When Manny Machado was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, that opened a spot on the Orioles' 25-man roster. It went to 24-year-old right-handed hitting Renato Núnez, who tonight will start his fourth game at third base since joining the Orioles on Friday in Toronto. The Orioles claimed Núnez off waivers May 13 from Texas after he had been designated for assignment by the Rangers two days earlier. He had gone 6-for-36 (.167) with Texas. The Orioles sent the Valencia,...

Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop has relocated to the locker formerly used by Manny Machado at the end of the row, with third baseman Renato Núñez setting up next to him. Zach Britton, Adam Jones and Brad Brach are at their same lockers. They still haven't been traded. Reliever Darren O'Day returned to Camden Yards today to begin treatment following his hamstring surgery. He's out for the rest of the season. Reliever Richard Bleier will meet the team in New York on July 31 for a...

Jace Peterson moves over to right field tonight and Adam Jones returns to center field for the Orioles as they begin a three-game series against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. Trey Mancini is in left field and Chris Davis is at first base. Renato Núñez continues to play third base. He's 2-for-11 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored since the Orioles selected his contract from Triple-A Norfolk. Jonathan Schoop is the fourth second baseman to have at least 600 hits, 300 runs and 100...

MILWAUKEE - The Nationals have to feel good about gaining a split against the Braves over the weekend, and they arrive at Miller Park trailing second-place Atlanta by five games and first-place Philadelphia by six games in the National League East. The Nats are back at .500 again (49-49) as they embark on a seven-game road trip against the Brewers and Marlins. The Brewers lead the NL wild card standings, a full five games ahead of the Nationals. Milwaukee is a formidable opponent at 56-45, just...

Many Nationals fans were dismayed by Sunday's news that closer Sean Doolittle will remain on the disabled list for a few more weeks after a setback in his recovery from a left foot injury. Although Doolittle has excelled as a closer since coming in trade from Oakland last season, he still has a way to go to catch the most dominant closer Washington has ever seen, Chad Cordero. The 36-year-old former Nat was one of the most popular former players at the autograph tables during All-Star FanFest...

With Manny Machado now off to Los Angeles, the Orioles are in an official rebuild. It's a word that's been touchy for some, but now it's being used by executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. Wheels are spinning and plans are being made, whether Duquette is around to see it through beyond this season or not. In a conference call following the Machado trade, Duquette laid out the blueprint for the Orioles to get back to competitiveness by increasing the use of analytics,...

On Friday night, the Orioles trailed by five runs in the eighth. They rallied to tie the game and force a tenth inning at Toronto, only to see their defense come up short as they lost via a walk-off. Saturday a walk after the count reached 0-2 followed by an error opened the door for the Blue Jays' winning rally. Sunday the Orioles bullpen gave up a pair of two-run homers in the eighth to blow a three-run lead. Swept away again in Toronto, which yet again this year, is a house of horrors for...

More from Sunday's twice-delayed, 6-2 victory over the Braves ... * Davey Martinez managed this game like it was being played in September or October. Which, to be honest, is probably how he needs to manage just about every game the rest of the way, certainly those against the Braves and Phillies. The difference was most noticeable following the second rain delay, at which point the rookie manager had to try to piece together three innings from a bullpen that was without Sean Doolittle (on the...

Manager: Alex Cora (1st season) Record: 70-31 Last 10 games: 8-2 Who to watch: DH J.D. Martinez (29 HR, 80 RBIs), SS Xander Bogaerts (64 RBIs), LF Andrew Benintendi (.303, 59 RBIs), RF Mookie Betts (.352/.441/.670), LHP David Price (4.17 ERA), RHP Craig Kimbrel (31 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 9-1 Pitching probables: July 23: RHP Rick Porcello (11-4) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (4-7), 7:05 p.m., MASNJuly 24: LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-3) vs. RHP Yefry Ramírez (0-3), 7:05 p.m., MASNJuly 25: LHP...

The Orioles are ready to kick off their first homestand of the second half and the first without Manny Machado on the roster. How much longer will it include closer Zach Britton? There's widespread interest in Britton on the trade market, of course, and while the Dodgers recently came up again as a potential partner with the Orioles, I've heard that the Astros, Red Sox and Cubs are "more active." The offers currently on the table are "all close," according to a source. Also, the Phillies...