WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg expected to pitch three innings today. That was the plan. Three times up and down. And when he extended himself with a 27-pitch first inning against the Mets, he had little room for error if he was going to reach his goal. So imagine the right-hander's surprise when he got to the dugout after working three innings and throwing 48 pitches when he was told he was going back out for the fourth inning. "They just told me I had eight to 10 more pitches, so...

BRADENTON, Fla. - Left-hander Donnie Hart, designated for assignment by the Orioles on March 1, has been claimed off waivers by the Dodgers. The Orioles designated Hart to make room for infielder Hanser Alberto. He posted a 5.59 ERA and 2.224 WHIP in 20 appearances with the Orioles last summer. In his only spring inning, Hart retired the side in order with two strikeouts. The former 27th round pick has a 3.43 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 93 major league games. Branden Kline fell behind 2-0 to the...

With the start of the season fast approaching, the Orioles will host a Birdland Memberships Open House on Saturday, March 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Birdland Memberships Open House allows fans who are interested in becoming Birdland Members to learn about the new membership benefits, including concessions and merchandise discounts, special ballpark access, and the all-new Birdland Rewards. Fans will have an opportunity to "try out" available seat...

BRADENTON, Fla. - No matter what role fits Mike Wright in the eyes of manager Brandon Hyde, the most important point is how the right-hander has done everything needed to stay with the club. Leaving nothing to chance. Wright is out of options but he hasn't run out of time. Three more scoreless innings today against the Pirates raised his total to 10. If there's no room in the rotation, especially with early off-days eliminating the need for a fifth starter until April 10, the Orioles can...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Velocity has been Tanner Rainey's calling card. Pitchers capable of throwing 100 mph tend to get noticed, and it was the right-hander's radar gun readings that made him attractive to the Nationals, who swapped righty Tanner Roark to the Reds at the Winter Meetings to acquire him. So why is Rainey spending spring training trying to slow things down? Like most hard throwers, Rainey has trouble repeating his mechanics. And when that happens, he tends to get a little out...

BRADENTON, Fla. - Jesús Sucre will make his Orioles debut by catching the first three innings of Friday afternoon's game against the Red Sox in Sarasota. Sucre, a late arrival due in camp to issues obtaining his work visa, also will catch Sunday against the Phillies in Sarasota. "I'll progress him as we go along, for sure," said manager Brandon Hyde. "He'll be in there." Austin Wynns was encouraged this morning by his MRI results after experiencing discomfort in his left oblique while...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - An MRI on Howie Kendrick's left hamstring confirmed the original diagnosis of a strain, and Nationals manager Davey Martinez is hopeful the versatile veteran can rehabilitate the injury and be ready for opening day. "MRI came back and it's what they expected, a mild strain," Martinez said. "He's going to be day to day. It'll probably take him a little bit to get going again." Kendrick sustained the injury running out an RBI infield single in the first inning of...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - For a spring training game, we've got a pretty nice pitching matchup in today's Grapefruit League battle between the Nationals and Mets at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg makes his second spring start for the Nats and will be opposed by Mets righty Jacob deGrom. Manager Davey Martinez hopes to get Strasburg up and down three times, which should leave him at a pitch count around 50 for today's assignment. In his first spring start...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander Richard Bleier is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut on Saturday when the Orioles play split-squad games against the Rays in Port Charlotte and the Yankees in Sarasota. Bleier threw a simulated game yesterday on one of the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex - he said it counted as more than live batting practice because an umpire was used - and worked two "innings" against Mark Trumbo and Joey Rickard. "It went fine. It was good," he...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Davis and Austin Wynns remain out of the Orioles' lineup for today's game against the Pirates in Bradenton. Davis is nursing a sore left hip and Wynns underwent tests on his sore oblique. Stevie Wilkerson is playing first base today and Carlos Pérez is catching. Jesús Sucre's debut is put off for at least one more day. Jonathan Villar is leading off and playing second base. Austin Hays is in center field. Mike Wright hasn't allowed a run in seven innings and...