SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Alex Cobb appears to have sustained a mild groin strain tonight and the club might get a clearer read on the severity of the injury by Sunday. Whether Cobb can make his opening day start won't be known until later. Cobb retired leadoff hitter Max Kepler on a ground ball to first baseman Chris Davis, who flipped the ball to the veteran starter for the out. Cobb showed no signs of discomfort while inducing a soft line drive from Ehire Adrianza...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Alex Cobb's final start before opening day lasted only one inning. Cobb retired the Twins in order tonight on 13 pitches, but Jimmy Yacabonis replaced him unexpectedly to begin the second inning. The team announced that Cobb exited with right groin soreness. Head athletic trainer Brian Ebel escorted Cobb to the clubhouse as Yacabonis trotted onto the field. A ground ball, liner and popup completed Cobb's work. He threw nine strikes - and a scare into the Orioles. Cobb is...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Adam Eaton indeed will lead off for the Nationals to begin the season, with Trea Turner right behind him. And Victor Robles will bring up the rear as the No. 9 hitter, manager Davey Martinez revealed late this afternoon. Those decisions, though telegraphed at various points of spring training, are now concrete after Martinez pored through stats provided by the Nationals' analytics team and concluded this is his best lineup alignment. "After running all the numbers and...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn't able to provide much clarity to the catching situation following the Pedro Severino waiver claim earlier this afternoon. Chance Sisco is starting tonight and the club is discussing whether he'd benefit from another stint at Triple-A Norfolk. Jesús Sucre still hasn't been told whether he's made the club. And it's possible that the Orioles attempt to pass Severino through waivers after the Nationals failed, a move former executive Dan...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals pared their roster down to 30 following today's 4-4 exhibition tie against the Cardinals, leaving only a handful of candidates still competing for the final spots in their opening day bullpen and bench. Right-hander Joe Ross was optioned to Triple-A Fresno, where he'll be stretched out as a starter. Fellow starter Erick Fedde and catcher Spencer Kieboom also were optioned, though they will open the season at Double-A Harrisburg because the organization...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles consummated a minor league trade this afternoon, obtaining right-hander Tyler Herb from the Giants for outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. Herb made 13 starts last summer at Triple-A Sacramento and went 2-8 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.599 WHIP in 70 2/3 innings. The Harrisburg, Pa., native turns 27 in April. The Mariners drafted Herb in the 29th round in 2014 out of Coastal Carolina University. He's 30-34 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.439 WHIP in five minor league seasons. The Giants...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Pedro Severino, once touted by the Nationals as their potential long-term answer behind the plate, is now an Oriole. Baltimore claimed the 25-year-old catcher off waivers today, ending his long tenure with the Washington organization that signed him out of the Dominican Republic when he was 17. The move was not unexpected, because Severino faced almost no chance of staying with the Nationals. The additions of veterans Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki over the winter solidified...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have tossed another competitor into the catching mix today, claiming Pedro Severino off waivers from the Nationals and designating infielder Stevie Wilkerson for assignment. Severino, 25, is out of options and the Nationals were trying to pass him through waivers. The move gives the Orioles six catchers in camp and 35 players overall. Wilkerson already had been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and was on the minor league side. A defense-first player in his four major...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Despite the recent spate of major leaguers signing contract extensions over the last few weeks, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo insisted today he isn't feeling more pressure to try to lock up third baseman Anthony Rendon. "I don't think that what other teams do affect our long-term strategies," Rizzo said. "We've got a plan in place for not only for this year but for the long term, and I think we'll follow that." Rendon, who is eligible for free agency after...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Renato Núñez is the designated hitter again tonight as the Orioles host the Twins. Núñez popped up and walked last night in two plate appearances after replacing Mark Trumbo as the designated hitter in Dunedin. Dwight Smith Jr. is leading off and playing right field. Rio Ruiz is the third baseman. Chance Sisco is catching tonight. Yusniel Diaz comes over from minor league camp to play center field. Alex Cobb makes his final start before his opening day assignment in...