The Nationals have placed closer Jonathan Papelbon on the 15-day disabled list with a right intercostal strain and activated fellow right-hander Matt Belisle off the DL to take his roster spot. It's not yet known how Papelbon, who had never before been on the DL during his 12-year career, suffered the injury. But the 35-year-old wasn't available to pitch during last night's 4-1 win over the Cubs, watching from the dugout as Shawn Kelley instead recorded the save. Manager Dusty Baker offered...

The Washington Nationals returned from rehab and reinstated right-handed pitcher Matt Belisle on Tuesday, and placed right-handed pitcher Jonathan Papelbon on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to June 13) with a right intercostal strain. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Belisle, 36, rejoins the Nationals after missing 45 games with a right calf strain. A right-handed reliever, Belisle racked up 11.0 innings on rehab...

BOSTON - The Orioles are preparing to make a roster move this afternoon that influences their pitching staff. In what way will be revealed later. Right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne left Triple-A Norfolk last night and joined the Orioles in Boston, according to sources. Whether he's being inserted into the bullpen or rotation is unknown, but he's no longer with the Tides, who were playing last night in Charlotte. Despaigne is 1-6 with a 3.59 ERA in 12 starts with Norfolk. He's allowed only two...

BOSTON - As Manny Machado prepares to make another start at shortstop in J.J. Hardy's absence, he also continues to lead all American League third basemen in All-Star voting. Machado would be the only Orioles starter if voting ended today, but it runs through June 30. The 87th Midsummer Classic will be played July 12 in San Diego. Mark Trumbo remains in fourth place among AL outfielders, but it's a tight race. Catcher Matt Wieters is second and first baseman Chris Davis is third at their...

Another First-Year Player Draft is in the books, and it sometimes takes years to analyze the impact of a draft class. The Nationals used to always pick high in the draft when the team was bad. With the success in the standings the last few years, the Nats are now getting draft picks at the lower end of each round. It makes the trades, international signings and other creative acquisitions even more strategic to the on-going future progression of this franchise. Ryan Zimmerman clearly had the...

As the Orioles begin a three-game series at Fenway Park tonight, they are tied for first place with Boston and feature an offense that has been prolific this month. The Orioles have scored 81 runs in 12 games in June, going 8-4, even after losing their last three games. They have scored six runs or more eight times. They lead all American League teams this month in runs, homers, slugging and OPS and rank second in OBP. Their 30 homers in June are 10 more than Texas, the next-closest AL...

Manager: John Farrell (4th season) Record: 36-26 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: DH David Ortiz (.340/.423/.708 with 16 HR, 55 RBIs), SS Xander Bogaerts (.359/.405/.527 with 44 RBIs), CF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.311 with 10 HR, 43 RBIs), RHP Steven Wright (7-4, 2.09 ERA), RHP Craig Kimbrel (2.31 ERA with 14 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 3-4 Pitching probables: June 10: RHP Chris Tillman vs. LHP David Price, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 June 11: RHP Tyler Wilson vs. RHP Steven Wright, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 June...

The starting pitching and offense get most, if not all, of the headlines when talking about the Nationals and their 40-24 start. But one team statistic that some might not have realized is how well the defense has played. The Nationals lead the major leagues in fielding percentage at .990. The Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants are next at .988. The 23 errors the Nationals have surrendered are by far the lowest in the majors. The next-closest are the White Sox (28) and Giants (29). On...

In the nearly 150-year history of organized baseball, night games are fairly new. The first professional contest under the stars occurred in 1930, and it took a while to catch on - Wrigley Field didn't install lights until nearly 60 years later. By now, though, most baseball fans have become accustomed to the different start times, especially in their typical, two-night/one-day arrangement. For the most part, all games are the same, regardless of their time, right? For the 2016 Orioles, no....

When he returned to the dugout after striking out both batters he faced in the top of the eighth last night, Shawn Kelley had no idea he'd be returning to the mound for the top of the ninth. Until Dusty Baker approached him with a simple question. "He asked me how I felt, and I said I felt good," Kelley recalled. "He said: 'You're going back out.' That was pretty much the gist of it." So it was that one of the Nationals' most impressive wins of the season - 4-1 over the Cubs - was...