LAKELAND, Fla. - He may be a rookie manager, but Davey Martinez knows enough about right-hander Edwin Jackson to understand that what you see from the veteran right-hander is what you get. "He's very low-key," Martinez said. "He's taking it one day at a time, and it's good. Like I said, he's a veteran guy and he understands the process." Martinez is referring to the elephant in the clubhouse, that Jackson seems to be a guy without a clear path to the 25-man roster. Jackson, who signed...

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Orioles made three more cuts this morning to get their roster down to 45, optioning pitcher Alec Asher to Triple-A Norfolk and reassigning infielder Ryan Mountcastle and outfielder DJ Stewart to minor league camp. Mountcastle, 21, will continue to play third base, though he's also been taking fly balls on the back fields. His bat delivered two tape-measure home runs, including a three-run shot yesterday to right-center field against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. He was...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman's spring training has gotten considerably better since his first game on Feb. 26. That day he collided with the Tigers' Jeimer Candelario backing up at home plate. It left him with a cut above his left eyelid and some soreness in his back. But since then he pitched three hitless and scoreless innings with five strikeouts March 3 versus the Phillies. He threw four innings and 65 pitches March 9 in a simulated game. Last night he was a spectator and enjoyed...

I continued my visit with Nationals minor league roving coordinator and former Triple-A Syracuse manager Billy Gardner Jr. and asked him about the breadth of Dominican talent that the organization continues to stockpile. In their 2018 Nationals prospect watch, MLB.com has Victor Robles and Juan Soto listed No. 1 and No. 2. Shortstop/third baseman shortstop Luis Garcia is at No. 6 and infielder Yasel Antuna is at No. 7. Gardner said all of these players have improved each season, which is the...

BRADENTON, Fla. - Austin Hays is leading off today and serving as the designated hitter and Colby Rasmus is batting second and playing center field for the Orioles' 1:05 p.m. game against the Pirates. Pedro Álvarez is playing first base against his former team. Mike Wright Jr. will follow starter Dylan Bundy today. Brad Brach also is scheduled to pitch and the Orioles brought Luis Gonzalez and Branden Kline. The bench includes Chance Sisco, DJ Stewart, Mike Yastrzemski, Cedric Mullins,...

The Orioles today announced a new "Kids Cheer Free" initiative inviting parents to bring young Orioles fans age 9 and younger to Oriole Park at Camden Yards free of charge. Every adult who purchases a regularly-priced individual game ticket in the Upper Deck will be invited to bring up to two children (ages 9 and under) to the ballpark compliments of the Orioles. "Kids Cheer Free" tickets for games from March 31 through April 29 can be reserved now online at orioles.com/kidsfree, at the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Mark Trumbo's right quadriceps muscle has healed and he's going to be in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees in Sarasota. "I feel back to normal," he said. Trumbo said he won't be restricted to serving as designated hitter if the club wants him in the outfield or first base. "They did a real nice job getting the swelling out of there and I feel ready," he said. Trumbo, who's 3-for-20, hasn't played since Tuesday against the Twins in Fort Myers, but he...

SARASOTA, Fla. - It was in a spring training game that will soon be forgotten, but some of the Orioles promising young pitchers put up some zeros on Sunday in Fort Myers versus the Boston Red Sox. And this is after two of their young guns - Hunter Harvey and Tanner Scott - combined to allow three runs (two earned) over the first four frames. It could have been worse for that duo, but they impressively pitched out of a couple jams. In the last of the fifth, soon to be 23-year-old lefty Keegan...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Tim Beckham led off for the Orioles last night in their split-squad game against the Phillies and nothing can be read into it. Manager Buck Showalter hasn't decided on a leadoff hitter. He doesn't know whether it will be a regular or if he'll need two depending on the platoon. Maybe he'll really buy into the theory that a team's best hitters should be stacked at the top. Practice what others preach. Colby Rasmus has hit first against right-handers. Chris Davis' last...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Andrew Cashner gave the Orioles four scoreless innings tonight and also gave manager Buck Showalter further confirmation that the club handled the right-hander properly after he signed late. The two simulated games on Field 4 were a nice platform for tonight's debut, with Cashner allowing only a bunt single by the Phillies' Pedro Florimón in the Orioles' 4-0 split-squad victory at Ed Smith Stadium. "The schedule he's been on with his sim games, he was good," Showalter...