SARASOTA, Fla. - Alex Cobb greeted a visitor to his locker yesterday morning with an elbow tap instead of a handshake to lessen the chance of spreading germs. He joked about pulling the hood of his sweatshirt so far over his head that it would cover his face. Cobb has been checked for the flu because he's felt a bit under the weather and the clubhouse is beginning to resemble a carpeted Petri dish. But he expects to be on the mound this afternoon against the Phillies in Clearwater. "As of...

Orioles bullpen right-hander Shawn Armstrong saw his performance fall off last year. Over four days in January at an O's mini-camp in Florida, the coaches had him make some changes and adjustments. He feels it has already paid off and that his progress will continue during the upcoming season. In his first four years in the big leagues, in parts of 2015 through 2018, he pitched to an ERA of 2.95 in 53 games with a WHIP of 1.138, a walk rate of 3.1 and a strikeout rate of 8.2 per every nine...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Austin Voth, Joe Ross and Erick Fedde all sit next to each other in the Nationals clubhouse this spring. They all hang out together. They all want one another to do well. And yet, each knows the harsh truth: Only one of the three is going to open the season in the Nats rotation. One other is likely to get a spot in the bullpen. Which means one is destined for the minor leagues. "These two guys are my friends, and if I had it my way, I would want them on the team," Voth...

SARASOTA, Fla. - One start won't move the needle much in the Orioles rotation competition. Two innings aren't a sufficient amount to begin placing odds. Three pitchers in the crowded field wanted to make an early impression this afternoon. Left-hander Wade LeBlanc shut out the Red Sox for the first couple of frames, allowing a single to Kevin Plawecki and striking out Tommy Joseph and Marcus Wilson. Both of them looking. (The Red Sox didn't bring their A team to Sarasota. I'm not sure the B...

SARASOTA, Fla. - In his first shot to show the Orioles he's worthy of a starting rotation spot, veteran lefty Wade LeBlanc made a good opening impression this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. Two scoreless innings on 23 pitches against the Boston Red Sox. He retired six of the seven batters he faced, two on strikeouts, and pitched around a two-out single in the top of the first. LeBlanc got ahead of four of the seven hitters he faced. "For me, it's everything," he said of pitching ahead in...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Richard Ureña exited the utility competition in Orioles camp and has been dragged back into it. Just when a player thinks he's out ... The club announced that Ureña cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. He gets an invitation to spring training that bloats the camp roster to 69 players. It was inevitable. The Orioles designated Ureña for assignment after claiming Anthony Velazquez off waivers from the Indians. Velazquez is waiting to appear in...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - They aren't holding anybody back because of injury, but the Nationals are easing a few of their veterans into game action this spring, most notably members of their rotation. Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin won't make a start the first time through the rotation this week, instead throwing live batting practice one more time before debuting in a Grapefruit League game. "It's all putting them in a controlled environment, where they can slow down if they want to,"...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles left-hander Wade LeBlanc will try to go two innings this afternoon, as Chandler Shepherd and Ty Blach did yesterday in North Port. Manager Brandon Hyde has watched the left-hander in bullpen and live batting practice sessions, but today's game provides a truer evaluation. "He's just a veteran guy that knows how to pitch, that can command pitches," Hyde said. "He's had a good changeup and a good cutter for years. His first outing in a game and I'm sure he's...

SARASOTA, Fla. - As he is about to begin his fourth full season in the majors, the Orioles' Trey Mancini is way past the days of trying to make an impression in camp to win a job. He's got one that is secure and doesn't need to worry about taking any spring training 0-fers. He'll see his first spring action today, batting second in right field against Boston in a game that will be televised live on MASN. So has his spring training approach to get ready for a season changed, now that his...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Good news: The skies have cleared, the rain is long gone and it should be a beautiful day for baseball. So beautiful, the Nationals are going to play two - at the same time. It's a split-squad day, with half of the guys staying home to face the Astros again while the other half of the roster goes to Jupiter to face the Marlins. t'll be our first opportunity to see two of the pitchers battling for the No. 5 starter's job, with Austin Voth going up against the Astros...