SARASOTA, Fla. - After his latest important and attention-grabbing hit - a three-run double for the lead yesterday versus the Tampa Bay Rays - the question may be asked again: Can 22-year-old outfielder Yusniel Diaz make the Orioles' opening day roster, and should he be a strong candidate to start in right field? The young outfielder who is the club's No. 1 ranked prospect initially struggled after he was traded to Baltimore last year. He came to the club in the Manny Machado deal from the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The lessons that are distributed in Orioles camp don't skip past the manager's office. Brandon Hyde is finding out a lot about his team, the layers of mystery peeled away as the days pass. "I'll tell you what, I just like our guys," Hyde said yesterday while standing in the visiting dugout at Charlotte Sports Park. "I like the way our guys work. I didn't know what kind of work ethic our guys had. I didn't know how guys prepared. I didn't know the makeup of our players...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - What else must Richie Martin do in order to make the Orioles roster on opening day besides stay healthy? Plenty of games remain on the docket before they break camp, but Martin seems to be doing everything right. The slick fielding. The speed and hustle on the basepaths. The hits that keep coming following his breakout offensive year at the Double-A level that didn't motivate the Athletics to protect him in the Rule 5 draft. Given another start at shortstop today, Martin...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - John Means will take the box score today with his final line and admire it for the three scoreless innings and five strikeouts. The surface beauty of it. But he won't be fooled by it. Means was a harsh critic while standing outside the visiting clubhouse, though the results did nothing to hurt his chances of making the club. He allowed only one hit, a bloop single for Kean Wong in the third that eluded retreating shortstop Richie Martin, and walked two batters. The...

Award-winning Nashville songwriters and musicians joined with Orioles athletes March 1-3 in Sarasota, Fla., to support arts education and girls empowerment during the fourth annual "Athletes & Artists Play for Kids" weekend. Held at Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles' Florida training complex, the weekend featured a "Nashville's Music Row Comes to the Ballpark" charity benefit, two Orioles Spring Training games, an artist workshop for local youth, and an on-field performance from Country...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The need to slow-play Nate Karns through the first half of camp has jeopardized his chances of entering the rotation and potentially opens a second spot for a field of candidates. Karns lasted 1 2/3 innings in his spring debut on Feb. 25 and didn't pitch again until yesterday, retiring the side in order in the fourth. He was shut down briefly with some arm soreness. Manager Brandon Hyde noted yesterday that Karns didn't have his best fastball and indicated this morning...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Trey Mancini still has wrapping on his left pinky finger, a reminder of an injury that amuses more than frustrates. The rare stolen base on Feb. 24, the head-first slide and an unfortunate collision between hand and Blue Jays shortstop Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Removed early from Saturday's game against the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Mancini has returned to the lineup today as the designated hitter. He's batting second against Rays starter Charlie Morton in chilly Port...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's 8:20 a.m. on a sweltering March morning, not a hint of breeze to cool the baking sun and the temperatures on their way into the upper 80s. Carter Kieboom grabs a bat out of his locker stall, checks the morning hitting assignments and pops out of the back clubhouse door at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. While some of his Nationals teammates are still getting dressed or chowing down in the cafeteria, Kieboom immerses himself in a round of batting practice. A...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Davis remains out of the Orioles lineup this afternoon with a left hip flexor strain. Rio Ruiz is starting at first base. Cedric Mullins is leading off and playing center field against the Rays in Port Charlotte. Trey Mancini is the designated hitter, getting back in the lineup after jamming his left pinky finger over the weekend. Anthony Santander is in left field and Yusniel Diaz is in right. Hanser Alberto is the second baseman and Rule 5 pick Richie Martin is the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - After starting and throwing two scoreless innings versus the Yankees in Tampa Friday night, left-hander John Means gets another start on the mound today as the Orioles play the Rays in Port Charlotte. Means, an 11th-round pick out of West Virginia University in 2014, might currently be on the fringes of the fifth-starter competition, but another solid outing could enhance his shot to make this roster. He made his big league debut late last season, got into one game at Boston...