WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's been a long, hard winter in Washington, especially for anyone associated with a Nationals club that has eagerly been waiting to put last season's disappointment behind them and start over fresh in 2019. Well, there's some good news to share: The Nationals are playing a ballgame tonight. Against another major league team. With a 20-second pitch clock making its debut. More on that pitch clock in just a moment, but we'll begin with the Grapefruit League opener...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Just as it's unwise to read too much into the choice of a starting pitcher for the first exhibition game, the same applies to the order of the hitters and where certain players are positioned in the field. The leadoff hitter today against the Twins may be lowered or excluded Sunday versus the Blue Jays. The catcher isn't assured of breaking camp with the team, let alone being behind the plate on opening day. Take it all with a grain of salt, though it made more sense to do so...

SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been said more than a few times about Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey: The talent is clearly there, he just needs to finally stay healthy. We were reminded of that this week. Harvey dazzled during a live batting practice session on Thursday at Ed Smith Stadium. I know this even though I didn't arrive here until yesterday as I checked out this entry. Among those he faced was Trey Mancini. Harvey has apparently added a split-finger fastball to his repertoire and it...

SARASOTA - Richard Bleier has no idea when he's going to pitch in an exhibition game. The euphoria he felt after today's live batting practice session should carry him for a while. Facing hitters for the first time since June 13, prior to his lat surgery, Bleier broke out his entire arsenal and reported no discomfort or noticeable rust. "I'm very happy with how it went," he said. "Honestly, it was as good as it could have went. I felt great. I pitched very well. I made all my pitches. It...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The final day of full-squad workouts before Grapefruit League play opens Saturday night saw the Nationals debut a new fundamentals drill that underscored their renewed emphasis on little things this spring. The entire team gathered on Field 3 for a situational defense and baserunning drill, one with a twist. Davey Martinez had mapped out 15 different game situations for everyone to simulate. Situations like: "Runners on first and second, nobody out, bunt play," or...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The final workout this morning before the Orioles dive into their exhibition schedule included left-hander Richard Bleier's first opportunity to face hitters since undergoing lat surgery in June. Bleier threw 20 pitches on the Ed Smith Stadium mound, with Cedric Mullins, Jace Peterson, Eric Young Jr. and Andrew Susac serving as the batters. "Great day for Bleier," said manager Brandon Hyde. "I'm waiting to go in there to talk to him a little bit more, but for his first...

The door is still not shut. Or ... It's over. Time to move on. The latter message seemed to be the stronger of the two from Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner speaking to NBC Sports Washington today regarding the free agency destination possibilities for Bryce Harper, who has played his entire career with the Nationals. Lerner spoke to NBC Sports Washington and said that the team made an offer to Harper and agent Scott Boras back in October, but have not "heard from them in a couple of...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Modern pitchers have had it drilled into their heads from the moment they become professionals. Take days off. Don't throw too much. Especially in the offseason. Give the arm time to recover before you ramp it up again. Koda Glover tried that, and all it got him was two mostly wasted seasons dealing with a rotator cuff injury. So this winter, after he had just made it through the second half of the season healthy, the Nationals reliever decided to try something...

Throughout the 2019 season, the Orioles will celebrate the life of Orioles Legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who passed away on Feb. 7 at the age of 83. In honor of Robinson's commitment to advancing civil rights for African Americans, the Orioles Charitable Foundation will donate a total of $60,000 to several civil rights and African American museums. A donation of $20,000 will be made to the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History & Culture in...

When he began to prepare for the 2019 season, Orioles infielder and utility candidate Steve Wilkerson went beyond just working out and getting in some swings and throws. He went to a swing coach who has a strong reputation. Wilkerson spent some time in Santa Clarita, Calif., with Craig Wallenbrock, who has worked with several major leaguers. A coach some feel turned around the career of J.D. Martinez. Wilkerson, an eighth-round draft pick in 2014 out of Clemson, was not looking for anything...