It's been 12 days since the Nationals last played a ballgame in D.C. Derek Lilliquist was still their pitching coach. Juan Soto and Matt Adams hadn't gone on the injured list yet. Gerardo Parra was still employed by the Giants. Yeah, a lot has happened since then. Most of it negative, with a few positive developments sprinkled in around the edges. When the Nationals finally return home tonight to open a week's worth of games on South Capitol Street against the Mets and Cubs, they'll do so...

Right-handed reliever Mychal Givens made some fans nervous when he struggled badly early in spring training. Then Givens had an ERA of 5.00 after his first seven regular-season appearances. But he looks locked in now. He fanned two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels in his latest strong outing. He was throwing mid-90s heat with a solid slider. Over his last seven games, Givens has an ERA of 0.93. He's thrown 9 2/3 innings, allowing one run and six hits while...

NEW YORK - Jimmy Yacabonis didn't return to Triple-A Norfolk with instructions to just keep doing whatever he's been doing and get back to the majors at some point in the summer. It was more complicated. The Orioles needed Yacabonis to work on his mechanics. Fix his delivery to regain movement on his pitches and hope that a spot reopened for him in a bullpen that's undergone many changes in less than two full months of the season. The shuttle keeps picking up Yacabonis. He'd like to have it...

NEW YORK - Reliever Zach Pop, one of the Orioles' highly rated pitching prospects who came to the organization last summer in the Manny Machado trade, will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday morning, according to multiple industry sources. Pop had appeared in eight games with Double-A Bowie and allowed only one run and seven hits in 10 2/3 innings. He walked four batters and struck out 11. Eastern League opponents were batting .184 against Pop, 22, the former Dodgers...

NEW YORK - Rain has been falling in the Bronx all day and should continue into the night, but the Orioles are hoping to avoid their fourth postponement, no matter how long it takes to play. The weather continues to challenge them. Temperatures that are plummeting and storms that keep the tarp on the field and force fans to run for cover. The month of May isn't providing any relief. "I feel like we can't escape it," said manager Brandon Hyde. Asked what he's been told about the weather,...

NEW YORK - The Orioles begin a three-game series against the Yankees tonight with first baseman Chris Davis remaining in the cleanup spot. Davis has homered in two of his last three games. Yesterday's home run was the first for Davis as the cleanup hitter since Sept. 26, 2017 in Pittsburgh. He's hit four on Mother's Day. Davis' .952 OPS since April 13 leads the team and ranks 15th in the American League (minimum 70 plate appearances). He's hitting .290/.371/.581 (18-for-62) with three...

The Orioles and Yankees hope to get their game in tonight at Yankee Stadium. But the tarp was on the field as game time was approaching, and tonight's game will begin with a rain delay at the scheduled 6:35 p.m. starting time. The Orioles' starting pitching has been better in a recent stretch of games. Tonight, weather permitting, we find out if right-hander David Hess (1-4, 5.50 ERA) can keep that going versus a hot New York Yankees team that is closing in on first place. Orioles starting...

LOS ANGELES - After a difficult 1-5 start to their long road trip through Philadelphia and Milwaukee, the Nationals bounced back with a solid series against the first-place Dodgers. Los Angeles had won 10 straight home games to begin the season before the Nats arrived. Losing 6-0 on Sunday afternoon, the Nationals went 2-2 in the four-game set. The Nats won the opener 6-0 behind a solid performance from Patrick Corbin and a three-run home from Howie Kendrick. The Dodgers bounced back to take...

After the Orioles avoided a sweep and beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 on Sunday, I'm wondering about a few topics and want to hear about them from Birdland today. Why all the trade talk about Trey Mancini?: Fans are not in a hurry to move this guy out of here, are they? On my postgame radio show, one of the most frequently asked questions is "Will the Orioles trade Mancini, and if so, what could they get for him?" Are fans just excited by trade talks? Mancini, believe it or not, is not even...

I'll admit I've been holding off doing a Q&A for a few weeks, because I know where this is likely going. There's a lot of aggravation out there among Nationals fans, and while it's certainly justified, it also tends to lead to irrational and unproductive conversations that put your trusty beat writer in awkward and no-win situations. But I know you have thoughts, and I know you want my thoughts on those thoughts. And so I thought I'd give this a shot today and see how it goes. But here...