SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde wants his club to be aggressive on the bases this year, a message he's delivered to them in meetings and through the press. However, he's also fine with players circling them. Chance Sisco's first swing today resulted in a three-run homer off Chase De Jong in the bottom of the first inning to provide an early lead. Cedric Mullins led off with a walk, stole second base and advanced to third on catcher Tomás Telis' throwing error. Exactly the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The first game for Brandon Hyde as a major league manager has arrived today. Does a win or loss really matter to him? "No, not at all, zero," he replied while sitting in the home dugout at Ed Smith Stadium. Let's remember that it's spring training and other goals rank higher in the pecking order. "It's 100 percent about what we just did up until 11:30 and how we play," Hyde said. "We're going to evaluate that, we'll talk a little bit about a couple things that maybe...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Mark Trumbo said he isn't expecting to make his Grapefruit League debut this spring for a few more weeks, the process of recovering from September knee surgery continuing to play out. Trumbo has intensified his workouts in spring training, but the Orioles are being careful with him. "There's going to be a few tests to pass before. A safe bet would probably be two weeks from now," Trumbo said. "We still haven't totally ramped up. The full-speed sprint and kind of the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is kicking off the first exhibition game this afternoon by sitting some of the regulars. First baseman Chris Davis, infielder Jonathan Villar and left fielder Trey Mancini are out of the lineup. Mancini said he knew in advance and is playing Sunday against the Blue Jays. The same must be true of Davis and Villar. Stevie Wilkerson gets the start at first base, Eric Young Jr. in left field, Rule 5 pick Richie Martin at shortstop and Jace Peterson at...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's been a long, hard winter in Washington, especially for anyone associated with a Nationals club that has eagerly been waiting to put last season's disappointment behind them and start over fresh in 2019. Well, there's some good news to share: The Nationals are playing a ballgame tonight. Against another major league team. With a 20-second pitch clock making its debut. More on that pitch clock in just a moment, but we'll begin with the Grapefruit League opener...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Just as it's unwise to read too much into the choice of a starting pitcher for the first exhibition game, the same applies to the order of the hitters and where certain players are positioned in the field. The leadoff hitter today against the Twins may be lowered or excluded Sunday versus the Blue Jays. The catcher isn't assured of breaking camp with the team, let alone being behind the plate on opening day. Take it all with a grain of salt, though it made more sense to do so...

SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been said more than a few times about Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey: The talent is clearly there, he just needs to finally stay healthy. We were reminded of that this week. Harvey dazzled during a live batting practice session on Thursday at Ed Smith Stadium. I know this even though I didn't arrive here until yesterday as I checked out this entry. Among those he faced was Trey Mancini. Harvey has apparently added a split-finger fastball to his repertoire and it...

SARASOTA - Richard Bleier has no idea when he's going to pitch in an exhibition game. The euphoria he felt after today's live batting practice session should carry him for a while. Facing hitters for the first time since June 13, prior to his lat surgery, Bleier broke out his entire arsenal and reported no discomfort or noticeable rust. "I'm very happy with how it went," he said. "Honestly, it was as good as it could have went. I felt great. I pitched very well. I made all my pitches. It...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The final day of full-squad workouts before Grapefruit League play opens Saturday night saw the Nationals debut a new fundamentals drill that underscored their renewed emphasis on little things this spring. The entire team gathered on Field 3 for a situational defense and baserunning drill, one with a twist. Davey Martinez had mapped out 15 different game situations for everyone to simulate. Situations like: "Runners on first and second, nobody out, bunt play," or...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The final workout this morning before the Orioles dive into their exhibition schedule included left-hander Richard Bleier's first opportunity to face hitters since undergoing lat surgery in June. Bleier threw 20 pitches on the Ed Smith Stadium mound, with Cedric Mullins, Jace Peterson, Eric Young Jr. and Andrew Susac serving as the batters. "Great day for Bleier," said manager Brandon Hyde. "I'm waiting to go in there to talk to him a little bit more, but for his first...