Orioles closer Zach Britton sat in a car yesterday with his wife Courtney and the tears flowed. This isn't how he wants to end his career with the Orioles, the longest-tenured player on their roster set to undergo surgery Thursday to repair his right Achilles tendon. Confident that he's going to pitch later in the summer, but unsure if it's with the team that drafted and developed him - first as a starter and later a dominant ninth inning specialist. Dr. Kenneth Jung of the Kerlan-Jobe...

It's the most wonderful time of year. Out-of-office emails are set up, presents are piling up and end of the year "best of" lists are (hopefully) keeping you entertained. In case you've missed it, MASN Nationals broadcaster Bob Carpenter has been sharing some of his favorite scorekeeping moments from the season on his Twitter (@scorebook_bob). We've decided to take some inspiration from him for this week's #TBT post: Max goes the distance on 100 pitches w/11Ks, Zim hits #15 & drives...

An offseason for the Orioles that's been defined by their willingness to trade third baseman Manny Machado and a desperate search for starting pitching has a new storyline involving a serious injury to closer Zach Britton. Britton ruptured his right Achilles tendon yesterday while working out at agent Scott Boras' training center in California. The Orioles found out about it last night, according to executive vice president Dan Duquette, who confirmed the injury. "We're trying to get our...

A former Nationals pitcher is returning to D.C. The Nats have signed left-hander Tommy Milone to a minor league contract, an industry source has confirmed. He will receive an invitation to major league spring training. Milone, 30, was drafted by the Nats in the 10th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Southern California and made his major league debut with the club in 2011, going 1-0 with a 3.81 ERA in five September starts and homering in his major league debut on Sept. 3 against...

For Wilmer Difo, a little confidence went a long way. When shortstop Trea Turner broke his wrist last season, Difo stepped in to fill the void, starting 52 games in the speedster's stead and slashing .303/.359/.398 in those outings. It seemed that the more Difo played, the more comfortable he felt and the better he got. "I felt super good," Difo said through translator Octavio Martinez at Nationals Winterfest. "I felt better when I started playing every day. I felt more comfortable, better,...

Only one coach was kept from the previous regime: third base coach Bobby Henley, who has been with the organization for more than 20 years, dating to its time in Montreal. It is an important point. Henley is obviously very good at his job, but he also can be a sounding board for the players to help in the transition to the new coaching regime. Henley was thrilled to stay with the Nationals when we caught up with him at Winterfest. "It means a lot. I been here so long," Henley said. "I been...

Though it's painfully early in the morning, I'm happy to report that no one has asked me for an update on third baseman Manny Machado since my last trip to the bathroom. His status on the club reminds me of those halcyon days in the winter of 2015 when everyone wanted to know whether the Orioles would re-sign Chris Davis. Gym owners, bartenders, radio and television hosts, family and friends. None of them ranked in order of importance in my life, despite all the doubters. Will the Orioles...

The Orioles announced a trade this afternoon that actually completed a transaction from a month ago and it didn't involve third baseman Manny Machado. Not much to see here, but other business must be attended to as the Orioles move through their offseason. The Orioles sent right-hander Jake Bray to the Athletics as the player to be named later for outfielder Jaycob Brugman, who will compete for a spot in spring training as a much-needed left-handed hitter. Bray, 25, was 2-5 with a 3.88 ERA and...

As we prepare to enter 2018 and get that much closer to pitchers and catchers reporting to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, we're going to relive some of our "Orioles Classics" on MASN in groups this week as part of our Throwback Thursday series. One of these groups is the Battle of the Beltways. Here at MASN, we're fortunate enough to bring fans wall-to-wall coverage of not just one, but two major league teams, and it's always fun when the Orioles and Nationals meet in each...

Trey Mancini was the gift that kept on giving this past season for the Orioles. Coming into spring training with questions of whether he was ready, where he would play and if he could make the big league club, Mancini broke camp with the Orioles and produced one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history. In 147 games, he slashed .293/.338/.488 with 24 home runs and 78 RBIs, finishing third in American League Rookie of the Year voting, behind the Yankees' Aaron Judge and the Red Sox's...