Steve Johnson felt right at home today as he walked toward the home clubhouse at Camden Yards, and in a strange land as he passed it. Johnson is here with the Mariners, who signed him in March, three days after the Rangers released him, and purchased his contract from Triple-A Tacoma on May 3. "It's awesome to be here, but definitely on the other side is a little odd for me," said Johnson, the Baltimore native and St. Paul's graduate who spent parts of three seasons with the Orioles. "Just...

There is this player in Nationals Park who has a cheering section out there in the unheralded part that is tucked in between the foul pole and the visitors bullpen in Section 105. That's right, it's left field where the man they call "The Beard," "The Werewolf" or some just refer to as "J-Dub" - as Bryce Harper likes to call him - plays his position. Jayson Werth started his career as a catcher, tried some first base and then got moved into the outfield. When the Nationals signed Werth...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter anticipated that a team would claim Jimmy Paredes on waivers, as the Blue Jays did yesterday. However, that didn't make it any easier to accept. Showalter likes Paredes and respects his work ethic. "That's why he's in the big leagues today. That's Jimmy," Showalter said. "You get an emotional attachment to guys who care that much. He's a good teammate, good player. But you can't keep them all. That's why the system is designed the way it is, to keep...

NEW YORK - Daniel Murphy strolled into the visitors clubhouse at Citi Field today for only the second time ever - he made a cameo appearance there a couple years ago for a Mets fantasy football draft - and then he strolled into the nearby interview room to find a throng of New York reporters and photographers eagerly awaiting his return as a member of the Nationals. Murphy may not rate as one of the true superstars of baseball. But in these parts, he remains a main attraction after helping lead...

The Orioles homestand continues tonight as they host the Seattle Mariners to start a three-game series. The Orioles lead the American League East by percentage points and Seattle leads the AL West in the same manner. The 23-13 Orioles are playing .639 ball (best in the AL) and are just ahead of Boston at .632. Seattle is 21-16 and playing .568 ball, just ahead of Texas at .564 in the AL West. The Orioles are 3-1 on this homestand and 16-6 at home in 2016. Meanwhile, Seattle is 13-6 on the road....

The Orioles begin their series at home tonight with the Seattle Mariners. Right now, the Birds are leading the American League East by percentage points over Boston. They are 23-13 overall, 16-6 at home and have won 12 of their last 17 games. Today, outfielder Adam Jones said the O's pitching staff that ranks third in the AL with a 3.53 ERA, deserves the bulk of the props. "Our offense, you can give us all the credit you want, but if we are sitting out there on defense inning after inning, we...

Yovani Gallardo's right shoulder felt good again after playing catch yesterday from 90 feet. He's going to move back to 120 feet Wednesday and Thursday - going back-to-back for the first time - and may throw off a mound on Sunday. A Gallardo update was the biggest piece of news to come out of this afternoon's clubhouse access and media session with manager Buck Showalter. The tarp remains on the field at Camden Yards, but the Orioles expect the rain to clear out around 6 p.m. Paul Janish is...

NEW YORK - The first game of the season between the Nationals and Mets would be a big deal regardless, but there's added intrigue tonight because Max Scherzer is taking the mound for the first time since his record 20-strikeout game. That game on Wednesday, as you might expect, took a lot out of Scherzer, who threw 119 total pitches in beating the Tigers. How has his arm felt since? "Let's just say I'm happy that we had six days (between starts)," the right-hander said with a laugh. If...

Matt Wieters is catching Ubaldo Jimenez for the first time this season, as the Orioles begin a three-game series against the Mariners at rainy Camden Yards. Jimenez's first seven starts came with Caleb Joseph behind the plate. Paul Janish is making his second start and his first since Game 1 of the May 7 doubleheader against the Athletics, the day that the Orioles purchased his contract. He's playing third base. Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter, with Pedro Alvarez sitting against Mariners...

I had a chance to speak with right-hander Shawn Kelley last weekend and asked him how the new coaching staff handled the bullpen. I asked him about the frequency of which he has to get up to warm up during games and if that can be problematic in tiring him out before he is finally put into games. He said that is the norm among relief pitchers and comes with the job. "The getting up and not getting in, that happens anywhere," Kelley said. "That's just part of the game. That's just part of...