SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles didn't allow any runs in the first inning today for only the fifth time in 17 spring games. Kevin Gausman surrendered a two-out single to Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen, but he retired Starling Marte on a line drive to third baseman Manny Machado. He threw 12 pitches, seven for strikes. Gregory Polanco worked Gausman for 10 pitches leading off the second before flying out. Gausman's fastball hit 95 mph on the stadium gun for the first time this...

JUPITER, Fla. - Bronson Arroyo's attempted comeback from Tommy John surgery hit a snag today when the 39-year-old right-hander was scratched from his scheduled spring training start with shoulder soreness. Arroyo was supposed to pitch four innings against the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium, but Nationals manager Dusty Baker said the veteran hurler reported soreness earlier in the week when he tried to throw in between starts. The club waited a couple of days to see if the soreness dissipated,...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews examined Matt Wieters' MRI and concurred with team physicians who said there were no signs of structural damage. More good news for the Orioles, who held obvious concerns about Wieters after he exited Saturday's game with right wrist soreness. Left-hander Brian Matusz could get into a game this weekend after being sidelined with a strained muscle in his lower back. He hasn't pitched since making his only appearance on March 2. Manager...

JUPITER, Fla. - Hello from Roger Dean Stadium, where the Nationals seem to play every other day in March. They're back today to face the Marlins, with several regulars having made the drive down from Viera. That includes Ryan Zimmerman, who today makes his spring debut at first base. Zimmerman served as designated hitter twice earlier in the week and showed no ill effects of the plantar fasciitis that plagued him last season, so he's good to play in the field today for the first time. Bronson...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Today is the first day of spring training games for the Orioles' four full-season minor league teams. The Orioles' Triple-A and Double-A teams are on the road in Fort Myers against the Minnesota Twins. The O's two Single-A clubs are playing the Twins here at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park at noon. Today's scheduled starting pitchers include the Orioles' Zach Britton. He is expected to throw two innings here today for Single-A Frederick. Don't jump to...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander T.J. McFarland is listed among the Orioles' available relievers today. McFarland hasn't pitched since leaving a March 6 game against the Red Sox with elbow discomfort. X-rays came back negative. Other relievers behind starter Kevin Gausman are Dylan Bundy, Pedro Beato and Oliver Drake. Pirates pitchers today include Arquimedes Caminero, Montana DuRapau, Dovydas Neverauskas and ... Josh Smith. One of these things is not like the other. The Pirates also are bringing...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Pedro Alvarez has moved up to second in the order today as the Orioles face his former team, the Pirates, at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium. This is the fourth straight game for Alvarez, who's serving as the designated hitter. Hyun Soo Kim is in left field and Mark Trumbo is in right. Caleb Joseph is catching today. Matt Wieters said his elbow continues to feel better each day, though he's not throwing or swinging a bat in order to speed up his recovery. Wieters is performing...

VIERA, Fla. - Some morning leftovers to chew on as the Nationals make the drive down to Jupiter for today's game against the Marlins ... * He's been under the radar a bit, but Sean Burnett continues to impress this spring and is making a serious case for himself three years after he last pitched out of the Nationals bullpen. Burnett tossed a scoreless inning yesterday in Kissimmee, his fourth scoreless appearance of the spring. He has faced 12 total batters, retiring 10 of them. And the only...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The assumptions that the Orioles' five starters are set beyond determining the order have been shattered after yesterday's game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. Manager Buck Showalter delivered the quote heard 'round the rotation when he told the media, "There's some competition here that people haven't grasped." We get it now. Orioles starters have allowed first inning runs in 12 of 16 games. Miguel Gonzalez has a minor league option and two poor outings in three...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez has a spring training ERA of 9.45. That ranks second best so far among the five projected starters for the Orioles' 2016 rotation: 0.00 - Kevin Gausman 9.45 - Jimenez 10.80 - Chris Tillman 16.62 - Yovani Gallardo 22.24 - Miguel Gonzalez As manager Buck Showalter noted yesterday, and plenty of others have noted often, the rotation is going to need to pitch like it did in 2014 and not 2015 come next month. Perhaps it was Showalter's...