The bouncing between bullpen and rotation has stopped for Orioles rookie John Means. He's settling in as a starter, circumstances and performance conspiring to define his role. Alex Cobb is on the injured list for a third time. The Orioles determined in spring training that Nate Karns was more likely to hold up physically if pitching in relief, though he joined Cobb on the IL. Those are the circumstances. Means' 2.81 ERA is the lowest on the club among pitchers with a minimum of 8 2/3...

He owned an ERA of 8.76 after his first three starts of this season. But right-hander Dylan Bundy seems to be slowly but surely making progress. He provided a big example of that tonight. Bundy produced the longest outing by an O's starter this year with 7 1/3 scoreless innings as the Orioles blanked Tampa Bay 3-0 at Camden Yards. It was the club's first shutout since the last game of last year, on Sept. 30 versus Houston. The game was swiftly played, taking just two hours and 19...

The Orioles scored a run in the first inning tonight and the race was on to make it an official game before the storms hit. The forecast called for rain around first pitch, but there were only dry eyes in the house. Another run in the third inning and still nothing. Dwight Smith Jr. led off the fourth with a home run and the grounds crew hadn't left the shed. Dylan Bundy got on a roll, the tarp stayed rolled up and the Orioles defeated the Rays 3-0 before an announced crowd of 15,241 on "Star...

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals are going to try Erick Fedde out as a reliever again. After watching the right-hander dazzle during a four-inning relief appearance against the Padres earlier this week, the Nats decided not to move him back to the rotation at Double-A Harrisburg but instead to let him continue to work as a reliever. If things go well, they'll likely bring him back to the majors sometime in the near future and see if he can help resolve the club's biggest problem area. "We're...

PHILADELPHIA - Juan Soto was hitting in the cage before Wednesday's game at Nationals Park when he first noticed a problem with his back. "I was hitting in the cage, and I just did a deep breath and started feeling something, and I went right to the trainer's room," he said. "And then it was stuck, and I can't even move. And after that I started getting treatments, and now we're here." "Here" is on the 10-day injured list, a place of residency Soto has never occupied in his brief...

Orioles reliever Nate Karns has returned to Baltimore and will receive a second opinion on his right forearm Monday after being removed from his injury rehab assignment. Karns hasn't pitched since working one inning April 25 at Double-A Bowie, where he allowed two runs and two hits. He retired only one batter April 20 at Triple-A Norfolk, and surrendered three runs, but the Orioles are more interested in how his arm's feeling than the outs that it produces. "Once we get the results there,...

The versatile Stevie Wilkerson added "center fielder" to his defensive resume last night in the Orioles' loss to Tampa Bay. He had started in center twice this year at Triple-A Norfolk and last night made his first-ever major league start at the position. And it went well, and he's back there tonight. He made a catch near the wall in the third inning Friday, and a strong throw home that was late on a sac fly in the sixth. Wilkerson has said that he loves defensive challenges, and he's now...

PHILADELPHIA - And we're back for another evening at the ballpark. You know the drill by now. The Nationals, after dropping a series opener, will try to get back on track despite an injury-depleted lineup and a patched-together bullpen. They'll hope their starter gives them a bunch of quality innings, then hope they can cobble the rest together and emerge victorious. That depleted lineup has been depleted even further. Juan Soto was placed on the 10-day injured list today with back spasms....

Shortstop Richie Martin and center fielder Joey Rickard remain out of the Orioles lineup for tonight's game against the Rays. Jonathan Villar continues to play short while Hanser Alberto starts at second base. Stevie Wilkerson will make his second professional start in center. Wilkerson is 8-for-24 against right-handers this season and 0-for-9 versus lefties. Austin Wynns is behind the plate tonight. Dwight Smith Jr., who's in left field again, is batting .440 (11-for-25) in nine career games...

With a walk-off loss and a blowout loss over their last two games, the Orioles (11-22) look to get back in the victory column tonight when they host the Tampa Bay Rays (21-11). It is the second game of a three-game series and a nine-game homestand. Coming off a 1-5 road trip, the Birds were shut out 7-0 last night. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow threw seven scoreless innings to improve to 6-0 with a 1.47 ERA. No Oriole reached second base, and the team was held without an extra-base hit for the...