Right fielder Bryce Harper returns to the Nationals lineup this afternoon for the series finale in Cincinnati, a day after missing his first game of the season. Harper was on yesterday's early lineup card until he was scratched with back soreness about an hour before game time. A 93 mph from Reds reliever Tony Cingrani drilled Harper squarely in the center of his back on the first pitch of his fourth at-bat on Friday night. Harper finished out that game, but told reporters in Cincinnati...

Adam Jones remains out of the Orioles lineup today after an X-ray taken on his left ankle revealed a mild sprain. Jones also was scheduled yesterday to have an MRI on the ankle. David Lough is in center field and Steve Pearce is playing left field. Jimmy Paredes, in a 1-for-16 slump with nine strikeouts, remains the designated hitter. For the Orioles Manny Machado 3B Jimmy Paredes DH Delmon Young RF Chris Davis 1B Steve Pearce LF J.J. Hardy SS David Lough CF Caleb Joseph C Ryan Flaherty...

Second baseman Anthony Rendon, who is on the disabled list battling a strained oblique, went 0-for-3 with a walk and played the entire game during Double-A Harrisburg's 3-2 loss at Bowie. Tony Renda went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Starting pitcher Austin Voth twirled seven innings with six hits, three runs, one walk and struck out eight. It's another positive, cautious step forward for Rendon. Harrisburg plays Bowie today at 2 p.m. The Nationals return home Monday night against the...

By my faulty math, the Orioles are playing their seventh day game in the last eight days, going back to last Sunday's finale against the Marlins in Miami. I raced to the Fort Lauderdale airport after that game, my colleagues telling me that I was cutting it too close. Not only did I arrive in time, I got there early enough to board a 6:30 p.m. flight instead of waiting for the 8:20 p.m. to Baltimore. But I digress ... I was in a rush to leave south Florida - it seems so strange to type those...

The Nationals turn to Tanner Roark this afternoon to try to salvage the final game in Cincinnati. It's a fitting role for Roark, who after being relegated to the bullpen is now in a position to play a major part in the Nats' depleted starting rotation. The 28-year-old Roark was one of baseball's most effective and efficient starting pitchers last season, compiling a 15-10 record with a sparkling 2.85 ERA. He pitched 198 2/3 innings for the Nats in his 31 starts, striking out 138 while...

It is always a great day when Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson is at Camden Yards. And so it was on Thursday when No. 5 paid his latest visit. He had some business to attend to, but he also took a few minutes to talk about the Orioles. Brooks was at the Yard to head up a press conference and to introduce the players for today's Brooks Robinson High School All-Star Game at Oriole Park, which will follow the Orioles' 1:35 p.m. game against Tampa Bay. The game has been hosted by the Orioles and...

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo signed right-hander Casey Janssen shortly after trading away reliable reliever Tyler Clippard this offseason. The idea was for Janssen to take over Clippard's high-pressure eighth-inning role. At least today, the experiment didn't work, as Janssen blew the Nats' lead and was thumped for four runs in an 8-5 loss. "The fact of the matter is we've got our eighth-inning guy in there with a one-run lead," Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters after...

Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters after today's 8-5 loss to the Reds that right fielder Bryce Harper was only available today in an "extreme emergency situation." Harper was originally on this afternoon's lineup card, but was scratched just over an hour before first pitch with back soreness. "I tried to get in here in this morning and tried to get loose, but when I got on the field, it didn't feel very good," Harper said to reporters after the game. The soreness was the...

The Orioles have been shut out four times this year and three have come against Tampa Bay. Today, the Birds were blanked 3-0 as Erasmo Ramirez pitched seven scoreless innings on three hits. Steve Clevenger went 2-for-3 today and the rest of the O's lineup went 1-for-26. "He was changing eye levels, working up and down," Clevenger said of Ramirez. "He used that changeup and slider just off the plate. He made us put the ball in play and we just didn't swing it well today. He makes you put it...

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is day-to-day with a mild sprain of his left ankle. Jones had an X-ray taken at Camden Yards and was sent out for an MRI which didn't reveal any structural damage. "We'll see what tomorrow brings," said manager Buck Showalter. Showalter said Bud Norris will start Tuesday at Triple-A Norfolk before rejoining the Orioles. It will be Norris' third start on his injury rehab assignment. "Hopefully, that will be his last start," Showalter said. "It's the...