SARASOTA, Fla. - Steve Clevenger is catching today for the Orioles while Matt Wieters remains shut down with tendinitis in his right elbow. Ryan Flaherty returns to the lineup after being hit on the batting helmet and leaving Tuesday's game. He was scratched from Wednesday's trip to Fort Myers. Manny Machado is leading off and Jimmy Paredes is starting in left field. The bullpen includes Brad Brach, Tommy Hunter, Darren O'Day, Steve Johnson, Chaz Roe, Mike Wright, Jon Keller and Jesse...

VIERA, Fla. - Michael A. Taylor came to Viera with the goal of making a shorter trip back north to D.C. instead of to Triple-A Syracuse at the end of spring training. He had no idea that would entail being the Nationals' opening day center fielder. That could be Taylor's role since Denard Span's abdominal surgery has likely cost him the beginning of the season. Taylor has answered the call by hitting .292 with a homer, two triples, a double and three RBIs in eight starts this spring....

VIERA, Fla. - Clint Robinson has bounced around the minor leagues for nine years since Kansas City drafted him in 2007. Despite swinging a heavy bat to the tune of a .302 average with 141 homers and 587 RBIs in the minors, Robinson has only taken in the bright lights of the majors for 13 games - four with Royals in 2012 and nine with the Dodgers last season. "It's tough," Robinson said. "It's a good place to be, the big leagues. You want to get up there and you want to stay, but there are...

Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez took a major step forward in July and August last season. After some early struggles at low Single-A Hagerstown, Lopez went to short-season Single-A Auburn and was able to make a mechanical adjustment in his throwing motion that turned his season around. Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Paul Menhart, along with current senior baseball advisor Spin Williams and pitching coaches Tim Redding and Sam Narron, worked with Lopez to adjust his release point. Lopez...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are back home today to play the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium, where they've sold out seven of the eight games. Chris Tillman makes his third start, but only the second in a Grapefruit League game. He tossed three scoreless innings against the Puerto Rico Development Program, which didn't appear to have a player more than five feet tall. Tillman really was challenged to keep the ball down. Matt Wieters won't be catching today. He won't be serving as...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have done pretty well when it comes to signing and developing Cuban outfielders. In December, they added another Cuban to the organization. Henry Urrutia was signed in 2012, was the O's minor league Player of the Year a season later and is having a strong spring camp this year. So is Dariel Alvarez, who was signed a year after Urrutia and had a strong minor league season last summer. Now the O's have added another corner outfielder from Cuba. They signed...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Fresh off their time in major league camp with the Orioles, first-rounders Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey have reported to minor league camp at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. O's director of player development Brian Graham said this afternoon that he was not certain yet when they would pitch in a minor league exhibition game. "We'll see. They both threw bullpens today," Graham said. "So it will be a couple of days down the road. The other thing with...

JUPITER, Fla. - Casey Janssen has spent his entire career pitching in the American League for the Toronto Blue Jays. In the sixth inning of today's game, with the Nationals holding a 3-2 lead, Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton welcomed Janssen to the National League with a titanic blast that soared well beyond the center field wall at Roger Dean Stadium. "I would imagine that's not the only one he's hit in the last couple years," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "He left one out over...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Ubaldo Jimenez's next start falls on Monday, when the Orioles have their only off-day of the spring schedule. Manager Buck Showalter said the right-hander could pitch in a Single-A game at Twin Lakes Park. Jimenez would be spared another trip to Fort Myers for a Double-A or Triple-A game. "I think he's had enough road travel this year," Showalter said. Here's more from Showalter: On Jimenez's start today: "Better. Each outing, he's been a little better. He had a lot...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 3, Twins 2 Recap: Ubaldo Jimenez looks a little better each time he takes the mound. He allowed two runs and five hits - the last three of the soft variety - in four-plus innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Dariel Alvarez tripled in the third and scored on Everth Cabrera's grounder. Rule 5 pick Logan Verrett replaced Jimenez and tossed two scoreless innings. Zach Britton retired the side in...