JUPITER, Fla. - A very pleasant good morning to you from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, spring home of the Marlins and Cardinals and playing host today to the Nationals for the first of seven road games this spring. It's only a 15-minute drive from West Palm Beach, and because of that the Nats are trying something new this year: They're staying back to take batting practice and fielding drills at home, then boarding the bus at 11:45 a.m. and heading straight to Jupiter for the game. A lot of...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are playing split-squad games today against the Phillies in Clearwater and the Twins in Sarasota. I'm covering the home nightcap, with the clubhouse opening to media at 1 p.m. Chris Davis is wearing the gray pants today as the only projected starter on the trip. Anthony Santander is playing right field after serving as the designated hitter yesterday against the Rays. Ryan Mountcastle is playing third base and Chance Sisco is catching. Former Orioles infielder Ryan...

There was once an Orioles right-handed pitcher that was a pretty decent prospect and a top 100 draft pick. But he struggled badly in his first three seasons in the majors and fans lost confidence in him. Mike Wright? Right? Well yes, but before him there was Chris Tillman. From 2009-11 - Tillman's first three big league seasons - he went 7-15 with an ERA of 5.58. He allowed 205 hits in 180 2/3 innings. In Mike Wright's first three big league seasons, he has gone 6-9 with a 5.86 ERA allowing...

SARASOTA, Fla. - While Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop and pitcher Miguel Castro are sidelined indefinitely with elbow and knee conditions, respectively, closer Zach Britton is preparing for his second round of catch this morning as he slowly works his way back to the mound. Britton is following up on his first flat-ground throwing session on Thursday at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. "I think we're going to be on an every-other-day schedule, obviously depending on how I feel and things...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There are certain points in a ballplayer's career when priorities change. Early on, he simply wants to establish himself as big league regular. Then it's about cashing in and setting himself and his family up financially for life. And then, once all the rest has been accomplished, comes the final priority for a veteran who has enjoyed personal success but perhaps is lacking one major accomplishment on his resume: A shot at a ring. Howie Kendrick has had a fine career...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles prospects took over the ninth inning today, with Chance Sisco hitting an opposite-field, three-run homer off Rays reliever Brandon Lawson after DJ Stewart singled and Ryan Mountcastle doubled. The Orioles stranded two runners in scoring position and lost to the Rays 6-3, but it provided a nice touch to an otherwise nondescript exhibition opener. "Yeah, especially back-to-back-to-back," said manager Buck Showalter. "I think we hit four balls hard that they caught....

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - His position along the first base line, with 70-some others in Nationals uniforms standing to his right and only home plate to his left, was unfamiliar. Davey Martinez had never stood at the head of the line for a national anthem before, and this was a particularly poignant anthem, with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Angelique Meneses singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" one week after 17 people were killed at her high school in nearby...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Tommy Milone would need a lot of things - bad things, from the Nationals' perspective - to happen to find his way into the opening day rotation. But a few more outings like he offered up today and the journeyman left-hander, if nothing else, will have made a strong impression on the club's decision-makers, which could pay off down the road. Handed the ball to start today's Grapefruit League opener, Milone set the tone with a solid two-inning performance that was as...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Mike Wright Jr. worked two innings this afternoon in the Orioles' exhibition opener against the Rays and left on a high note. Wright retired the side in order in the second on 11 pitches, eight for strikes. He handled all of the outs - striking out Ryan Schimpf, retiring Johnny Field on a tapper to the mound and catching Justin Williams' pop up. Left-hander Chris Lee replaced Wright to begin the top of the third inning with the Rays leading 1-0. Lee loaded the bases with no...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - If he had his way, Adam Eaton would have been playing in games weeks ago. There weren't any games to play weeks ago, of course, so today's Grapefruit League opener was the first opportunity for the Nationals left fielder to make his return from a torn ACL. That return isn't happening quite yet, though. Eaton (like all of his lineup regulars) is not playing this afternoon against the Astros. Manager Davey Martinez didn't offer any specifics about the plan to work...