Hunter Harvey received a platelet-rich plasma injection today during his visit with Dr. James Andrews, who recommended that the young pitcher be shut down for the next six weeks. Harvey has been diagnosed with a strained right flexor mass. Harvey sought a second opinion from Andrews after flying to Baltimore and being examined on Wednesday by team orthopedist Dr. Michael Jacobs. Harvey, recovering from a slight fracture in his right shin, was removed from his last start at extended spring...

Manager: Lloyd McClendon (3rd season) Record: 17-20 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: LF/DH Nelson Cruz (.340/.395/.694 with 15 HR, 30 RBIs), 3B Kyle Seager (5 HR, 21 RBIs), LHP J.A. Happ (3-1, 2.98 ERA), RHP Fernando Rodney (5.65 with 9 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (2-5 in 2014) Pitching probables: May 19: RHP Taijuan Walker vs. RHP Miguel Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 May 20: LHP Roenis Elias vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 May 21: LHP J.A. Happ vs. Chris Tillman, 12:35...

Rather than continue to work a man short in the bullpen, the Orioles have placed Bud Norris on the 15-day disabled list with bronchitis and recalled pitcher Tyler Wilson from Triple-A Norfolk. Norris' illness led to Mike Wright making his major league debut yesterday against the Angels. Wright had been in the bullpen as the replacement for Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia, who's on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis, but he's needed in the rotation. The Orioles were reluctant to put...

Following a historically powerful week with an encore that continued to solidify his place among the game's elite, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper earned his second consecutive National League Player of the Week award on Monday. Major League Baseball made the announcement on MLB Network. Harper went 12-for-23 (.522) over the last week, posting a .656 on-base percentage and a 1.087 slugging percentage, courtesy of two doubles, one triple, three home runs, nine RBI, nine walks,...

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman is expected to start Thursday afternoon's game against the Mariners at Camden Yards after being pushed back in the rotation due to lower back spasms. Tillman's condition has improved to the point where he's not a candidate for the disabled list. Barring a setback, he would start the series finale and follow Miguel Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen in the rotation. Gonzalez opposes Taijuan Walker on Tuesday and Chen opposes Roenis Elias on Wednesday. Tillman's back...

What does Bryce Harper do for an encore? How about winning a second consecutive National League Player of the Week award? Harper's hot streak continued through a swing through Phoenix and San Diego, and as a result, the 22-year-old Nationals right fielder has become just the 10th player to take back-to-back Player of the Week honors since the inception of the award in 1974. The last to turn the trick was Philadelphia's Domonic Brown in 2013. The other members of the consecutive winners club...

Quick hits on the latest baseball news: * The Houston Astros have a comfortable lead in the American League West, and they are doing it with a strong bullpen, two excellent starting pitchers and an all-or-nothing lineup that leads the league with 57 home runs. But they are certainly not doing it with a pesky offense that drives opponents crazy: They have a .302 on-base percentage and their .229 team average is the lowest in the league. Evan Gattis is hitting .188, George Springer .190, Luis...

Lots of people thought the Nationals already had the best starting pitching in the major leagues before Jan. 21, when Max Scherzer joined the team with a seven-year, $120 million free agent deal. Some might even have thought it was a superfluous move by the Nats, an investment that might have been better made in another big bat or re-signing one of the key players whose contacts are set to expire after the 2015 season. But six weeks into the 2015 season, there's little doubt that the 2013...

Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez pitched six innings with a no-decision in high Single-A Potomac's 3-2 loss at Wilmington. Lopez allowed only one run on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. He is still 2-0 and his ERA is 0.53. Lopez threw 85 pitches, 48 for strikes, while facing 24 batters. He induced seven groundout, three flyouts and had one hit by pitch. Lopez was reportedly hitting 96-97 mph on his fastball and touching 98 mph. He left with a 2-1 lead. Twitter reaction to his...

SAN DIEGO - There has never been a question about the quality of Stephen Strasburg's pitching repertoire or his stuff. He features a blazing fastball in the high 90s that darts around the plate, usually backed up by sharp breaking ball. What has seemed to frustrate those around the Nationals organization lately with Strasburg has been his mental approach on the mound, especially with runners on base. Adversity faced Strasburg right away in the first inning on Sunday. He had just thrown a...