Only three spring training games remain for the Nationals in Florida before they pack up and head north for Saturday's exhibition game against the Yankees at Nats Park. Injuries to third baseman Anthony Rendon and outfielders Jayson Werth, Denard Span and Nate McLouth will certainly adjust how the 25-man roster will look come April 6. The organization added outfielders Matt den Dekker and Reed Johnson on Monday. The Nats like den Dekker's lefty bat and speed to provide depth in the outfield....

One concern that has come up repeatedly about the Orioles for this year is how will they make up the 40 homers lost when Nelson Cruz signed with Seattle. My answer is this: Don't worry about the Orioles hitting homers. They do that as well as any team in the majors. Over the last three years, there are seven instances of a team having a 200-homer year. The Orioles have hit 200 or more three times in three years, while the rest of Major League Baseball has combined for four such instances, with...

SARASOTA, Fla.- The Orioles will try to make it through today without another player being pointed toward the disabled list. Outfielder David Lough and shortstop J.J. Hardy have been crossed off the projected 25-man roster over the past two days. Catcher Matt Wieters already was bumped from it. These subtractions won't destroy the Orioles, but it's not an ideal way to begin defending their American League East title. Alejandro De Aza looked perfectly fine in center field yesterday and can...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette indicated tonight that he's not in the market for another shortstop despite losing J.J. Hardy to a strained muscle in his left shoulder. An MRI arthrogram this morning revealed the injury, termed a "subscapularis strain," and Hardy can't perform baseball activities for a minimum of 10 days. Everth Cabrera, signed as a free agent on Feb. 25, started at shortstop today against the Rays in Port Charlotte and reached base four times...

JUPITER, Fla. - Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo had an active day as he sat a few rows from the field next to the third base dugout at Roger Dean Stadium. In the sixth inning, he watched closer Drew Storen prematurely leave the game with a blister on his right big toe after facing four batters. That was after Rizzo had already found out news that right-hander Casey Janssen's MRI showed rotator cuff inflammation in his throwing shoulder. "I don't see either one of them as serious...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Baseball has a way of thinning out a jammed roster as camp winds down. Look at what's happening to the Orioles. Within the past two days, we've learned that outfielder David Lough and shortstop J.J. Hardy are headed to the disabled list. Lough has hamstring and back injuries, and Hardy was diagnosed today with a subscapularis strain in his left shoulder. That's a strained muscle. No need to get technical. Manager Buck Showalter still was gathering information as he...

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals' injury issues continued in the sixth inning of today's 6-2 loss to the Cardinals. Right-hander Drew Storen came on to pitch the sixth inning in what was just his third Grapefruit League appearance. After Storen faced only four batters, the Nats' trainer came to the mound to check on the pitcher. The Nats closer immediately left the field and headed straight to the clubhouse with what manager Matt Williams is calling an aggravation of a blister on Storen's...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy is expected to begin the season on the disabled list after being diagnosed today with a strained muscle in his left shoulder. An MRI arthrogram this morning revealed a subscapularis strain - a muscle underneath the shoulder blade - and Hardy is prohibited from doing any baseball activities for 10 days. A trip to the DL would make Hardy eligible to play on April 11, but he wouldn't be ready on that date. Hardy is the second former All-Star and...

JUPITER, Fla. - With the Nationals' outfield situation so uncertain and opening day just a week away, the club made a move to strengthen that area this afternoon, acquiring Matt den Dekker from the Mets for left-hander Jerry Blevins. den Dekker, 27, played all 80 of his major league games over the last two seasons with the Mets. He's a career .238/.325/.310 hitter with 12 doubles, one home run, 11 steals and 13 RBIs. In 175 plate appearances last season, den Dekker hit .250 with a .345...

The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder Matt den Dekker from the New York Mets on Monday in exchange for left-hander Jerry Blevins. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. den Dekker, 27, joins the Nationals after spending parts of the last two seasons with the Mets. In 80 career Major League games, den Dekker is a career .238 hitter with a .325 on-base percentage and a .310 slugging percentage. He's hit 12 doubles, one home run, stolen 11...