Infielder Jake Noll is battling for a spot on the Nationals' 25-man roster. But even if he doesn't begin the season with the big club, he certainly has demonstrated in spring training that he can hit at this level and does a nice job of fielding any position they put him at on the field. He starts at first base today as spring training wraps up. Noll says he works at every infield spot in pregame drills and can also play in the outfield. "When I first got drafted, I didn't know where I was...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We're down to the final two days of spring training, and that means a lot more Nationals regulars in the lineup, even when they were in the lineup the day before that. And the day before that. Davey Martinez has five players starting their third straight game today: Trea Turner, Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon, Brian Dozier and Victor Robles. The only guys who aren't returning for this day game after a night game are Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Eaton and Yan Gomes. With Eaton...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The hints keep coming that Joey Rickard will be with the Orioles on opening day, perhaps in right field at Yankee Stadium. Rickard is tearing up the Grapefruit League again and is a virtual lock to break camp with the team, whether as the starting right fielder or a rover of sorts. The competition keeps thinning out, including the Orioles' decision yesterday to release veteran Eric Young Jr. Prospects Austin Hays, DJ Stewart, Anthony Santander and Yusniel Diaz already have...

SARASOTA, Fla. - For Trey Mancini, it has happened pretty fast. At 27 and with 308 major league games under his belt, he's become one of the leaders of a group of mostly young Orioles. He's not even eligible for arbitration yet, but he's eligible and ready to be a leader of this team and help anyone he can in any way he can. Young players look to him for guidance and older players realize the player they once mentored is now a middle-of-the-order hitter and team leader. Mancini said in...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez says he knows who's going to hit leadoff for the Nationals on opening day. And he plans to keep that person atop his lineup most days. He's just not revealing yet who that person is, certainly not until he's had an opportunity to discuss it with both Trea Turner and Adam Eaton, the two obvious candidates. "These are conversations the next couple days I'm going to have with players," Martinez said. "You guys will know." If you want to read into...

JUPITER, Fla. - Max Scherzer had been sitting in the dugout for a while in the top of the seventh, his Nationals teammates having sent seven men to the plate during a rally that included a mid-inning pitching change. It was a long wait, but Scherzer really wanted to pitch the bottom of the seventh and end his outing on a high note. Which he most certainly did. Scherzer struck out the first two Marlins he faced in the seventh, raising his game total to 12, and raising his fastball velocity to a...

DUNEDIN, Fla. - The Orioles didn't get their first baserunner tonight until Chris Davis drew a walk against Aaron Sanchez leading off the top of the fifth inning. They didn't have a hit until Jesús Sucre singled up the middle with one out - their only hit through seven innings. They still haven't scored. Mike Wright turned in a decent outing tonight, but he was playing second fiddle to Sanchez, who retired the first 12 batters and shut out the Orioles on the one hit over six...

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn't ready to confirm that Jesús Sucre has made the team as a non-roster invite. Not before he actually meets with the veteran catcher. Sucre is in tonight's lineup against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. He could have opted out of his minor league deal this morning. Shortly before boarding the bus this morning, Sucre said he still hadn't heard from the club or his agent regarding his status and joked with reporters that he'd flash a signal if...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Tony Sipp is confident he'll be ready to face big league hitters in big situations on opening day. Even if he doesn't face a big league hitter in spring training. Sipp, who didn't sign with the Nationals until March 13, faced live hitters for the first time Thursday, throwing 15 pitches and emerging feeling good about the state of his arm and repertoire. He said he plans to face hitters again on a back field Saturday, after which he should be game-ready. But because...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have released veteran outfielder Eric Young Jr. in the latest spring training cut, a move made despite his impressive showing at the plate and defensively. Young was 10-for-31 (.323) with a double, home run, seven walks, nine strikeouts and two stolen bases after joining the Orioles at the beginning of camp. "Eric has looked and played great this spring," executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. "Once we determined he was...