The Nationals are getting Jon Lester back from the injured list tonight. They'll have to wait a while longer to get Juan Soto and Stephen Strasburg. Though both superstars are now eligible to come off the 10-day IL, neither has been able to pass the throwing tests necessary to be activated. Soto, out since April 20 with a left shoulder strain, did begin some light tossing Thursday for the first time, manager Davey Martinez said in today's pregame Zoom session with reporters. He was due to...

The Washington Nationals reinstated left-handed pitcher Jon Lester from the Injured List on Friday. Additionally, Washington optioned right-handed pitcher Steven Fuentes and transferred left-handed pitcher Luis Avilán to the 60-day Injured List. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Lester, 37, will take the mound for his first start as a member of the Washington Nationals on Friday night against the Miami Marlins. Lester went 3-3...

The Nationals signed Jon Lester over the winter to be a big part of their rotation, counting on the veteran left-hander to make 30 starts and win big games for them. Tonight, he finally makes his D.C. debut. Lester, the last of nine Nats players still on the COVID-19 injured list, has been activated and will start tonight's series opener against the Marlins. It took longer than expected, but after three rehab outings at the alternate training site in Fredericksburg, the 37-year-old is ready to...

We are now just a few days away from a new minor league season. Tuesday is opening day and there will be Minor League Baseball for the first time since the 2019 season. Today, we have the Orioles' break-camp rosters for their four full-season affiliates at Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie, high Single-A Aberdeen and low Single-A Delmarva. They all begin their 120 game seasons on Tuesday. The rosters, as always, are subject to last-minute changes and the opening day rosters will be announced...

What are we to make of the Nationals rotation as the season's first month comes to a close? There's ample reason for serious concern, yet there's also not-so-insignificant reason to be encouraged. The bad: Nationals starters currently own a 5.18 ERA, which ranks 28th out of 30 major league clubs. Their 1.323 WHIP is slightly better but still ranks a mere 22nd. Four times this season their starter has been charged with six or more earned runs, tied for the most in the major leagues. The good:...

For Orioles starting pitchers, the ability to pitch inside and bust a hitter with an inside corner fastball was big in the series against the New York Yankees. Right-hander Matt Harvey was able to do it in Monday's win and right-hander Jorge López had some success doing it yesterday. But rookies Bruce Zimmermann and Dean Kremer could not do it as effectively, and it made a big difference in getting good results or not versus the Yankees in the series at Camden Yards. Against a power-hitting...

Orioles minor leaguers are breaking spring training camp today and heading north, hitting the road and catching flights to join their respective affiliates for the resumption of a season that never got off the ground in 2020. Teams will announce their rosters on Tuesday as an attachment to opening day. Heston Kjerstad is ahead of them, but about to spin in the other direction, leaving the alternate training site in Bowie and resuming his workouts in Sarasota, Fla. The second-overall selection...

Starting pitcher Jorge López came out of the dugout this afternoon and hopped across the first base line before teammates followed him onto the field. Manager Brandon Hyde was more interested in whether they could get on base. It wasn't the only time they trailed, but it's where you finish that counts. César Valdez was a strike away from stranding two runners after walks and notching his sixth save - though plate umpire Rob Drake was squeezing him - but Gleyber Torres lined an automatic...

The Orioles still didn't put up much offense today, but they did get just enough to win. After César Valdez could not hold a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth and the Yankees tied it up, the Orioles produced a 4-3 walk-off win in the 10th inning. Cedric Mullins' sac fly to center ended the game as the Orioles and Yankees split a four-game series. Ramón Urías was the runner placed at second in the last of the 10th. He moved to third on Pat Valaika's sac bunt ahead of Mullins' sac...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde hopes that shortstop Freddy Galvis will be available to start or come off the bench Friday night when the Orioles begin their two-city West Coast trip in Oakland. Galvis is day-to-day with a sore left adductor/groin, an injury sustained Monday night while running out an RBI double. Hyde said Galvis hit on the field yesterday and did some infield work this morning. Increasing baseball activities also meant jogging up the first base line. "I want to see how that...