Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth has been engaging in batting practice to start this homestand against the Marlins. He was seen taking swings last week during batting practice at Marlins Park, and that continued here at Nats Park. Werth has been on the disabled list since June 4 with a contusion that turned out to be a broken bone in his left foot. He has missed 57 games. Today he participated in a simulated game during early afternoon workouts, with right-hander Stephen Strasburg throwing...

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Mark Trumbo is back in the Orioles lineup today for the first time since July 29. He was on the 10-day disabled list with a right rib cage strain. Over 103 games, Trumbo is batting .238/.300/.405 with 17 doubles, 17 homers, 50 RBIs and an OPS of .706. He is batting fifth as the designated hitter and struck out swinging his first time up in the second inning. "It feels really good (to be back)," Trumbo said this morning in the visiting clubhouse. "Really excited to get back...

When last we saw Gio Gonzalez on the mound, he was carrying a no-hitter into the bottom of the ninth at Marlins Park before Dee Gordon broke it up on an emotional night in Miami. Since then, Gonzalez has left the Nationals for a few days for the birth of his second son, Gabriel, and now he returns to the mound for his first appearance in nine days. And the opponent ... will be the Marlins again. As we saw last night with Vance Worley and A.J. Cole, the advantage doesn't necessarily change from...

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is back in a down cycle with the bat. He is 2-for-21 his last six games with nine strikeouts as his average has dropped from .224 to .215. He is 1-for-7 in this series. I asked manager Buck Showalter this morning if he wishes Davis would become more aggressive at the plate and take fewer pitches? "Of course," he said. "I'm sure people see something in a game and they wonder about those things. If they saw all the work and conversations and...

With less than two months to go, there's not a lot of drama in the National League races. The Nationals most likely will play either the Cubs, Brewers or surging Cardinals in the Division Series, while the Dodgers will play the winner of the projected Diamondbacks-Rockies wild card game. The American League is more complex. Teams are bunched and a .500 record keeps a team thinking October. The Orioles are contenders even though they were seven games under on July 16. The Orioles' schedule...

Mark Trumbo has come off the disabled list today and is in the Orioles lineup. Left-hander Donnie Hart was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles will try to get back to .500 today after last night's 3-2 loss in Anaheim. They remain 1 ½ games back for the second wild card. Kevin Gausman is making his team-leading 25th start of the season. He's 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in three career starts against the Angels and 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA in two starts in Anaheim over 12 1/3 innings. Mike Trout is...

ANAHEIM, Calif. - When the Orioles and Los Angeles Angels wrap up a three-game series this afternoon, right-hander Kevin Gausman will try to pitch another strong outing. He owned a 6.47 ERA in mid-June, but Gausman (8-7, 5.15 ERA) has been on a pretty good roll since then. Over his past four starts, he is 3-0 with a 0.65 ERA. Over 27 2/3 innings he has given up 19 hits and two runs with nine walks and 32 strikeouts. Going further back, Gausman is 5-0 with a 2.87 ERA over his last eight games....

With the great production coming from the shortstop position in the last week, you may have forgotten that Orioles infielders Ryan Flaherty and J.J. Hardy are going to be returning to the ballclub this month, barring any setbacks. Flaherty, who has been on the disabled list since May 19 with a right shoulder strain, is currently rehabbing at Double-A Bowie. His rehab assignment ends August 15, but manager Buck Showalter hopes he'll be ready to go sooner. Hardy was placed on the shelf June 19...

Hey, Orioles fans. Welcome to another edition of Yard Work. On this episode... What a difference three weeks makes. Following their series finale against the Cubs, the Orioles were seven games under .500 and the future of the team -- from a poor starting rotation to an inconsistent offense -- looked bleak. But, that's the beauty of the trade deadline. They may not have been the flashiest moves made, but the Orioles added assets on both sides of the ball, acquiring shortstop Tim Beckham from...

ANAHEIM, Calif. - In a pitcher's duel Tuesday night the Orioles lost to one of their former players. They had some big chances to score on offense but the key hit that came on Monday night didn't arrive last night. One night after getting back to the .500 mark, the Orioles are one game under again after Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Right-hander Parker Bridwell, the Orioles ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft, held Baltimore to six hits and one run over seven innings. Bridwell...