The trade that brought right-hander Conner Loeprich to the Orioles organization was announced in the ninth inning of Sunday afternoon's game against the Rays. In the middle of the filing frenzy, when most of the beat crew is rushing to get its stories ready to post after the final out - and hoping that the score and stats don't require a late adjustment. César Valdez was in the process of retiring the side in order for his second save. Leadoff hitter Willy Adames smoked a ball to the...

Aaron Barrett's latest return to the Nationals bullpen came to an abrupt halt due to another injury. And James Bourque's first opportunity to pitch regularly in the big leagues has also been cut short due to injury. Barrett, who made national headlines last season when he pitched in the majors three years after breaking his arm while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, was placed on the 10-day injured list today with a right triceps strain, one of a flurry of transactions announced by the...

The Nationals return to D.C. to finish out the rest of the 2020 regular season with an eight-game homestand starting with a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies (September 21-23) and a four-game series against the New York Mets (September 24-27). Due to a previously postponed game against the Philadelphia Phillies, on Tuesday, September 22, there will be a shortened seven-inning doubleheader at Nats Park. Additionally, Saturday, September 26 vs. New York Mets will be an exclusive...

Manager Davey Martinez went over the offseason program he has been putting together for Luis García on Sunday, detailing work he wants the young second baseman to focus on. Martinez says similar programs are being assembled for pretty much everyone on the roster. "There are different programs for each individual player," Martinez said during the pregame Zoom video session with reporters. "We are going through all the stuff now, talking to strength coaches, trainers, trying to put together...

We have reached the final week of a most unusual regular season. Around these parts, that usually means a pennant race, a potential clincher for the Nationals and maybe a few days to rest guys up for the postseason. Not in 2020. Though the Nats are technically still alive, practically speaking they're done. Their elimination number, if you're wondering, is currently three, so the earliest they could be officially knocked out is Tuesday. (Update: It turns out they actually could be eliminated...

Carson Fulmer's stay in Baltimore was brief. The Orioles lost Fulmer today on a waiver claim by the Pirates after he made three relief appearances. He's headed back to the organization that lost him on a waiver claim by the Orioles two weeks ago. Reliever Cody Carroll was placed on outright waivers, cleared them and will remain assigned to the alternate camp site in Bowie. The moves leave the Orioles with only 37 players on the 40-man roster and 59 in the 60-man pool. Fulmer, the eighth...

Eric Thames, only minutes removed from dropping the throw that sent the Nationals to an agonizing, 2-1 loss to the Marlins in the opener of Sunday's doubleheader, was asked during his Zoom session with reporters how high the frustration level has become on the majors' most disappointing team of 2020. His answer, which grew more and more exasperated with each sentence, revealed a lot more than that. "It's very frustrating living life as it is now," Thames said. "It's not just on-the-field...

It was a game that had some of us - OK, me - checking the record book on several occasions. At various times Sunday I wondered about the O's record for consecutive strikeouts, about the record for strikeouts by a pitcher in one game and the team record for strikeouts in one game. On Wednesday night, lefty Keegan Akin fanned six straight Atlanta Braves. It was on that night we were reminded the team record for consecutive strikeouts was seven. That was done by Sammy Stewart on Sept. 1, 1978 in...

After missing a catch at first base Sunday afternoon in Game 1 loss in a doubleheader against the Marlins, Eric Thames spoke about the frustration he's felt during this abbreviated season and how it has played out for the last-place Nationals. In Game 2, his teammates took out those frustrations on a difficult campaign, slamming five homers and collecting 18 hits in a 15-0 shellacking of the Marlins at Marlins Park, splitting the twinbill. "This game is unbelievable," said manager Davey...

Renato Núñez was back in the Orioles lineup yesterday after sitting out Saturday night's game, a cleanup hitter in a messy slump. Pedro Severino was the designated hitter on Saturday and behind the plate yesterday, also looking lost during the times that he stepped up to it. Could two players bust out of two funks on the same afternoon? The Orioles settled for a split, which enabled them to defeat the Rays 2-1 and avoid a sweep in the final home game at Camden Yards. John Means earned...