They just took the official 2018 team photo here at Nationals Park, with players, coaches and club executives all standing out in direct sunlight in the middle of the diamond on a brutally hot day to smile for a few seconds and capture a shot of the team in its entirety. That is, the team in its entirety as it currently exists on September 6. Several players who will have played a key role on this team this season aren't included, because they're no longer part of the team. That includes...

Exclusive ticket packages include a pregame party and limited-edition ceramic beer stein The Orioles invite all fans, ages 21 and over, to enjoy an Oktoberfest celebration when the Orioles host the first 'O'stoberfest' at Oriole Park on Friday, September 28, prior to the club's 7:05 p.m. ET game against the Houston Astros. A limited number of all-inclusive ticket packages are available, featuring an exclusive pregame party in the bullpen picnic area, a game ticket in the left field lower...

Friday will be a special game for right-hander Joe Ross, who returns from Tommy John surgery for his first start one day short of 14 months away from the game. Ross said it will be an incredible moment because there was always a slight fear in the back of his mind that he might never get back. "You have the ups and downs," Ross said of the long road of recovery and rehab. "The uncertainty of how it's going to end, if you'll be back. If I'll be back was the toughest part of it for me. But...

SEATTLE - Put away the hammer and nails if you're trying to construct an opening day roster in 2019. Build a shelf. Or, if you're really ambitious and own the lumber, a gazebo is a nice touch and comes in handy for backyard entertaining. The Orioles don't know who's playing right field with Adam Jones a pending free agent and perhaps too expensive for a team slashing payroll and rebuilding without power tools. I've written about the wisdom of keeping him until someone is ready to play the...

SEATTLE - Andrew Cashner's mission tonight was to gain control of his pitch count, work through the middle innings and keep the Orioles within striking distance. Don't let the game get away from him. Don't become the grand marshal for a parade of relievers. The Mariners were trying to make it through the fifth inning without setting the major league record for errors. Provided with two unearned runs and a lead in the fifth, Cashner surrendered back-to-back homers in the bottom half and the...

Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams had been in a bit of a slump over his last two weeks of games with his new team. Coming into Wednesday night's series finale against his former team, the Nationals, Adams had gone hitless in nine at-bats. He started 0-for-27 with the Cardinals until hitting a single last Wednesday. That hit was his first with the Cardinals since May 9, 2017. He also had not hit a home run since Aug. 4 against the Reds while with the Nationals. But that all changed in a 7-6...

It is becoming something of a running joke, that no matter how bad they play, no matter the deficit they face, the Nationals always seem to find a way to bring the tying run to the plate late in ballgames. Even though that doesn't always result in victory, it has legitimately become a defining quality of a team that certainly has been a major disappointment this season but rarely has rolled over and conceded defeat. So it shouldn't have surprised anyone when it happened again tonight, when...

SEATTLE - Infielder Steve Wilkerson is meeting up with the Orioles in St. Petersburg, Fla. for the weekend series against the Rays. However, the plan is to ease him into competition. Wilkerson was on the seven-day disabled list at Triple-A Norfolk with a hamstring injury and he won't be rushed back onto the field. He hasn't played since Aug. 22. The Orioles were hoping that one of their minor league affiliates would qualify for the playoffs, opening the possibility of Wilkerson getting into...

Manager: Kevin Cash (4th season) Record: 75-64 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: 2B Joey Wendle (.297/.346/.425), 3B Matt Duffy (.296/.354/.371), RF Mallex Smith (.302/.373/.424, SB), DH/1B C.J. Cron (26 HR, 61RBIs), LHP Blake Snell (2.02 ERA), RHP Sergio Romo (19 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 8-8 Pitching probables: Sept. 7: RHP Dylan Bundy (7-13) vs. LHP Blake Snell (17-5), 7:10 p.m., MASN2Sept. 8: RHP David Hess (3-9) vs. TBD, 6:10 p.m., MASN2Sept. 9: RHP Alex Cobb (5-15) vs. TBD, 1:10...

The Orioles acquired 15 players in the July trades. Of those 15 players, six have made their way onto the 40-man roster, with right-hander Luis Ortiz being the latest. Just one of the 15 players needs to be added to the 40-man roster this November to avoid being eligible to be selected in December's Rule 5 draft: 24-year-old right-hander Dillon Tate. Tate was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 draft by Texas out of UC-Santa Barbara. The Rangers traded him to the Yankees on Aug. 1, 2016 and the...