Orioles reliever Hunter Harvey won't be in the visiting bullpen for the opening series against the Red Sox, his next move appearing to be the 10-day injured list instead of the closer's role. Harvey is bothered by some tightness in his elbow that manager Brandon Hyde described as "muscular," which reduces the level of concern but also prevents the former first-round draft selection from remaining active. "That's very doubtful that he's going to break with us," Hyde said on his Zoom...

Is it possible, even minus Trey Mancini and Jonathan Villar, that the Orioles offense improves in the 2020 season? Those are two huge losses. Mancini was the club's Most Valuable Oriole and became the 10th player in club history with 30 doubles, 30 homers and 100 runs. He hit .291 with an .899 OPS. Villar set career highs in hits (176), runs (111), triples (5), home runs (24) and RBIs (73). The 111 runs were the most by an Oriole since Melvin Mora also scored 111 in 2004. According to...

The 2020 regular season finally gets underway for the defending world champions tonight when they host the New York Yankees at Nats Park. It's game one of 60 on the schedule and will be played before a nationally televised audience, but without fans in the stadium. Right-hander Max Scherzer is again on the hill to begin a season for the Nationals, but this time around under unique safety protocols and rules in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's like every opening day," Scherzer said...

The Washington Nationals will celebrate Opening Day and their first home game of the 2020 season on Thursday, July 23. The game will be aired nationally on ESPN, with first pitch scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET. In addition to the Opening Day game airing on ESPN, the game against the Yankees on July 25 will be broadcast exclusively on FOX. The Yankees game on July 26 will be broadcast nationally on TBS, as well as on MASN. The opening of the 2020 season marks the first time in Nationals history that...

This isn't how it was supposed to happen. Tommy Milone didn't sign a minor league contract with the Orioles in February, a late arrival to their spring training camp in Sarasota, with the idea that he'd make the opening day start. He just wanted to make the club. In one of the sports' unpredictable and, depending on the depth of your sentimental slant, charming twists, Milone has gone from competing for the fifth spot in the rotation to leading it into the season. One of baseball's truly...

Though Wander Suero and Roenis Elías have rejoined the Nationals and have been cleared to work out with the club, neither reliever will be ready to open the season on the active roster. Suero and Elías were among the group of 11 players who were not initially cleared to participate in summer training at Nationals Park, either because they tested positive for COVID-19 or were exposed to someone else who did. Both were placed on the 10-day injured list July 13. Elías, though, was cleared...

The Orioles must turn in their opening day roster by noon Thursday and decide whether anyone else is headed for the injured list. They must sort through the pile of ailing players and figure out if it's smarter to just remove guys from the pool and send them to the alternate camp in Bowie. It's a job so big, they should hire interns. Infielder Richie Martin underwent wrist surgery and is on the 60-day injured list, pitcher Ty Blach had a ligament reconstructed in his left elbow and utility...

The Nationals bullpen got off to an incredibly rough start in 2019. The Nats struggled in losing 31 of their first 50 games before key additions helped them to recover as the season progressed. But the Nats bullpen's overall ERA for the regular season was still an uncomfortable 5.66. In a season with just 60 games on the schedule, that early season weakness from a year ago cannot repeat itself or the Nats will be in big trouble. Daniel Hudson, a critical acquisition during the season, became...

Are the Nationals ready for what awaits them Thursday night, when the atmosphere inside Nationals Park will be no different than it was for tonight's exhibition finale - a rain-shortened, 6-4 victory over the Orioles - but the stakes will be ramped up by a factor of 10? It's impossible to know at this point, but here's what we do know after three exhibition games played in empty ballparks: * Many pitchers' velocity is down, some to concerning levels. * Some hitters are locked in despite the...

When Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias was interviewed on the MASN telecast on Monday night in Baltimore, he was asked if any players had jumped out at him during summer camp. Elias cited catcher Pedro Severino and outfielder Cedric Mullins and said there are plenty of others that have looked good, better than they had in Sarasota in the first spring training. He said Severino has been swinging the bat very well. Elias said of Mullins: "He's looked great, which...