BOSTON - The Orioles saw some improvements tonight in Aaron Brooks, who still carried the welts from a beating administered by the Astros in his last start. The healing process after a 23-2 thrashing, with four home runs hit against him in three innings, won't happen overnight or in a couple of days. Brooks made it into the sixth inning tonight, an opportunity for a more positive outing compromised in the fourth. The Red Sox broke a tie and pulled away while handing the Orioles their 10th loss...

Left-hander Patrick Corbin did a nice job of fighting out of a major jam in the top of the third. The Brewers got on the board first with a solo homer well over the center field wall from shortstop Orlando Arcia. Pitcher Adrian Houser came up next and singled for his first major league base hit. Lorenzo Cain also singled. With two men on, Corbin struck out Keston Hiura and Christian Yelich. On the Yelich strikeout, Cain stole second base. After Ryan Braun was walked to load the bases, Corbin...

BOSTON - The Orioles are rolling the dice that a seven-man bullpen will be ample, with Chandler Shepherd optioned today to make room for outfielder DJ Stewart. Yesterday's break in the schedule allowed the relievers to rest, and more of them became available tonight. The payoff is a four-man bench and more roster flexibility. "It's nice we have that extra position player right now," said manager Brandon Hyde. "We lost a reliever, but hopefully we can stick with this number. We just...

The Orioles are one of 10 major league organizations that fields two teams in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. It is a short-season league that begins in June where some the youngest international players in pro ball get their feet wet, start their careers and begin to really learn the game. Some young players may stay in this league for a couple of seasons as they learn about nutrition and learn to speak English in a club's Dominican academy. The Orioles' two DSL teams have had...

Ryan Zimmerman is beginning a rehab assignment tonight for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators down the road in Richmond, Va., against the Flying Squirrels. Zimmerman is playing first base and batting third in the lineup behind left fielder Andrew Stevenson and shortstop Luis Garcia. Center fielder Michael A. Taylor is batting cleanup. "He's in Richmond with Harrisburg," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "He will probably play five or six innings today and then we will see how he...

After being swept four straight at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles move on to Fenway Park in Boston tonight. The Orioles (39-82) have lost nine of the last 10 games, all against Houston and New York. Right-hander Aaron Brooks (2-6, 6.35 ERA) starts tonight's series opener, and he can really use a good outing. In six starts with the Orioles, Brooks is 0-3 with a 9.41 ERA. Over 22 innings he has allowed 32 hits and seven home runs. Despite his poor numbers, the Orioles are 3-3 when he gets the...

Max Scherzer will take the mound at Nationals Park on Saturday. But he'll again be facing teammates, not the Brewers. Despite the ace's insistence he's ready to come off the injured list, the Nationals have decided he needs at least one more simulated game to build up his endurance. Scherzer threw only 32 pitches over two simulated innings, plus warm-up tosses in the bullpen and between innings, on Tuesday afternoon. The following day he pronounced himself healthy and insisted he was ready...

BOSTON - DJ Stewart knows that there's nothing funny about a concussion. He can smile now at the circumstances. He's watched the video. But as someone who's suffered multiple head injuries, he takes them very seriously. The Orioles reinstated Stewart from the injured list this afternoon and he's starting in right field tonight against the Red Sox, his first game since attempting a sliding catch on Aug. 6 at Camden Yards and taking a fly ball off the left temple. Stewart was in left field...

BOSTON - Trey Mancini makes his third start in left field tonight, stationed in front of the Green Monster, for the series opener against the Red Sox. DJ Stewart, reinstated from the seven-day concussion injured list, is in right field and Anthony Santander is in center. Jace Peterson is playing second base and Jonathan Villar is the shortstop.. Rio Ruiz is starting at third base, with Hanser Alberto on the bench. Chance Sisco is catching and batting ninth, one spot behind first baseman Chris...

The Nationals have announced starters for this weekend. Aníbal Sánchez will start Saturday night, with Erick Fedde taking the mound Sunday afternoon. Obviously, neither of those guys is named Max Scherzer, so it appears the ace's return from the injured list isn't happening quite yet. But before you panic, he's out throwing in the outfield right now, so it doesn't appear he's had any setback. The Nats are just taking a more cautious approach with his return. But enough about the rest...