SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles made two more roster moves this afternoon prior to their game against the Yankees in Tampa. Pitchers Parker Bridwell and Chris Lee have been optioned to Double-A Bowie, reducing their camp roster to 45 players. Bridwell, 24, went 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 6 2/3 innings this spring. Lee, 23, posted a 9.53 ERA in 5 2/3 innings. Lee, a left-hander, tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings yesterday in a split-squad game against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. Six of the seven runs he...

The Orioles today announced that they have optioned right-hander Parker Bridwell and left-hander Chris Lee to Double-A Bowie. With these moves, the Orioles now have 45 players at Major League Spring Training, including 10 non-roster invitees.

For baseball fans, the two most cherished words in the English language are, "Play ball!" That cry signifies the start of a new season full of renewed hope. For MASNsports.com, that also means getting our coverage plans in order for what we hope will be a memorable season of Orioles baseball. Since 2011, we've shared our pages with some of the myriad of guest bloggers who write daily - and often more frequently - about the O's. If there's an opinion to be stated, a move to be critiqued, a...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Hello from Tradition Field, where the Nationals and Mets resume their budding rivalry under the lights this evening. There are a few regulars on the trip, headlined by Ryan Zimmerman (scheduled for seven innings at first base) and Daniel Murphy (who should get an interesting reaction from the Mets crowd when he's introduced). The most notable starter for the Nats tonight, though, is the kid on the mound: Lucas Giolito. The 21-year-old right-hander will face his stiffest...

Back in 2005, when the Nationals arrived from Montreal, they filled a tremendous void in Washington, D.C. Generations of fans who had not had a team to call their own suddenly did, parents could take their children to games and a new crop of baseball fans was born. So was a new kind of fan - those with keyboards at their disposal and opinions that flowed like frosty beer at the Red Porch. Fervent Nationals fans descended upon the blogosphere in numbers that made other baseball towns envious....

SARASOTA, Fla. - It seems there is one person here who is not convinced that Jonathan Schoop will make the Orioles' opening day roster. It's Jonathan Schoop. He said he has not changed his spring approach a bit and is playing in the Florida sun as if he's competing for an opening day job. "I don't know if I'm a regular," Schoop said this week. "I have to go in there, do my job and play hard. Still trying to make the team, that is how I approach it. It wouldn't matter if I have five or...

SARASOTA, Fla. - A pitcher who rated as the best reliever on the free agent market this winter, who's posted ERAs of 2.28, 2.18, 1.70 and 1.52 over the past four seasons, would figure to go unchanged in spring training. No reason to tweak. No need to try something new. Then there's Orioles set-up man Darren O'Day, who's doing a little experimenting in his side sessions and during games. You won't get specifics from manager Buck Showalter, who isn't keen on educating the opposition. But...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Christian Walker is serving as the designated hitter tonight when the Orioles travel to Tampa for a 6:35 p.m. game against the Yankees. Mark Trumbo is starting at first base. Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard is atop the order and playing center field. Jonathan Schoop is batting second and Manny Machado is third. Miguel Gonzalez needs a strong outing tonight. He's allowed 14 runs and 18 hits in 5 2/3 innings over three starts, with four walks and three strikeouts. The Yankees are his...

VIERA, Fla. - Dusty Baker is an authority on any number of topics, and given all the years he's been a part of baseball and the varied experiences he's had over the years, it's only natural to ask for his opinion on matters currently in the spotlight around the sport. And nothing is in the spotlight right now around baseball more than the topic of kids in the clubhouse after former Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche abruptly retired this week when the White Sox asked him not to bring son...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles haven't posted their lineup for tonight's trip to Tampa. However, packed bags in front of lockers provide clues. Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo, Jonathan Schoop and Dylan Bundy are hitting the road. Hyun Soo Kim and Pedro Alvarez are staying back at the complex for an early workout. Kim is 6-for-37 this spring, but he's collected six hits in his last 14 at-bats. "I think that I'm having better at-bats," Kim said through interpreter Danny Lee. "I've freed my mind...