Orioles manager Brandon Hyde hasn't decided how he's going to replace left-hander Wade LeBlanc in the rotation. He knows the candidates are Thomas Eshelman, Keegan Akin and Jorge López. They're headed to the bullpen until one of them is needed to start against the Blue Jays in Buffalo. "We're going to make that decision here probably later this week," Hyde said today in his Zoom conference call. "We have some guys who are built up for that. We'll see how it goes later in the...

The last time they played the Tampa Bay Rays (19-11), the Orioles (14-14) completed a three-game sweep at Camden Yards. They beat Tampa Bay 6-3, 5-4 in 11 innings and 5-1. Against a team playing .633 ball halfway through a 60-game season, O's pitchers recorded a three-game ERA of 1.86, held the Rays to a .190 batting average and produced 31 strikeouts while walking nine Rays batters. But Tampa Bay has surged to challenge the New York Yankees at the top of the American League East. Since...

The Aug. 31 trading deadline is less than a week away from happening. The Nationals certainly have some issues that could be addressed at different positions, whether it's a power bat for the lineup, a starting pitcher or a left-handed reliever - or all three. If general manager Mike Rizzo, a former scout, decides to strike a deal, it will happen just one month into this abbreviated season in a time where scouts are not allowed to attend games and one where there is no minor league season. So...

Davey Martinez hadn't yet met with Austin Voth when he held his daily pregame Zoom session with reporters this afternoon. But the Nationals manager was more than willing to share in advance what he planned to say to his struggling right-hander. "I can tell you now: I'm not going to give up on him," Martinez said. Despite a consistent pattern of ineffectiveness in his first five starts of the season - typically coming the second time he has to face an opposing lineup - it appears Voth will...

His addition to the Orioles' 60-man player pool on Aug. 7 may have surprised some people. But after a season at Double-A Bowie where he made gains pitching as a reliever for the first time, left-hander Brian Gonzalez got the call to join the Bowie alternate camp. After the Aug. 1 trade of Richard Bleier left just two bullpen lefties on the big league roster at that time, Gonzalez was added to a Bowie roster of players that was not overflowing with southpaws. Gonzalez has been in the...

Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter tonight as the Orioles begin a three-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Mason Williams is playing left field and Cedric Mullins remains in center field and atop the order. Rio Ruiz moves to the cleanup spot after collecting a career-high four RBIs Sunday against the Red Sox. Chance Sisco is catching. Pedro Severino is on the bench after experiencing tightness in his hip Sunday. For the Orioles Cedric Mullins CF Anthony Santander RF Renato...

Keegan Akin has made it back to the majors. Whether he's back in the bullpen or moved into the rotation hasn't been revealed. The Orioles placed Wade LeBlanc on the 60-day injured list this afternoon with a left elbow stress reaction, ending his 2020 season after only six starts. Akin has been recalled from the alternate camp site in Bowie as the roster replacement. The 60-man pool is down to 57 players. LeBlanc, 36, left Sunday's game against the Red Sox after throwing 14 pitches. He...

The season is nearly halfway complete, and tonight the Nationals and Phillies finally meet for the first time in 2020. And they meet as co-cellar-dwellers in the National League East. Who saw that coming? For many reasons, this is an important three-game series. The Nats need to start winning more games than they lose. And they need to start getting more consistent work from their rotation. Erick Fedde has been a pleasant surprise so far this year. Now that he's permanently starting in place...

They're four games under .500, tied for fourth place in the five-team National League East, the season now 43.3 percent completed. The Nationals are in trouble, right? Well, not entirely. Yes, they're on the outside looking in right now, and they're going to have to turn things around in a more positive direction soon. But they're not as far out of the race as you might think upon first seeing that 11-15 record. "It doesn't seem like things are out of hand. At all," catcher Yan Gomes...

No doubt the Orioles could use more innings from their starting pitchers. They have gotten just three outings this year in 28 games when the starter pitched six innings or more. They have no outings of seven innings. Right-hander Alex Cobb went 6 2/3 innings against Toronto on Aug. 17 and that is a season high for the club. But throughout baseball, after a quick three-week ramp-up to start the year, many pitchers were not fully built up to pitch deep into games as of opening day. Add to that...