SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter wasn't upset by the news that No. 2 pitching prospect Hunter Harvey may be sidelined four to six weeks with a slight fracture of his right fibula. Harvey was hit by a comebacker yesterday in a minor league game against the Twins in Fort Myers. An X-ray came back clean, but a CT scan today revealed the injury. "If there's actually such a thing as a good (injury)," Showalter said following an 8-6 loss to the Cardinals that snapped their winning...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Cardinals 8, Orioles 6 Recap: Adam Jones hit two home runs and drove in four runs. Bud Norris retired the last six batters he faced, but he threw 71 pitches (by my count) in four innings, only 41 for strikes, and left with the Orioles down 3-2. He allowed two earned runs and three hits, walked four and struck out five. Norris loaded the bases with one out in the first, but struck out the next two batters. Matt Adams hit a two-run homer in the third. Manny Machado hit...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed this afternoon that a CT scan on Hunter Harvey's right fibula revealed a slight fracture. Harvey will be on crutches for a month. The recovery time is expected to be four to six weeks, "and then it's back to work," Duquette said. Harvey was struck by a comebacker yesterday during a minor league start against a Twins' Single-A team in Fort Myers. Initial reports stated that the ball hit his right ankle, but the Orioles...

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nationals 7, Tigers Recap: Center fielder Michael A. Taylor banged two solo homers off Tigers ace Justin Verlander to lead the Nats over the Tigers 7-6. Taylor also added a single on the 2-for-3 day to raise his spring batting average to .324. The 23-year-old now has three home runs to go along with two triples and two doubles in the exhibition season. Right-hander A.J. Cole pitched well, giving up just one hit, a two-run homer to Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez....

SARASOTA, Fla. - Manny Machado hit his first spring home run today, a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning. The Cardinals tied the score 1-1 in the second inning on a Machado error, a walk, a double steal and Jon Jay's RBI bouncer. The run was unearned. Bud Norris has thrown 45 pitches in two innings, including 26 for strikes. The first four Cardinals reached against Norris in the first, but Steve Clevenger threw out Jay trying to steal second base after a leadoff single. Norris has...

LAKELAND, Fla. - Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg returned to the mound this morning two days after he sprained his left ankle in conditioning drills. "He threw a light bullpen today so all is well there," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "He'll probably do that again before he gets back on the mound in a spring training game. He's gonna be just fine. No issues." Williams expects Strasburg to make two more Grapefruit League starts before opening day. The Nationals have been...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey is scheduled to undergo a CT scan on his right ankle after an X-ray yesterday came back clean. Harvey was hit by a comebacker during a minor league game against the Twins in Fort Myers. Manager Buck Showalter said he was told Harvey is walking around today as if nothing happened. The Orioles don't seem concerned about it. "That's where you're just checking for hairlines, making sure nothing's there," Showalter said. Jason Garcia,...

LAKELAND, Fla. - Highly-ranked prospect A.J. Cole makes his second start of the spring in place of Stephen Strasburg who sprained his left ankle on Thursday in conditioning drills. Cole has given up three solo home runs along with five other hits as well as two strikeouts and two walks in seven innings this exhibition season. Right-hander Tanner Roark will look to build on his solid performance from Thursday when he pitches two innings after Cole today. First baseman Mike Carp continues to...

VIERA, Fla. - I guess you could say this spring training's theme for Danny Espinosa has been "new beginnings." Yesterday, Nationals manager Matt Williams penciled him in for his first start ever at third base. By ever, I mean ever. Like none in high school, not even little league. In fact, Espinosa's two innings played at third base in the ninth and 10th innings of Thursday's 0-0 tie with the Tigers were his first game action at the position in his life. "He's an athlete," Williams...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Alejandro De Aza returns to the Orioles' lineup as the leadoff hitter and right fielder for today's game against the Cardinals at Ed Smith Stadium. Steve Clevenger gets the start behind the plate. The lineup card lists Zach Britton, T.J. McFarland, Ryan Webb and Rule 5 pick Logan Verrett in the bullpen, though they pitched yesterday in Fort Myers. Verrett recorded the save in a 5-3 win over the Twins. For the Orioles Alejandro De Aza RF Manny Machado 3B Chris Davis 1B Adam...