perform now to have a chance to still be around for the regular season. As much as everyone wishes he was in the first category, the truth is many are left stuck in the latter group. These are the guys who are competing for jobs, and because of that they often feel like their spring numbers matter a lot more than...

In terms of the date on the calendar, the Orioles' two Rule 5 pick pitchers currently on the team made it farther than the two pitchers the club took a look at last spring. Then, right-hander Michael Rucker was returned to the Cubs and right-hander Brandon Bailey to the Astros on March 6. Yesterday, March 10, the current Rule 5 pitchers made their third outings and combined for three scoreless innings. In their previous appearances, right-hander Mac Sceroler allowed five runs in 1/3 of an...

After using his first start of the spring to make sure his sprained left ankle was healed and his pitching mechanics were still in proper form, Max Scherzer remarked that his objective was to "go out there, get my work in and worry about getting the intensity later." It appears five days counts as "later" in Scherzer's mind. Making his second start of the spring this afternoon in West Palm Beach, Fla., Scherzer looked like a midseason version of himself. He faced nine Cardinals batters and...

The Orioles won't really sink their teeth into their camp roster until they get closer to opening day. The first round of cuts was more like a nibble. There are decisions to be made that are going to challenge them. Others shouldn't consume hours and run late into the night. For example: Easy: Outfielders Yusniel Diaz and Ryan McKenna head to the alternate camp site in April and await their major league debuts later in the summer. The Orioles, meanwhile, celebrate their outfield depth that...

The minor league seasons are starting late, which is a heck of a lot better than nothing at all. That's the attitude carried by the Orioles, who are busy finalizing plans for their alternate camp site in Bowie and the minor league spring training in Sarasota that commences after they break. Exhibition games are played and rightfully get most of the attention, including today's 4-3-win over the Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium, but there's much more activity churning behind the scenes. "We've...

After he struggled for a second outing in a row in the Grapefruit League, Orioles left-hander Keegan Akin was not happy to just get his work in. He said the results matter and today he allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings at Ed Smith Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays. Making his first start and second appearance, Akin got into immediate trouble in the first inning. He walked leadoff batter Jonathan Davis, but then got two straight outs. He could not close out the inning, however, walking Rowdy...

The Orioles intend to set up their alternate camp site at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie, as expected, with a heavy slant toward Triple-A players rather than funneling lower-level prospects. The vision that began to come into focus last week hasn't undergone any changes. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias named one exception today, with 2020 second overall draft pick Heston Kjerstad skipping major league spring training and reporting to the secondary site for workouts when...

Though he didn't quite know it at the time, Jon Lester does know he wasn't feeling right at least a year ago. The veteran left-hander, who has built a legacy as one of baseball's true workhorses, noticed he didn't have as much energy as he used to. He would take the mound at Wrigley Field at times last season and feel way more fatigued than should've been at that stage of a game. "There would be times where I would run out in the fifth, sixth, seventh inning and feel like I hit a brick...

As always, the health and safety of our entire Birdland community remains our top priority. In accordance with Governor Hogan's announcement yesterday, we are continuing to work with the City of Baltimore, state officials, and Major League Baseball to safely welcome fans back to Oriole Park at Camden Yards with proper social distancing guidelines. As soon as we are able, we will share our plans to reopen along with our Gameday Health & Safety protocols.