Bryce Harper leaves in sixth: Harper left the game in the sixth after it appeared that his left leg gave out on a throw to the plate. Harper immediately went to the ground after the throw and remained there for a few minutes as Nationals manager Matt Williams and head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz jogged out to check on him. Kuntz seemed to be examining the area around Harper's left knee. That's the same knee that was struck by a fastball on June 13 in Milwaukee, which forced Harper to miss the...

I would guess a lot of fans that heard or saw these transactions and news from the Orioles' offseason either had little reaction or one that may have even been somewhat negative: * 12-12-14: Orioles sign pitcher Chaz Roe to a minor league contract.* 1-26-15: Orioles sign outfielder Chris Parmelee to a minor league contract. How about this one from last summer: * 7-24-14: Orioles purchase contract of infielder Jimmy Paredes from Kansas City. The Orioles initially acquired Paredes on waivers on...

The Little League Anderson Monarchs, featuring 13-year-old Little League World Series pitcher Mo'Ne Davis, paid a visit to Nationals Park on Thursday for the Nationals game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Monarchs are a travel team, based out of Philadelphia, on a barnstorming tour across America as a tribute to Jackie Robinson, the Negro Leagues and the Civil Rights Movement. Anderson manager Steve Bandura said that his team was so excited to visit the Nationals and the Nationals Youth...

Veteran right-hander Doug Fister returns to the mound tonight after spending 34 days on the disabled list with a flexor muscle strain in his throwing arm. Nationals manager Matt Williams indicated that there are no restrictions on Fister's start. "He's not on a pitch count, per se," Williams said. "We'll just see how the game goes. But he feels good about it. He feels healthy. He's itching to get back and get going again, and so are we." Fister was 2-1 with a 2.87 ERA in his first six...

PHILADELPHIA - Miguel Gonzalez threw a bullpen session today and remains scheduled to pitch Saturday at Double-A Bowie before coming off the disabled list for a June 25 start with the Orioles. Gonzalez will perform some fielding drills to make sure there's no lingering discomfort in his groin. It rained this morning and limited his work on the field. "Went great, went really good," said manager Buck Showalter following a 2-1 loss to the Phillies. "He and Brady (Anderson) and Jonathan...

The Orioles Gulf Coast League (GCL) team will play its first home game of the 2015 season at the Ed Smith Stadium complex on Tuesday, June 23, at 12:00 p.m. against the GCL Twins. The GCL, which includes 14 teams in Florida, gives recently drafted or signed players their first experience in professional baseball. The Orioles are scheduled to play 30 GCL home games between June 23 and August 29. The games are open to the public at no cost. Parking also is free and located in the East Lot at...

In Doug Fister's last start, the right-hander lasted only two innings after surrendering seven runs, including two on homers, in a loss in San Diego on May 14. The next day, Fister landed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained flexor muscle in his right forearm. Fister will make his first start tonight after being activated off the DL this afternoon by the Nationals. In his previous six outings before the injury, Fister was 2-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. To make room for Fister,...

For many players across Major League Baseball, family continues to come first on and off the field. Father's Day is typically a day when many coaches and players get a chance to reflect on their fondest memories and what the day dedicated to dads truly means to them. MASN commemorated this year's holiday with a heartfelt Father's Day segment on "O's Xtra" before Sunday's Orioles-Blue Jays series finale in Toronto. In the spirit of dad's special day, the network was joined by special...

The Washington Nationals returned from rehab and reinstated right-handed pitcher Doug Fister on Thursday, and optioned right-handed pitcher Taylor Hill to Triple-A Syracuse. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Fister, who will start Thursday night vs. Tampa Bay at Nationals Park, rejoins the Nationals after missing 29 games with right forearm tightness. The 31-year-old was 0-1 with a 0.93 ERA (1 ER/9.2 IP), no walks and 10 strikeouts in two...

The Orioles came up one run short in their attempt to take four in a row from the Philadelphia Phillies. Ryan Howard's two-run homer off Bud Norris in the last of the sixth gave the Phillies their first lead of the four games and they made it stand up for a 2-1 win. The O's had taken the first three games by a combined 29-7 score. Philadelphia (23-45) snapped a nine-game losing streak. Today's game started well for the Orioles when Manny Machado hit a leadoff homer on the fifth pitch from...