ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Closer Zach Britton will pitch Saturday in a relief role at Single-A Delmarva instead of working the first inning. The Orioles want him to get into the proper mindset. Manager Buck Showalter indicated that Britton could pitch Monday at Double-A Bowie and make back-to-back appearances later in the week. Britton would complete his injury rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk. Infielder Ryan Flaherty has a locker in the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field. He came over from...

The Nationals hoped they'd have Jayson Werth and Koda Glover back by now. Turns out the player closest to returning from the disabled list is Sammy Solís. Solís has made four rehab appearances for Triple-A Syracuse, including back-to-back games earlier this week, and appears to be on the verge of rejoining the Nationals bullpen. "Sammy Solis is getting close," manager Dusty Baker said this afternoon. "He's getting very close." The left-hander has been on the DL since April 19 with...

Wilmer Difo will make his first start in center field tonight in the series opener against the Reds, due to the undisclosed injury to Michael A. Taylor. As in Miami, manager Dusty Baker did not give any further details as to why Taylor is out of the lineup again. "I told you the other day he was hurting," Baker said. "He feels better today. Just didn't feel it was worth a chance in him going back to where he was. We will see. They'll work on him during the course of the game. Might be able...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Reliever Darren O'Day is back in the Orioles bullpen tonight, the location in foul ground at Tropicana Field robbing him of the opportunity to catch a few more home run balls. O'Day hasn't pitched for the Orioles since June 6 before going on the disabled list with soreness in his right shoulder. He greeted his return to the active roster with the usual humor, so dry that it should come with a drop of vermouth and an olive. "I'm excited," he said, his voice offering...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Reliever Darren O'Day was activated from the disabled list today to fill the vacancy created after the Orioles optioned Gabriel Ynoa late last night. O'Day was on the DL with a right shoulder strain, his last appearance coming June 6 against the Pirates. He's 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 24 games over 23 1/3 innings. Adam Jones returns to the Orioles lineup after being rested last night. The Orioles have allowed five runs or more in 19 consecutive games, one shy of the major...

The Washington Nationals recalled infielder Wilmer Difo on Friday and optioned right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole to Triple-A Syracuse. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Difo, 23, returns to the Nationals after a 10-day stint with Triple-A Syracuse in which he played in 10 games and was 7-for-40 (.175) with two doubles, an RBI and five walks. A member of the Nationals' Opening Day 25-man roster, Difo is hitting .184 (16-for-87) with...

And we're back on South Capitol Street, where the Nationals return home for the better part of the last stretch of the season's first half. They are scheduled to play each of the next 17 days before the All-Star break, but 14 of those games will take place right here at Nationals Park, a welcome relief. It begins tonight with the opener of a weekend series against the rebuilding Reds, who come in having lost 11 of 12. Cincinnati actually has a good lineup and a decent bullpen, but its...

Starting pitching has been the story of the 2017 season for the Orioles. It seems to be a topic every night in Charm City as the Birds have again fallen below .500 at 35-37 and their rotation has produced just two quality starts in their last 16 games. Collectively, the O's pitching staff has allowed five or more runs in 19 consecutive games and they have gone 6-13 over that span. Last week, I wrote about the Orioles' production in June 2016 when they went 19-9 and finished the month with a...

It seemed like a bit of a curious move at the time, seeing a team trade a lefty reliever that pitched to a 1.96 ERA last year in 23 games. Not only did the New York Yankees trade that pitcher, they traded him to the Orioles. And only for a player to be named later. The lefty who pitched so well in a short look for the Yankees last year, 30-year-old Richard Bleier, has pitched well for the Orioles this year, both on the farm and with the big club. Bleier had a 0.61 ERA in eight games with...

If the Orioles are looking to get healthy, and not only from an injury standpoint, taking their act on the road would seem to be counterproductive. Sort of like trying to line the batter's box under water. Wins at any locale haven't been plentiful, but the Orioles are 11-23 away from Camden Yards. They're starting a three-game series tonight at Tropicana Field, with manager Buck Showalter returning to them, and they'll fly to Toronto for three more after Monday's off-day. Heading into last...