The winner of the Most Valuable Oriole award, determined now that the media votes are calculated, is going to be deserving of the honor without the glowing statistics. They weren't going to illuminate in 2020. A shortened season has left us in the dark in so many ways. I'm not going to reveal my ballot until the victor is announced on Friday. However, it seems apparent that four players are under consideration, though the order and exclusion vary, according to an informal poll taken of the...

Nobody has repeated as World Series champions in two decades. Suffice it to say, it's a huge challenge trying to go back-to-back under normal circumstances. And the 2020 season has been the most abnormal season of our lives. We've accepted for some time the Nationals would not be repeating this year. Injuries, poor performances, a lack of depth and the understandable diminished motivation that was part of this season all came together to produce a disappointing, losing record. Yet when they...

The summer was rolling on and the Orioles' 60-game season was underway. Some, but not all, of the club's top minor league players, were getting great work in at the alternate site in Bowie. But what about the rest of the minor league players? There are more than 100 of them. In this recent entry, pitchers Drew Rom and Brenan Hanifee provided updates about how they have been getting their work in and their innings in without games to play. Today I check in with three position players on the...

Despite hopes of a return before the season ends Sunday, Carter Kieboom's hand injury proved too severe to take the chance, so the Nationals placed their rookie third baseman on the 10-day injured list this afternoon. Kieboom officially has a left wrist contusion after getting hit by a pitch from Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler during the sixth inning Monday night at Nationals Park. X-rays were negative, showing no fracture, but Kieboom's hand was swollen and he immediately departed the...

After Tuesday's 8-3 loss to Boston, the Orioles are back at Fenway Park tonight to play the second game of a three-game series. There are only five games remaining in the 2020 season. The Orioles (23-32) had a run of good pitching come to an end last night. But in fairness, they also made three errors, scored just three runs and went 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. They earned that loss. But in the homestand against Tampa Bay and Atlanta before this trip, the Orioles allowed three...

Orioles shortstop José Iglesias is receiving treatment again today on his sore left wrist and hasn't been shut down for the week. Manager Brandon Hyde still believes that Iglesias could return to the lineup before the Orioles play their final game on Sunday in Buffalo. "He feels better," Hyde said during his Zoom conference call with the media. "Hopefully the next couple days." Reliever Evan Phillips won't pitch again this season due to soreness in his right elbow. He's on the 10-day...

The Orioles placed reliever Evan Phillips on the 10-day injured list this afternoon with right elbow inflammation and recalled Branden Kline, who traveled with the team as part of the taxi squad. Phillips won't pitch again this season, but avoided a more serious injury. He walked off the mound in the sixth inning last night after surrendering a three-run homer to Christian Vázquez, and while facing Jackie Bradley Jr. Kline has made one relief appearance with the Orioles this summer and...

The Nationals opened this bizarre season 0-6 against the Phillies. Who'd have thought they'd have a chance to finish 4-6 against their division rivals? A win tonight would complete a four-game sweep, deal Philadelphia another blow to its postseason chances and keep the Nats' minuscule chances alive for another day. A loss tonight doesn't automatically eliminate the Nationals. One of the Cardinals, Brewers or Giants would also need to win, raising their season win total to 28 (which the Nats...

Manager Davey Martinez moved Juan Soto to right field for the second game of yesterday's doubleheader against the Phillies and it worked out well. "Just wanted to throw him out there," Martinez said during today's pregame Zoom video session. "I talked about it to him for quite a while. The short stint he was in the minor leagues coming up, that's where he played, right field. He feels comfortable over there. So, we thought we give him a shot to play over there. He's going to play over...

After the sixth inning of the Nationals' 5-1 seven-inning win over the Phillies in the opener of Tuesday's doubleheader at Nats Park, starter Austin Voth knew he had enough left in the tank to pitch one more frame. His pitch count had reached 91 - the most he had thrown this season was 88 - and that was in five innings one week ago versus Tampa Bay. But the right-hander didn't care. The Phillies had only two hits off of him, and he still felt strong enough to go for the complete game. So the...