SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Davis is leading off today and serving as the designated hitter for the Orioles' Grapefruit League game against the Pirates. Don't read too much into it. He won't bat first on opening day. Davis has some tightness in his right forearm that's limiting him to DH duty. Colby Rasmus moves down to sixth in the order. Mark Trumbo is playing first base and batting seventh. For the Orioles Chris Davis DH Trey Mancini LF Manny Machado SS Adam Jones CF Jonathan Schoop 2B Colby...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles clubhouse is closed to the media today while the players have another one of their annual spring meetings. However, the lineup has been posted for the 10:30 a.m. B game on Field 4. Miguel Castro gets the start, as you read again this morning. Pedro Álvarez is playing first base, Engelg Vielma is at shortstop, Ryan Mountcastle is playing third base, Andrew Susac is behing the plate and Anthony Santander is in right field. For the Orioles (B game): Jaycob Brugman...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla - Alejandro De Aza has returned to the Nationals, though not to the big league roster. The Nats have signed De Aza to a minor league contract, the club announced. The veteran outfielder did not receive an invitation to major league camp, but he will be in uniform and available to play off the bench for today's game against the Mets. De Aza, 33, played in 28 games for the Nationals late last season, hitting .194 with nine RBIs over 70 plate appearances and filling in at a...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The first week of Grapefruit League play has featured minimal action by the Nationals' biggest names, but that may finally change this weekend. For starters, Max Scherzer will be on the mound today in Port St. Lucie to face the Mets, his second start of the spring. And Stephen Strasburg will make his long-awaited debut Saturday in West Palm Beach against the Astros, who are scheduled to send Justin Verlander to the mound for a high-profile pitching matchup. So that...

The early camp roster has been released by the Nationals and again it features a good measure of their biggest-name prospects and a ton of talent looking to make their mark this season. Pitchers in the camp include right-hander Wil Crowe and Gabe Klobosits, as well as left-handers Ben Braymer, Seth Romero, Hector Silvestre and veteran right-hander Aaron Barrett. Back in July 2016, Barrett fractured his elbow during Tommy John rehab. He pitched in 90 games combined during the 2014 and 2015...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will play two games today, but only one counts in the fake standings. Miguel Castro is starting a B game in the morning on Field 4, the Camden Yards replica with the batter's eye that's still under construction. So is the rotation and Castro wants to join it, but first he must prove that his knees and back are fine and he no longer has to be treated with such care. It's early to suggest that anyone has really fallen behind, but it's a shorter spring training and...

When it comes to team offense, the Orioles are about average in the American League. That is in the most important stat of them all - runs scored. And it has been that way for several seasons. In 2015, the Orioles ranked seventh in the AL in runs scored for the season. In 2016, they ranked seventh and last year they ranked eighth with 743 runs while the AL team average was 763. So the Orioles scored 4.59 runs/game while the league average was 4.71. There are a lot of ways to break down some of...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter noted the progress today made by Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. One run allowed over two innings in both starts, but not a duplication. "I thought he was a little better this time out," Showalter said. "He can do a lot of things with the baseball. He's presenting himself as advertised. I thought he was a little better today. That was good to see. "He's got good command of the fastball, works fast and can spin the ball. He'll need all...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - There may be nobody else in Nationals camp with a status quite like A.J. Cole. He doesn't have the track record to suggest he's assured of a spot on the opening day roster, but club officials willingly admit he's the likely No. 5 starter. He's out of options, so he'll have to make the team somehow or else be placed on waivers. And none of this may matter if the Nats decide to go for broke and just sign Jake Arrieta or one of the other established free agents still...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The battle for the fifth spot in the rotation won't be decided until much later this month, with the possibility still alive that the Orioles sign another starter. In the meantime, Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. can only state his own case and try to gain the trust of the organization's decision-makers. Cortes allowed one run over two innings for the second time in two starts, with a home run by Tampa Bay's Jesús Sucre tying the game 1-1. He labored in the second...