DETROIT - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde thought about sitting Anthony Santander today while the young outfielder was mired in a lengthy slump. Santander altered those plans yesterday with a two-run single that snapped an 0-for-27 streak. "He wanted to be in there today," Hyde said this afternoon. "I know how much that hit meant to him in his last at-bat. I told him, 'Listen, I wasn't planning on playing you tomorrow if things didn't go real well today.' And he said, 'No, no, no, papi, I...

DETROIT - The Orioles didn't wait until the offseason to name a new director of player development. Matt Blood has been hired to fill the role, with the club making the announcement this afternoon. Blood had served as director of baseball innovation with the Rangers, who hired him in November 2018 as director of player development. He's in charge of staff recruitment, technology programs and player development strategies throughout the minor leagues. Blood basically is the replacement for...

The Orioles have made the following Baseball Operations Department staff changes: * Matt Blood has been named Director of Player Development. He will spearhead staff recruitment, technology programs, and player development strategies throughout the minor leagues. Blood previously served as the Director of Baseball Innovation for the Texas Rangers. Kent Qualls will continue as Director of Minor League Operations. He will focus on roster management, facility operations, and contract...

The Orioles (49-100) have won two of three in Detroit (44-104) and the clubs conclude their series this afternoon at Comerica Park. It will complete a one-series road trip for the Orioles before they return home on Tuesday night. Baltimore will have 12 games left after this series - six at home versus Toronto and Seattle and six on the road at Toronto and Boston. The Orioles have hit .281 (32-for-114) in the series in Detroit, scoring 18 runs on three doubles, a triple and four home runs. They...

The outfield defense was on display again for the Nationals in their 7-0 shutout of the Braves on Sunday at Nats Park. Juan Soto made nice catch in the corner, and Victor Robles a few incredible stops in deep center field, including a few against the dreaded sun monster. Soto had to grab a line drive to begin the game off of Ronald Acuña Jr.'s bat. Robles had a few versus Matt Joyce, Josh Donaldson and then Freddie Freeman in the ninth inning. Adam Eaton caught one for an out off the bat of...

Howie Kendrick is the best hitter on the Nationals roster not named Anthony Rendon. And he's not too far removed from the National League MVP candidate. After a three-hit, three-RBI performance during Sunday's 7-0 win over the Braves, Kendrick owns a .336 batting average and .945 OPS. He has 15 homers and 60 RBIs. All this while receiving only 337 plate appearances, only slightly more than half as many as Rendon has logged. So why isn't Kendrick playing more? It's been a common refrain from...

When Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias confirmed recently that 14 members of the O's player development department will not be returning next year, it was a tough day. But Elias needs to be able to bring in his own people, and he said that change is needed to improve the Orioles. The moves are hard but not totally unexpected. He inherited a lot of his staff last November. The reshaping of it comes now. Last week, one of those 14 reached out and wanted to thank...

DETROIT - Being chosen as the International League's Player of the Month for August will be the last honor bestowed upon pitcher Chandler Shepherd in 2019. However, the true highlight of his summer is coming Tuesday night. Shepherd has been told that he's starting against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards, a first for him in the majors after two relief appearances with the Orioles. "It's special for me. I'm obviously super excited for the opportunity," Shepherd said yesterday morning while...

Aníbal Sánchez put together another solid performance in lifting the Nationals to a 7-0 win over the Braves. The veteran right-hander twirled seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits with one walk and three strikeouts. For one of the rare times in their matchups these past two weeks, the Braves never had a shot at gaining an early advantage, and that was because of Sánchez. "It's good," Sánchez said. "Always a lead is good. It always good to go back to the dugout with the...

DETROIT - Rio Ruiz would have attracted a crowd at his locker last night, or whatever passed for one with a scaled-back media crew, if not for the walk-off grand slam that doomed the Orioles. Ruiz had provided a lead in the top of the 12th with his run-scoring single off Tigers left-hander Daniel Stumpf, but he was bumped down every story and allowed to eat his postgame meal in peace after Ryan Eades issued a bases-loaded walk and John Hicks followed with the home run. Given another chance...