Mike Wright sat at his locker this afternoon while the media roamed the clubhouse, already told that he was headed back to Triple-A Norfolk but offering no clues. The Orioles optioned Wright less than 24 hours after he exited last night's game with two outs in the third inning. His ERA shot up to 5.88 in 49 innings after he was charged with six runs. Vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson spoke to Wright last night and manager Buck Showalter talked to him this morning. The...

The Orioles have optioned struggling starter Mike Wright to Triple-A Norfolk and selected the contract of left-hander Brian Duensing from the Tides. Duensing, who's wearing No. 50, will be in the bullpen. Wright went 2-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 10 games (nine starts), with 32 earned runs over 49 innings. He allowed six runs and seven hits over 2 2/3 innings last night in the Orioles' 13-9 win over the Red Sox at Camden Yards. Wright will start Monday for Norfolk. The Orioles want him staying in...

Looking back to the offseason, it's difficult to believe that Daniel Murphy was the Nationals' third choice when they were looking for a second baseman. They wanted to trade for Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips, but, per his contract, Phillips vetoed a trade and wanted to stay with the rebuilding Reds. Who knows why he didn't want to play for his former Reds manager, Dusty Baker, in D.C.? Phillips, by the way, is hitting .256. Then, the Nationals tried to sign Ben Zobrist, but he did want to...

Daniel Murphy, come on down to claim your award! Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month, the second consecutive month a Nationals player has been awarded the honor after Bryce Harper was named the NL's best in April. After slashing .416/.424/.673 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and a new Nats record for hits in a month of 47, Byron Kerr and I figured Murphy would win, so we went ahead and discussed Murphy's May in this week's episode of District 34. With the calendar turning...

Catcher Francisco Pena is making his first start with the Orioles tonight as they attempt to gain a split of their four-game series against the Red Sox. Hyun Soo Kim remains in left field and the second slot in the order. Mark Trumbo is in right field and Pedro Alvarez gets another start as the designated hitter. Before last night, the Orioles hadn't scored 13 runs without hitting a home run since a 13-2 win over Tampa Bay on Sept. 2, 2004 at Tropicana Field. For the Orioles Adam Jones CF...

Bryce Harper was National League Player of the Month for April. Now Daniel Murphy is NL Player of the Month for May, continuing the Nationals' impressive run through the early portion of the 2016 season. Murphy earned his honor after a remarkable month in which he hit .416 with seven homers, 23 RBIs and a .673 slugging percentage in 29 games. His 47 hits recorded in May tied a franchise record held by former Expos Al Oliver (August 1982) and Marquis Grissom (June 1994). Murphy's...

After setting a franchise record for hits in a calendar month and leading the Major Leagues in batting average, Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month for May on Thursday. Major League Baseball made the announcement. Murphy ended the month of May leading Major League Baseball in batting average (.397), hits (77), and multi-hit games (26). In May alone, the Nationals' second baseman hit .416 (47-for-113) with a .434 on-base percentage and a...

FREDERICK, Md. - Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo takes yet another step toward his return to the Orioles starting rotation later today at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. For the first time since he left his start April 22 after two innings at Kansas City, he will pitch in a game. It will be in a minor league rehab start for the Single-A Frederick Keys against the Potomac Nationals in Game 1 of a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. Gallardo, who has been on the disabled list since April 23...

PHILADEPHIA - It is, most agree, the toughest job in baseball. Come off the bench cold late in a game, to face a reliever probably throwing at least 95 mph, in a big spot that figures to dramatically affect whether your team wins or loses. Pinch-hitting is not for the faint of heart, which is why the Nationals are grateful to have assembled a particularly effective group of bench players who have more than done their part to help this team get off to a 33-21 start this season. "The main thing...

Last night marked Hyun-Soo Kim's sixth consecutive start and 19th game played for the Baltimore Orioles. The Korean outfielder is slashing an impressive .382/.469/.509 on the season and he collected three hits, a walk and two runs scored in the O's wild 13-9 win over the Red Sox. Two weeks ago, I made my case for Kim and suggested that the O's play him regularly, at least for a bit, to see what they have with him. Now that we have a better idea, let's dive in and take a look. Wednesday...