NEW YORK - Hello from Yankee Stadium, where the Nationals face the best team in baseball the next two nights and will take that team on with their best hitter in the lineup for the first time this season. Yes, Daniel Murphy has been activated off the disabled list and is making his 2018 debut at long last, nearly eight months removed from microfracture surgery on his right knee. Murphy's return - not to mention Adam Eaton, as well - gives the Nationals lineup a whole new look, certainly a more...

Manny Machado has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight after an illness kept him in the dugout last night. Chris Davis isn't starting against Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. He's 5-for-27 (.185) with one home run and 14 strikeouts against the former Orioles farmhand. Machado is 6-for-31 (.194) with two doubles. Joey Rickard is leading off and playing left field while Trey Mancini handles first base. Austin Wynns is behind the plate. Rodriguez is 7-1 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.197 WHIP in...

The Washington Nationals returned from rehab and reinstated second baseman Daniel Murphy from the 10-day disabled list and optioned infielder Adrian Sanchez to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Murphy, 33, joins the Nationals after missing the first 64 games of the season rehabilitating from offseason right knee surgery. He went 9-for-37 (.243) with two doubles, two homers, seven RBI, six walks and...

NEW YORK - As they prepare to open a two-game series against the owners of the best record in the majors, the Nationals at long last have their best pure hitter in the lineup for the first time this season. Daniel Murphy, finally recovered from October microfracture surgery on his right knee, has been activated off the disabled list and will play tonight when the Nationals open an interleague series against the Yankees. Having completed a 10-game rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg,...

Orioles shortstop Manny Machado is engulfed in trade rumors and speculation as the non-waiver deadline draws nearer. He's already on the move in the American League's All-Star balloting, rising to the top at his position. Machado has received 321,887 votes to lead the Indians' Francisco Lindor, who's second with 211,756. The Yankees' Didi Gregorius is third with 208,583. None of Machado's teammates appear in the first balloting update. No one in the top five at the other positions or the...

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with their first round selection of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, from Central Heights (TX) High School. Rodriguez was selected with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. Rodriguez, 18, was named a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game First Team Senior Preseason All-American and to the Texas - All Region First Team. In 2017 as a junior, he helped lead Central Heights...

The All-Star ballots are out. The last-place Orioles have one All-Star, shortstop Manny Machado, but speculation is heating up about the Orioles possibly trading him. So what happens to the Orioles' All-Star representative if Machado is traded before the July 17 game in D.C.? Would the Orioles go without an All-Star, even though All-Star teams are required to have at least one player from each team? Would another Oriole be chosen? A spokesman for Major League Baseball said Monday that the...

It has been a solid start to the season for manager Tripp Keister's high Single-A Potomac Nationals. They have demonstrated power in their offense and have done a nice job pitching. On Monday, they were rewarded with six players on the Carolina League Northern Division All-Star team. Right-handers Tyler Mapes, Sterling Sharp and Wil Crowe, catcher Tres Barrera, shortstop Carter Kieboom and third baseman Jake Noll were named to the Carolina League All-Star Game. The six players selected are the...

Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy had another good outing last night. By now, he is probably getting used to pitching without a lot of runs to work with. Bundy threw eight scoreless innings on three singles against the Boston Red Sox. No runner even got to third base against him during his 104-pitch outing. Leaning more heavily than usual on his fastball, Bundy saw Andrew Benintendi go 2-for-2 against him and the rest of the Boston lineup went 1-for-24. Bundy did not get a decision in the...

David Hess will test his memory tonight, along with his ability to make any adjustments that can prevent a repeat performance. The rookie's only major league dud came against tonight's opponent, the Red Sox, in his first exposure to Fenway Park and one of baseball's most potent offenses. He surrendered three home runs and five runs total in 4 2/3 innings and absorbed his first loss. We're going all the way back to May 20, when Hess followed up his stellar debut with an outing that left his...