SARASOTA, Fla. - Mark Trumbo makes his spring debut this afternoon by serving as the designated hitter for the Orioles in their 1:05 p.m. game against the Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Trumbo is batting second behind leadoff hitter Jonathan Villar. Drew Jackson is starting in center field. Trey Mancini is the first baseman, with Chris Davis out of the lineup following last night's return. Jesús Sucre is catching. Pitchers available behind starter Andrew Cashner include Yefry Ramirez, Cody...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's the simplest pitch in baseball. A first-pitch fastball, preferably taken for strike one. But it's also the most predictable pitch in baseball. And it has burned Stephen Strasburg enough times over the years to convince him to start trying something different. So during his Tuesday night outing against the Astros, Strasburg often eschewed that first-pitch fastball and instead opened up at-bats with a breaking ball or a changeup. "I've always had a lot of...

SARASOTA, Fla. - He's played in 479 major league games with over 1,500 career plate appearances for four teams, but 28-year-old Jace Peterson finds himself in familiar territory as this spring training is winding down. He's trying to make a team. After batting .195/.308/.325 in 235 plate appearances for the 2018 Orioles, the versatile Peterson is in a real battle - maybe an uphill battle - to make this team. But he said he can only control what he can and he's enjoying every minute under the...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Carter Kieboom stepped to the plate in the bottom of the second tonight, dug in and stared out at a pitcher who needed no introduction. Yes, that was Justin Verlander, future Hall of Famer, preparing to deliver a pitch to Kieboom, potential future infielder for the Nationals. The gap in experience was striking: When Verlander made his first career World Series start for the 2006 Tigers, Kieboom had just turned 9. "I think I'd be lying if I said I didn't know who was...

TAMPA - The Orioles built an early four-run lead tonight, but right-hander Mychal Givens struggled again as the New York Yankees rallied against him in the last of the eighth for an 8-7 win. The Orioles fell to 9-8-2 in front of 9,743 at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Givens, who had allowed six runs in 2 1/3 innings in his first three outings, entered with a lead of 7-5. But he allowed a leadoff homer to Kyle Higashioka and he went on to just get one out as two runs scored to tie the game...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Whatever stigma is attached to the designation of utility infielder can evaporate like a puddle in the Florida sun. Want to be a major league player? Accept any role handed to you. Are you a Rule 5 pick who wants to avoid going back to the minors? Embrace any role handed to you. Squeeze it like a popup - camping under it from whichever position you're assigned on a given day. Drew Jackson has an excellent chance of being introduced on opening day at Yankee Stadium because of...

TAMPA - Orioles first baseman Chris Davis returned to the lineup tonight here versus the Yankees and went 1-for-2 with an RBI single. It was his first game action since March 3, as he's been out with a sore left hip. Davis began this game 1-for-12 with a homer and seven strikeouts in spring games. In the O's first, batting as the designated hitter versus right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga, he took three straight strikes. But an inning later, with the Orioles rallying for five runs, he lined a...

TAMPA - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Mark Trumbo will not necessarily have to play in the field to be on the active roster on opening day. Trumbo, who had right knee surgery in September, will make his spring training debut tomorrow in Sarasota when he serves as the designated hitter for the Orioles against Toronto. "We're going to give him a couple of at-bats tomorrow," Hyde said before tonight's game with the Yankees. "Hopefully, he comes out of the game feeling great and...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As he has traveled across Arizona and Florida this spring, Tony Clark has spoken with players from countless ballclubs that were criticized for a lack of spending during the offseason. When he walked into the Nationals clubhouse today, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association found a group of players who shouldn't have had as much reason to criticize, given the aggressive approach to free agency this team took all winter. And yet the...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have another night game this evening, one of five on the schedule this spring. And this one is worthy of a primetime matchup, because it's Stephen Strasburg versus Justin Verlander. Strasburg makes his third Grapefruit League start, and he has yet to surrender a run in six innings of work. He'll look to continue that run tonight and extend himself deeper into the game. Verlander will be facing a Nationals lineup that doesn't include many big names. With...