WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Shortstop Luis Garcia has done a nice job in 15 games with the Nationals this spring training, slashing .316/.381/.316 with six hits, seven runs scored and two RBIs. Garcia, 18, is currently listed as the No. 3 rated prospect in the Nats system, according to MLB Pipeline. Director of player development Mark Scialabba said his hitting skills have been apparent since the Nats signed the youngster in July 2016. He said it's only a matter of time before Garcia adds power to...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Tony Sipp arrived at Nationals camp Thursday and immediately threw his first bullpen session with the club that signed him to a $1 million contract the previous day. He hasn't faced any live hitters yet, obviously hasn't appeared in any spring training games and certainly hasn't appeared in back-to-back games, all hurdles he'll need to cross before joining the Nats' active roster. So the pertinent question this morning when Sipp met with reporters in West Palm Beach...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Richie Martin didn't figure to keep his average above .400 for an entire spring training. He was bound to cool off, baseball's odds catching up to the kid. Martin is handling his mini-slump or whatever it should be termed with the same poise and maturity that's gotten him this far. No hits in his last four games brings fewer worries, if that's possible. Don't overthink it. Martin isn't. "That's just how baseball goes," he said yesterday morning while relaxing at his...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - For the fifth time this spring training the Orioles have taken the interstate south to Fort Myers. They've faced Boston and Minnesota twice each in the area and are back today to face Minnesota with David Hess on the mound. The Orioles are playing the Twins for the fifth time among seven matchups this spring. They are 2-2 versus the Twins after Thursday's 7-6 loss in Sarasota. The Orioles have lost four of five and are now 10-9-2 with 12 games remaining in Florida before...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Michael A. Taylor is getting an MRI on both his left knee and left hip today, leaving the Nationals to potentially cope with a thin outfield following Thursday's injury on a diving catch in Fort Myers. Taylor hurt himself diving to snag a Byron Buxton drive to right-center during the Nationals' 10-4 exhibition victory over the Twins, revealing today the turf was "a little soft and my knee stuck in the ground." Taylor was still limping in the clubhouse this morning as...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - It was pouring in West Palm Beach this morning, but the forecast is dry only 51 miles north at Mets camp, where the Nationals face their division rivals this afternoon. It's mostly regulars in the Nats lineup, but there's one interesting twist: Matt Adams in starting in left field for the first time this spring. Davey Martinez just revealed Michael A. Taylor is heading out to get an MRI on both his left knee and hip following yesterday's painful diving catch in Fort...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Nate Karns and Mychal Givens are staying back at the Ed Smith Stadium complex this morning to pitch in a simulated game. They're no longer listed on the travel roster for today's Grapefruit League game against the Twins in Fort Myers. Karns didn't know exactly how many pitches he'd throw. He intended to incorporate his "slider/cutter" in order to judge whether it's game ready. "I've been leaving that one in the 'pen," he said. A slider/cutter? "Sometimes it's a...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Cedric Mullins returns to center field this afternoon and Chris Davis goes back-to-back with another start at first base as the Orioles travel to Fort Myers again to face the Twins. Davis, recovered from a hip injury, also played yesterday and was 1-for-2 with an RBI single, walk and strikeout. Trey Mancini is in left field and Dwight Smith Jr. gets the start in right. Jesús Sucre is catching and Rio Ruiz is playing third base. David Hess has allowed four runs and nine hits...

Third baseman Jake Noll has done a very nice job of demonstrating how good a baseball player he is in the Nationals system with some quality numbers in spring training. Noll, 25, has hit .367 in 17 games with four doubles, two homers and nine RBIs, turning heads in his Florida foray. He has struck out only seven times, scored 10 runs and walked four times in 30 at-bats, grabbing the attention of the Nats development staff. "He's off to a really good start," said Nationals player development...

SARASOTA, Fla. - We've seen the Orioles send a few young outfielders like Yusniel Diaz, DJ Stewart and Ryan McKenna to minor league camp, but a few youngsters are still around and the Orioles outfield situation is becoming a bit more clear with opening day approaching. Will the starters be Trey Mancini in left, Cedric Mullins in center and Austin Hays in right? That's what I see happening with 12 games remaining before the opener in the Bronx. Hays, barring a real surprise, is healthy,...