The final arrangements have been completed on the Orioles' alternate summer camp site. The club is using the Prince George's Stadium facility in Bowie, which is the home of the Double-A Baysox. Preparations are ongoing to get the complex ready and the first full workout is expected to be held on Thursday morning. There are 53 players working out at Camden Yards, with the last eight additions ticketed for Bowie. That group consists of outfielder/infielder Ryan Mountcastle, outfielders Mason...

Time is running out for players who can't participate in summer training camp to make the Orioles 30-man opening day roster. Manager Brandon Hyde didn't reference outfielders Dwight Smith Jr. and Anthony Santander, who have been held out of workouts and intrasquad games - the assumption being that it's linked to COVID-19 testing - but there are 13 days left before the beginning of the season. Santander was projected to start in one of the corners and Smith had a shot at the other - or at...

As each day passes with no change in the status of several prominent Nationals players who have not yet been cleared to participate in summer training, the club moves a step closer to confronting a dilemma that may pale in comparison to matters of greater significance in the world right now but does matter to the defending World Series champs. What happens if Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Howie Kendrick aren't ready for opening night? It's a delicate subject, because the health of those three...

In Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle, the Orioles have two homegrown players with a lot of offensive talent. Hays was a finalist in 2017 for Baseball America's National Player of the Year in the minors. Mountcastle was the organization's Minor League Player of the Year last season when he was also the International League MVP. Besides having in common youth and an abundance of talent, they are both aggressive hitters that have lower walk rates. In Double-A in 2018, Hays' walk rate was 4.2...

John Means insists that he didn't know it was coming. The conversation with manager Brandon Hyde. The confirmation that he'd be the opening day starter on July 24. "I think up until I get told that I'm opening day, I just kind of assumed I was just fighting for a job," Means said this afternoon in a Zoom conference call with the media. Means already has notched his first win. "I kind of like that mentality. I like to keep that back-against-the-wall mentality and just never get...

The Nationals extended Saturday's sim game into the fifth inning, one inning more than they played on Friday. Left-hander Patrick Corbin was the featured starter, allowing one run over three innings. Innings were stopped when he reached 13-14 pitches. "Pat threw the ball well. We wanted to keep him under 40 pitches, he threw 43, but he said he felt good," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez during a Zoom video call. "So, we will go from there. The biggest thing was get them three ups...

In a world fighting through the coronavirus pandemic, baseball will begin the season with no fans in the stands. So how important is crowd noise to the players and to the coaches? Will there be an advantage or disadvantage in hearing what everyone is saying, having it echo throughout the field and the park? Nationals manager Davey Martinez understands it is a unique situation. The club had hoped to celebrate their World Series title with an opening day banner-raising in front of their adoring...

The Nationals' chances for success in a 60-game season would seem to be bolstered by their top-of-the-line rotation. It's the backbone upon which they built a championship last year and how they've always intended to make a run at another title this year, no matter the length of the schedule. And in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Aníbal Sánchez, they've got as good a starting quartet as there is in the majors. They, of course, won't be making it through this...

Alterations made to the 2020 season haven't changed how outsiders in the industry view the Orioles' chances of contending. However, the club keeps drawing praise for how it's conducted business during and after the shutdown. Refusing to reopen the complexes in Sarasota and Baltimore proved to be wise decisions. And the precautions and protocols at summer training camp are giving players a greater sense of security. "I think our medical staff has been unbelievable with all of this," said...

Alex Cobb had one outfielder behind him tonight as he worked the first inning of an Orioles intrasquad game. So he did the smart thing. He kept the ball in the infield. A wise strategy that he implemented throughout his outing. A couple of grounders and a chopper in the first got Cobb back in the home dugout with minimal effort. A leadoff walk to Chance Sisco in the second was followed by a bouncer, strikeout and ground ball. Richie Martin grounded out leading off the third and Bryan Holaday...