SAN DIEGO - Matt Adams signed with the Nationals over the winter, understanding what would be expected of him from his new team. There wasn't a guaranteed starting job for the big slugger, only the promise that he'd get some starts at first base and in left field and a whole lot of pinch-hit appearances late in games against right-handed relievers. There was, however, a reason general manager Mike Rizzo chose to give $4 million to Adams rather than picking up Adam Lind's $5 million option....

The Orioles have only played 21 percent of their season. In an NFL season, we would be in week four. But they have fallen so far, so fast, they seem to have left team management little choice. At some point - and maybe it will be very soon - they are probably left with one clear move: Rebuild, and begin the process of trying to put together the next great Orioles team. Maybe that effort will eventually come up short, but the current effort to contend is failing big. The Orioles were mostly a...

SAN DIEGO - Padres fans always expected to watch Trea Turner do something special in his first game at Petco Park. They just wish it didn't happen wearing a visiting team's jersey. Turner, the former San Diego first-round pick dealt along with Joe Ross to the Nationals in the controversial 2014 trade, connected for a first-inning homer tonight to give Washington an early 1-0 lead and remind everyone around here what they gave up 3 1/2 years ago. Turner connected off Tyson Ross, Joe's older...

The Orioles will activate second baseman Jonathan Schoop from the disabled list before tonight's series opener against the Royals that begins an nine-game homestand. The corresponding move could involve utility infielder Engelb Vielma if they decide to keep Jace Peterson on the 25-man roster. Schoop went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk last night at Single-A Frederick and finished 2-for-13 with six strikeouts on his rehab assignment. He made the decision to play for the Keys instead of taking...

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals have Shawn Kelley back in their bullpen tonight. And they expect to have Ryan Zimmerman back in their lineup Tuesday night. Kelley was activated off the 10-day disabled list this afternoon, one day after completing a six-pitch rehab assignment for Single-A Potomac and only 14 days after he walked off the mound in San Francisco suffering from what some feared was a significant elbow injury. Kelley, who twice has had Tommy John surgery in his career, was relieved to...

The Washington Nationals recalled from rehab and reinstated right-handed pitcher Shawn Kelley from the 10-day disabled list and optioned outfielder Rafael Bautista to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Kelley, 34, returns to the Nationals after missing 12 games with a right elbow irritation. The veteran reliever appeared in one Minor League rehab game with Single-A Potomac tossing a scoreless inning with...

SAN DIEGO - It's about 70 degrees, without a cloud in the sky, a gentle breeze coming off the bay ... yes, this is a tough assignment for the next three night, but someone had to do it. The Nationals open their second West Coast trip in three weeks tonight, beginning here in San Diego and continuing this weekend in Arizona. Having already visited Los Angeles and San Francisco in late April, they'll have played all of their games in the Pacific Time Zone for 2018 by mid-May, an odd scheduling...

Beginning tomorrow, the Orioles will welcome families and children to visit an expanded and reimagined Kids' Corner located adjacent to Gate C at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The newly-designed Kids' Corner will offer enhanced entertainment for younger fans, a relaxation area for parents and guardians, and a variety of new food options exclusive to this location. The most visible enhancement to Kids' Corner is The Bird House, a new interactive treehouse activity center and jungle gym for...

Runs galore? Check. Dominant pitching? Check. Winning homestand? Check. Above .500? Check. The Nationals checked off a lot of boxes while going 7-3 over this past homestand, and Paul Mancano and I are back on the "MASN All Access" podcast to wrap it all up. Now back over the .500 mark and just two games back in a tight National League East, the Nats are playing some good baseball lately and are hot heading back out west. Wilmer Difo capped off the happy homestand with a walk-off base hit in...

Well, there's no way to really sugarcoat it, but the Orioles are not playing great. After an 0-6 road trip in California, the Birds are now 8-26 on the season. Paul Mancano and I are back on the "MASN All Access" podcast to try to make sense of the West Coast swing on the Orioles' off-day. Yes, it doesn't look good right now. But there are some positives we point to as the Orioles come back home. Manny Machado is playing really well. Mark Trumbo has been hitting strong since his return...