SARASOTA, Fla. - The first round of cuts are coming today unless there's an unexpected change in plans. Barring an injury, the Orioles will go north with catchers Matt Wieters and Caleb Joseph. They currently have six catchers in camp, including Francisco Pena, Audry Perez, Chance Sisco and Jonah Heim. Pena will take an interesting story with him whenever the Orioles decide to option him and he reports to Twin Lakes Park. He's the son of former major league catcher and current Yankees coach...

VIERA, Fla. - In what turned out to be a 4-3 Nationals loss to the Astros on Thursday night, what looked like a stellar play by promising shortstop prospect Trea Turner loomed large - and for all the wrong reasons. With the Astros up 2-0 on Marwin Gonzalez's two-run homer off Trevor Gott in the fourth, Nolan Fontana led off with an infield single off Aaron Laffey and moved to second on a wild pitch. Jake Marisnick then grounded a ball into the hole at short, where Turner backed a nice backhand...

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Astros 4, Nationals 3 Recap: Bronson Arroyo threw three hitless innings in his first start of the spring, retiring the Astros 1-2-3 in each frame. Trevor Gott relieved him and coughed up Marwin Gonzalez's two-run homer in the fourth. Ben Revere had two more hits, upping his spring average to .583. Sac flies by Matt den Dekker in the sixth and Trea Turner in the seventh, followed by Jhonatan Solano's RBI single, rallied Washington from a 4-0 hole. Need to know: When...

A few notes and random thoughts on the Orioles while we await that first spring win: * I'm not sure exactly what to make of this stat, but the Orioles homered in the same exact number of games both in 2014 and 2015. But they won a higher percentage of those games both with and without homers in 2014 on their way to the American League East championship. The 2015 Orioles went 70-42 when they homered, a winning percentage of .625. In the same number of games the year before, they went 79-33...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are expected to make their first round of cuts on Friday. Manager Buck Showalter has a list prepared. "It's coming shortly," he said. "Not today. We've got too many people going in different directions. So that leaves tomorrow, right? "I'm ready. Been ready." Today's game ended in a 4-4 tie after nine innings. The Yankees ran out of pitchers, preventing the usual spring training 10th. The Orioles also played a B game earlier in the morning that lasted six...

VIERA, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman, who has yet to play in a spring training game while the Nationals medical staff monitors and treats the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, says manager Dusty Baker's timetable that the first baseman could make his first Grapefruit League appearance within another 10 days is on target. "We're just being slow with it," Zimmerman said Thursday. "My foot feels fine. There's no reason to start playing games this early in March when we plan on playing games in...

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals made their first cuts of spring camp, with infielder Wilmer Difo, left-hander Matt Grace and right-hander Taylor Jordan optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Additionally, right-handers Taylor Hill and Paolo Espino and catchers Raudy Read and Brian Jerolomon have been reassigned to minor league camp. "A couple guys were surprised because they were such early cuts, but some of the guys need some work," manager Dusty Baker said. Difo, one of the organization's most...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 4, Yankees 4 Recap: Adam Jones hit his first spring home run, an opposite-field shot in the first inning. Hyun Soo Kim was hit by a Kyle Haynes pitch in the fourth, the first time he reached base in 23 plate appearances. He reached on an RBI infield single with the bases loaded in the seventh, making him 1-for-24. Steve Tolleson tied the game in the seventh with a two-run single. Tyler Wilson allowed two runs and five hits in three innings, with no walks and...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman felt good physically today after his B game start, his right hip no longer sore. Brian Matusz should start throwing Sunday or Monday, his back no longer hurting. T.J. McFarland could start throwing before Matusz, his elbow no longer swollen. Ozzie Martinez could start playing soon, his neck no longer aching. Pedro Alvarez could make his Orioles debut on Sunday in Fort Myers. He doesn't care whether he's used as the designated hitter. Manager Buck Showalter said...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman threw 30 pitches in two innings today in his spring debut against the Pirates in a B game on the Camden Yards replica field. Nineteen were strikes. Tillman struck out two batters and stayed on the mound after recording three outs in the second. Reese McGuire singled off him, but was thrown out by left fielder Alfredo Marte trying to stretch it into a double. Kevin Gausman worked three innings, though he recorded only two outs in the second. He gave up two doubles...