SARASOTA, Fla. - Stevie Wilkerson is in center field this afternoon for the Orioles' home opener against the Red Sox. Hanser Alberto is leading off and playing second base. Catcher Pedro Severino is batting cleanup. Shortstop José Iglesias is making his debut. For the Orioles Hanser Alberto 2B Trey Mancini RF Chris Davis 1B Pedro Severino C Dwight Smith Jr. LF José Iglesias SS Rio Ruiz 3B Stevie Wilkerson CF Cedric Mullins DH Wade LeBlanc LHP Alex Cobb starts against the Phillies Monday...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - If Max Scherzer has proven nothing else, it's that he'll never take the mound with anything less than 100 percent commitment to compete. Having said that, not all starts are created equal. And a start on Feb. 22 can never compare to a start on Oct. 30, even if the opponent is the same. "The last game I pitched was Game 7 of the World Series. And we're talking about spring training," Scherzer said Saturday night after making his 2020 exhibition debut. "So it's a...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - They came to cheer the defending World Series champs and boo the runners up. And they did so at every possible opportunity. Any mention of the Nationals (technically, the visiting team) tonight in the Grapefruit League opener at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches - a game that wound up getting canceled after two scoreless innings due to a persistent rain that would not go away - was met with rousing cheers from the thousands of red-clad fans who made their way down...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Absolutely nothing should be read into a spring training lineup in February. And the level of importance scrapes the bottom if it's an opener and played on the road. The Orioles kept most of their regulars back at the Ed Smith Stadium complex yesterday, including first baseman Chris Davis, shortstop José Iglesias, third baseman Rio Ruiz, infielder Hanser Alberto and outfielder Trey Mancini. Five catchers made the trip and Pedro Severino wasn't among them. I kept looking...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles lefty pitching prospect Keegan Akin calls spring training "a great experience" so far. He's doing a lot of listening and learning. He's got a good clubhouse locker spot. He sits between 2019 American League All-Star John Means and right-hander Alex Cobb, a veteran of eight major league seasons and 146 starts. "That's a great seat. Can't get much better in my mind," Akin said. "Rookie All-Star and a vet like Cobb. I'm just a sponge. Absorb everything. Talk to...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals' first injury of the spring may not involve a member of the 40-man roster, but it does involve a veteran trying to squeeze his way onto the opening day roster. Welington Castillo, a catcher with 10 years of big league experience, was due to DH in tonight's Grapefruit League opener but was scratched with a sore right shoulder. Davey Martinez said Castillo approached him earlier today and informed him of the ailment. The manager didn't hesitate to give him...

NORTH PORT, Fla. - Chandler Shepherd got in his work this afternoon and that's the main point of an exhibition start on Feb. 22. Shepherd, vying for a spot in the backend of the Orioles rotation, completed two innings against the Braves before Ty Blach replaced him. He allowed three runs and two hits with two walks and no strikeouts. The Braves filled their lineup with regulars, though they removed Freddie Freeman after one at-bat. "Obviously, there's a lot of names in that lineup that I've...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - One hundred fifteen days have passed since the Nationals and Astros last took the field, a late October night that will forever bring smiles to anyone who lives in Washington and tears to anyone who lives in Houston. Tonight, both teams return to begin their quest to reach late October again. The Grapefruit League opener is a big deal any spring, but it's never been as big a deal as it is tonight. In a perfect convergence of events, this game between co-inhabitants of...

NORTH PORT, Fla. - Left-hander John Means is going to start one of Tuesday's split-squad games, when the Orioles host the Rays and travel to Fort Myers to play the Red Sox. He won't be shielded from a division opponent in the first week of the exhibition schedule. The Orioles are known to send pitchers to Twin Lakes Park or arrange simulated games as an alternative. "It's definitely not ideal," manager Brandon Hyde said. "But our guys are only going to go a couple of innings, so I'm not...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles play their first exhibition game today against the Braves at the new North Port facility, and they've got Austin Hays leading off and playing center field and Ryan Mountcastle in left. Mountcastle is the cleanup hitter, slotting between third baseman Renato Núñez and catcher Chance Sisco. Richie Martin is the shortstop. Chandler Shepherd gets the start and Ty Blach follows, with both pitchers slated to go two innings. Relievers include Branden Kline and Cody...