SARASOTA, Fla. - Matt Wieters knows that he's behind the plate today for the Orioles' game against the Puerto Rico Development Program and he still isn't cleared to make throws to second base, but he has no idea whether the opponent will be running. This isn't an intrasquad game, where the Orioles can dictate the rules. They may, however, make a few polite suggestions. "We'll find out," Wieters said, grinning. "I think it might have been mentioned, but even if they run, I can still use...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Steve Clevenger gets the start behind the plate today for the Orioles in their 1:05 p.m. game against the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium. The game will be broadcast on MASN HD. Alejandro De Aza is leading off. Rey Navarro is starting at second base and batting ninth. The bullpen behind starter Brian Matusz includes Darren O'Day, Steve Johnson, Wesley Wright, Tim Berry and Chaz Roe. For the Orioles Alejandro De Aza LF J.J. Hardy SS Chris Davis 1B Adam Jones CF Steve Pearce RF Manny...

VIERA, Fla. - Denard Span returned to Space Coast Stadium on Thursday morning just three days after surgery to repair a small tear on the right side of his rectus abdominis muscle. The seven-year veteran was already coming off a similar surgery on the left side of the same muscle in December. He showed up early to spring training to test it out and was at his normal leadoff spot for the Nationals' Grapefruit League opener on March 5. But Span's spring training lasted just two at-bats. "I...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are back home today to play the Rays at 1:05 p.m on MASN HD. They also have a game scheduled against the Puerto Rico Development Program at 2 p.m. on Field 4. Brian Matusz, Darren O'Day, Wesley Wright, Logan Verrett and Tim Berry are scheduled to pitch in the Grapefruit League game. Chris Tillman and Tommy Hunter will pitch against Puerto Rico, and Matt Wieters will move behind the plate. Wieters still isn't cleared to make throws to second base in game...

SARASOTA, Fla. - This is quite a different spring training for Orioles left-hander Zach Britton. This time last year, he was a young pitcher out of options and just trying to make the team in any role. Now he is in spring camp as the established closer, coming off a big year. The 27-year-old Britton took over as closer in mid-May in 2014 and went 3-2 with a 1.65 ERA and 37 saves in 41 chances. He was one of three American League closers that recorded 30 or more saves with a save percentage of...

VIERA, Fla. - The game of baseball if filled with superstitions. Well, today is Friday the 13th, and it delivered some bad news for Nationals fans. This morning came word that star third baseman Anthony Rendon will miss a week or more with a mild left MCL sprain. Then, after today's fluky 6-6 tie with the Houston Astros, manager Matt Williams announced that closer Drew Storen had surgery today to remove the hook of the hamate bone in his left, or non-throwing, hand. Add them to an infirmary...

VIERA, Fla. - Nationals closer Drew Storen had surgery today to remove the hook of the hamate bone in his left hand. Manager Matt Williams said Storen will miss two to three days before resuming his throwing program but the closer is not in jeopardy of missing opening day. The surgery was on Storen's non-throwing hand. "He'll get back to throwing. Initially, until the stitches are out somebody will catch for him and he can throw simulated games behind an L screen just as long as he doesn't...

When the Nationals came to D.C. from Montreal for the 2015 season, they created a lot of buzz in the nation's capital. One of the interesting offshoots of their arrival was the plethora of fan blogs that were quickly established. These folks were the ones who created the Natosphere, the wonderful Internet gathering place for new Nats fans and baseball-starved denizens of the District and the surrounding area. Well, we noticed. And in 2011, MASNsports.com started offering daily in-season...

DUNEDIN, Fla. - On a day that Ubaldo Jimenez pitched three scoreless innings and one frame where he gave up three runs, Orioles manager Buck Showalter saw signs of progress from the right-hander. "Yeah, a little bit," Showalter said after the Orioles' 5-3 loss here to Toronto at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. "There are some things that he is doing that I'm not going to say (are) drastic, but they are different for him. It will take a little while, but I think every outing has gotten a...

Here at MASNsports.com, we don't live in a bubble. We realize we're one of many places you turn for your Orioles news and views, though we certainly hope our blogs are among your first stops (and a place you visit multiple times each day). That's one of the reasons why, in 2011, we started featuring guest bloggers on our site. We realized the blogosphere - or is that blog-O's-phere? - was full of die-hard fans of the orange and black who were cranking out reports and opinions on the Birds...