FORT MYERS, Fla. - Right-hander Thomas Eshelman, one of a large number of rotation candidates in Orioles camp, made a nice first impression today. He pitched two scoreless against Boston on 19 pitches at JetBlue Park. After his outing, Eshelman said he made some winter changes and adjustments, and today provided good feedback that suggests they may work for him. "Definitely," he said outside the Baltimore clubhouse. "The slider, that is the one (Andrew) Benintendi hit (for an out) to center,...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said earlier today that he wanted two innings from John Means and for the left-hander to come out of the game "feeling good." Simple goals for the first start. "That's it," he said. He got one out of two. The most important component. Means was removed after 1 1/3 innings with his pitch count at 39. Jay Flaa inherited two Tampa Bay runners and let one score on Michael Brosseau's RBI single for a 2-0 lead. A wind-blown triple by Brandon Lowe...

JUPITER, Fla. - Davey Martinez isn't about to announce his rotation order to begin the season. There's too much time and too many things that could happen to throw a wrench into his plans. But with all of the regular starters now lined up here in Florida, it's not hard to extrapolate things out and see how it all projects for March 26 and beyond. The key revelations that came today from the Nationals manager: Stephen Strasburg will make his spring debut Friday against the Rays after throwing...

SARASOTA, Fla. - With the blister on his right middle finger healed, Orioles pitcher Asher Wojciechowski will start Wednesday afternoon's game against the Braves in Sarasota rather than be confined to simulated action on a back field. The live hitters will play for an actual opponent. Wojciechowski arrived at the complex this morning expecting to have his debut start pushed back, but manager Brandon Hyde announced a change in plans. "That was just in the last hour," said manager Brandon...

JUPITER, Fla. - Spring training lineups don't always resemble regular season lineups. And today presents the perfect reminder of that. Eric Thames is leading off for the Nationals against the Cardinals, with Kurt Suzuki batting second. Has Davey Martinez lost his mind? No. This is simply a way to get two veterans two quick at-bats and then let them head home. You won't be seeing this 1-2 combo at any point during the regular season. We'll also see Howie Kendrick batting behind Juan Soto, a...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Asher Wojciechowski is being withheld from exhibition games due to a blister on his right middle finger. However, it isn't keeping him off the mound. Wojciechowski will throw a simulated game Wednesday morning on one of the back fields. The Orioles want him to work two innings. "It's all good. They're just being cautious," he said. "They want me to pitch in a controlled environment with the blister that popped up last week, but it's healed completely. We're just making...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Hanser Alberto is leading off and playing second base again today for the Orioles' split-squad game against the Rays in Sarasota, and Austin Hays is leading off again and playing center field versus the Red Sox in Fort Myers. Ryan Mountcastle remains in left field against the Red Sox. Chance Sisco is catching Tom Eshelman. Non-roster catcher Bryan Holaday is behind the plate for John Means. Stevie Wilkerson is playing center field. Renato Núñez gets another look at third...

The Nationals started Wil Crowe, one of their top prospects, in Monday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Mets. The right-hander (0-1) allowed a second-inning solo homer to Wilson Ramos, but pitched two innings with that one hit, one strikeout and no walks allowed in the 2-1 loss. Crowe displayed outstanding endurance in 2019 with 26 starts, between Double-A and Triple-A, going 7-10 with a 4.70 ERA with 130 strikeouts over 149 1/3 innings, just 48 walks and his WHIP at 1.33. The...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The most significant of Major League Baseball's rule changes for the upcoming season is the three-batter minimum that will now be required for every reliever that enters a game. (With an exception granted for anyone who finishes an inning, even if it's only one batter.) Less discussed but not necessarily less significant is the addition of a 26th man to the active roster. For as far back as any of us can remember, a baseball roster consisted of 25 players. "We're...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Davis is going to be in today's Orioles lineup for the home split-squad game, again wearing white uniform pants rather than the travel grays. Along with a jersey that's gotten much tighter around his biceps. The red T-shirt that Davis slipped on after yesterday's workout clung to him like a needy friend. His arms appeared to be plotting a jail break. Davis put on 25 lbs. of "good weight," as he described it upon reporting to camp. But how? And why? What's most...