TORONTO - He's only played three innings in his pro career in center field, but Anthony Santander will get the start there tonight when the Orioles open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. That counts one inning in the Venezuelan Winter League and two in the American League. In the June 26 home game versus San Diego, Santander moved from left field to center for the final two innings. "Going to give him a look out there," manager Brandon Hyde said. "Want to see his bat in the...

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon will not participate in this year's All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced via Twitter this evening. MLB tweeted that Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy would replace Rendon at the Midsummer Classic next week in Cleveland. Rendon has been nursing what he's called a "nagging injury" for a few weeks now, and has not been running full speed down the line. The third baseman has said recently he would not mind using the four days off during the break...

We have reached the final weekend of the first half, and you almost wonder if the Nationals wish they could just keep playing next week. Sure, several guys are in need of some rest, but they also have to hope the four days off doesn't kill their mojo. First things first: They've got a chance to cap things off with another big weekend against a beatable opponent. The Royals are in town, and this qualifies as an extremely rare event. It's only the second time they've ever played the Nationals...

Anthony Santander is making his first start in center field tonight as the Orioles play the Blue Jays in Toronto. Santander's experience in center consists of one inning in the Venezuelan Winter League and two with the Orioles this season. Keon Broxton is on the bench. He's struck out 46 times in 93 at-bats. Chris Davis is playing first base and batting seventh, one spot below Santander. Chance Sisco is batting cleanup. Richie Martin is the shortstop. Davis is 6-for-19 with a home run in his...

TORONTO - After losing two of three in St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays, the O's road trip has moved on to Toronto. The Blue Jays host the Orioles tonight to start a three-game series that leads into the All-Star break. The Orioles (25-61) beat the Rays 9-6 on Wednesday night and are 3-3 over their past six games. That win was the club's first this year when trailing or tied after eight innings. The Orioles are 4-16 over their past 20 games and 6-20 over the last 26. They are trying...

Davey Martinez has been searching all year for viable fill-in closer when Sean Doolittle isn't available. Who knew the answer would come in the form of a 42-year-old reliever who was dumped by the Athletics six weeks ago after posting a 9.42 ERA? At this point, it's hard to dispute that Fernando Rodney is establishing himself as the Nationals' best Plan B for the ninth inning. A designation Martinez didn't hesitate to place on him after Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Marlins. "Here's a...

On Sunday the Orioles will be represented by two young pitching prospects in the All-Star Futures Game. Single-A Delmarva right-hander Grayson Rodriguez and Single-A Frederick left-hander DL Hall will play for the American League squad against the National League team in Cleveland. The Futures Games has become a pretty high-profile event featuring some of the top prospects in the sport. It will be televised live on Sunday at 7 p.m. by MLB Network. Rodriguez, 19, the first-round pick by the...

Scant offense til the sixth inning? Baserunning blunders? A piecemeal bullpen that required three arms to get three outs in the eighth and a 42-year-old to close it out in the ninth? The Nationals keep finding ways to win in spite of all of this, and that's no small feat. Today's 5-2 victory over the Marlins was simply the latest in this staggering stretch of success that has seen the Nats win 26 of 36 and move themselves into playoff position in the wide-open National League wild card...

Dylan Bundy didn't ask for the rest. He had it thrust upon him. And he's fine with it. Bundy was supposed to start Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., but his spot suddenly became marked as TBD, leading to media speculation that he was hurt. And leading to some fan speculation that he was traded. Manager Brandon Hyde offered an explanation later that already had been communicated to Bundy. The lines are always open. Working backward in a sense to set up the rotation and seeking the most...

Nationals starters have averaged more than 6 1/2 innings pitched over the last 11 games, with only one starter failing to at least get through the sixth. That's a good thing, and it's no surprise it has helped this team go 8-3 during the stretch. But it's also had a domino effect on the bullpen, which could be seen as positive or negative, depending on your point of view. Needing only a couple of innings every night from his bullpen, and almost always with his team up a handful of runs,...