The first workout of Orioles pitchers and catchers will be held this morning on the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. With rain no longer in the forecast in Sarasota, Fla., where temperatures will approach the 80s. Without the media dodging puddles and remembering that an umbrella would have easily fit inside a suitcase or laptop bag. The gates and clubhouse aren't open to the press. The latter is expected to remain closed throughout camp and perhaps during the regular season. Major...

Would you believe we've reached the final countdown to spring training? That's right, pitchers and catchers are holding their first official workout in West Palm Beach, Fla., in two days. So it's time to count down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with Stephen Strasburg's return from carpal tunnel surgery ... Stephen Strasburg pitched a career-high 209 innings in 2019, plus another 36 1/3 in the postseason, and the Nationals went on to win the World Series....

It happened last season at the Orioles' alternate camp at Bowie. He made a joke that was not 100 percent a joke. When there was not a catcher available during a drill, infielder Rylan Bannon said they could put him back there. It didn't happen that day, but during instructional league a few weeks later, it did. Bannon, who turns 25 in April, went behind the plate. That was a first for him. In his minor league career, he had made 85 starts at second base and 172 at third base. But at...

Pitchers and catchers are arriving today at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. We've made it this far. Smaller-scale workouts begin on Wednesday and broaden Feb. 22 with more players spread out on the back fields and over at Twin Lakes Park. There will be 73 players on the camp roster after Matt Harvey's deal is announced, two shy of capacity, but they're categorized as 40-man roster, non-roster invites and reserves. They won't be huddled together and making a mockery of the implemented...

Would you believe we've reached the final countdown to spring training? That's right, pitchers and catchers are holding their first official workout in West Palm Beach, Fla., in three days. So it's time to count down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with the ever-pressing question: Will Carter Kieboom seize the starting job at third base? ... The Nationals had five clear roster needs when the offseason began - first baseman, corner outfielder, No. 2 catcher,...

As major league debuts go, this was a really good one. Outstanding, actually. Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer faced the New York Yankees on Sunday, Sept. 6 at Camden Yards. In a 5-1 win as Baltimore took three of four in that series, Kremer allowed one run and one hit over six innings. Yankees batters went 1-for-19 against him. He walked three and fanned seven, throwing 47 of 88 pitches for strikes. His career was off and running. That afternoon Kremer became the fourth pitcher in Orioles...

Would you believe we've reached the final countdown to spring training? That's right, pitchers and catchers are holding their first official workout in West Palm Beach, Fla., in four days. So it's time to count down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with perhaps the club's greatest need for improvement: defense ... Why did the Nationals struggle so much in 2020? It's easy to point the finger at a starting rotation that didn't come close to living up to its...

All you have to do is remember that catcher Jake Fox once looked like an All-Star during spring training. Some fans were clamoring for him to play over Matt Wieters. Yep, that did happen. Every year, we see players crush the ball in spring training but struggle when the season starts. And the reverse is often true. Every year, we wonder how much stock, if any, to put into spring training stats. It's all we have throughout February and March. I've always felt we certainly can't just dismiss...

Less than 24 hours after Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias told the media that he wanted to sign another veteran starting pitcher, the club has reached agreement with right-hander Matt Harvey on a minor league contract. A source confirmed the agreement with Harvey, 31, the seventh-overall pick of the Mets in the 2010 draft out of the University of North Carolina. The deal is pending the completion of a physical. Harvey, joining his fourth team since 2018, provides more...

Here in the real world, it's still winter. Short days, cold nights, walking with eyes peeled for any stray patches of ice. But in the Sunshine State, baseball is back and hope springs eternal. Pitchers and catchers have made their way to West Palm Beach, and the Nationals will soon be playing exhibition games and getting ready for both the parent club and its minor league affiliates to begin their seasons. We're not quite there yet, so for a few more Thursdays we'll continue in this space to...