The Nationals haven't yet figured out their pitching plans for the weekend. And it doesn't appear they will until they've decided if Jon Lester truly is ready to make his long-awaited season debut. Lester, who opened the season on the COVID-19 injured list, has made three rehab starts at the club's alternate training site in Fredericksburg. On Sunday, he threw 90 pitches over six innings, which would typically be as much as a pitcher needed before he was activated. And the Nats may indeed...

The Orioles and New York Yankees have split the first two games of their series at Oriole Park. The Orioles (10-13) host New York (10-13) tonight in the third game of their four-game series and this seven-game homestand. The Yankees won 5-1 last night as right-hander Corey Kluber allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings. New York hit three solo homers with Aaron Judge (No. 5), Kyle Higashioka (No. 4) and Giancarlo Stanton (No. 6) connecting. Of the 12 hardest-hit balls in the game last night, Yankees...

The sprained left ankle that forced Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander onto the injured list is likely to keep him out until the back end of the projected two-to-four week range. Santander injured the ankle in an April 20 game in Miami while getting back to first base on a pickoff throw. "He's improving," manager Brandon Hyde said in today's Zoom call. "I'm assuming it's going to be more like four weeks just because it's a sprained ankle. He's going to be out for a couple weeks and...

Dean Kremer has been recalled from the Orioles' alternate training site and returned to the rotation. He's starting tonight against the Yankees at Camden Yards. Kremer has made seven career starts, including three against the Yankees. He's allowed five runs and 10 hits with 10 walks and 19 strikeouts in 14 innings. A roster spot opened last night with reliever Jay Flaa optioned to the alternate site. Austin Hays is in left field again and batting second. Ryan Mountcastle is batting seventh...

The Nationals need to generate offense any way they can right now. How do they do that, given the resources currently available to them? They have to stick with some of their struggling regulars and sprinkle in some backups who create more favorable matchups. Tonight, with left-hander Steven Matz on the mound for the Blue Jays, that means an emphasis on right-handed hitters. Manager Davey Martinez decided the best way to do that was to stack four right-handed bats atop his lineup (Trea Turner,...

It's no secret that the Nationals need Josh Bell to have a good year in order to reach the levels of success they aspire for this season. That's what general manager Mike Rizzo was banking on when he acquired the slugging first baseman from the Pirates for two pitching prospects on Christmas Eve, the first big move of the offseason. And after he tore through Grapefruit League action by hitting .383 with a 1.328 OPS, six home runs and 15 RBIs, that's what the Nationals thought they were going...

Even though he once pitched in a college rotation at UCLA with both Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, the Orioles could not have expected right-hander Adam Plutko to pitch this well for them. When they acquired him from Cleveland on March 27 for cash considerations, it was expected to be for long relief situations and to cover some innings. He is throwing so well for this club that he's been used recently in some late-in-the-game high-leverage spots. Over nine games, he has an ERA of 1.42 and a...

The shifting of outfielders that was supposed to set into motion a shining example of the Orioles' depth at the position has settled into a more predictable pattern. Cedric Mullins is the undisputed center fielder and leadoff hitter. Removing him requires a special set of circumstances. Like rest, for instance. Austin Hays has played left field, with DJ Stewart in right, in four of the last five games. An exception was made with Ryan McKenna in right field to provide an extra right-handed bat...

If not for the date on the calendar, you would have thought Tuesday night's game was a late Grapefruit League matchup between the Nationals and Blue Jays. A spring training stadium only filled with 1,471 fans under a clear Florida night sky. Plenty of hard-hit balls and loud outs. Balls lost in the Florida breeze and the lack of major league lighting. And a handful of pitching changes, at least by one team. Alas, Tuesday night's game counted, and the Nationals found themselves on the wrong...

The evidence that Chris Holt had rejoined the Orioles tonight, resuming his duties as pitching coach, was laid out for everyone in the top of the third inning after another Yankees batter scalded a Bruce Zimmermann pitch. He'd rather stay in the dugout and take his chances with the television cameras, but the Yankees were making loud noises. The hits, the outs, it didn't matter. Holt missed the last series while attending to a personal matter and went through intake testing yesterday. He...