SARASOTA, Fla. - It's the fourth day of Orioles minor league exhibition games at Twin Lakes Park and for the first time, top draft picks Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey will be pitching in minor league exhibitions. While Single-A teams Delmarva and Frederick are on the road in Fort Myers playing against Minnesota, Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie are home today at noon against the Twins. Harvey is slated to pitch two innings for Frederick in Fort Myers and Bundy is scheduled to pitch three...

VIERA, Fla. - Danny Espinosa is starting at third base in today's split-squad game against the Marlins at Space Coast Stadium. Espinosa has played only at second base and shortstop during his 492 big league games and 342 minor league contests with the Nationals. He has played two innings at third base this spring. Jordan Zimmermann makes his fourth start of the exhibition season. He's been superb so far, allowing just one earned run and six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in 8 2/3...

Opening day for the Nationals is April 6. The minor league affiliates also begin that week with all starting April 9, except for short-season Single-A Auburn, which begins in late June. Here are thumbnail primers for each of the minor league clubs as they get ready to begin their 2015 campaigns: Short-season Single-A Auburn DoubledaysSchedule: http://www.milb.com/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t458 Home: Falcon Park II, Auburn, N.Y. Distance from Nationals Park: 383 milesSeason opener: June 19 at...

VIERA, Fla. - If Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark displayed an attitude or chose to be standoffish, I think most would understand. But the 28-year-old has been anything but a malcontent during spring training, which began roughly three weeks after the signing of former Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer likely bumped Roark from the Nats rotation. "Adding Max definitely helps out the team tremendously," Roark said before Thursday's 0-0 tie with Detroit. "He's a workhouse. He logs a lot of...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Manny Machado and Adam Jones are making the trip to Fort Myers for today's game against the Twins at Hammond Stadium. Machado is leading off again and Jones is batting third. Paul Janish is starting at shortstop. He's been brought along slowly after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. Update: Relievers Zach Britton and Ryan Webb are also on the trip to Fort Myers. Webb had been sidelined with a sore left knee. For the Orioles Manny Machado 3B Steve Pearce...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are back in Fort Myers today because they can't get enough of I-75 south. Just slow down through the construction zones. The rotation is a work in progress - my idea of a segue - with six starters vying for five spots. Miguel Gonzalez returns to the mound today against the Twins and will attempt to push his pitch count to 70-75. He'll also attempt to stay in the majors rather than being optioned before opening day. Gonzalez allowed one hit in two scoreless innings...

SARASOTA, Fla. - It has been a welcome sight for the Orioles this year to see Manny Machado back at third base, healthy and playing with great enthusiasm. "Just playing baseball. That is all it is," Machado said simply. Manager Buck Showalter put it this way after Machado led off Thursday's game with a single and stole a base as part of a 1-for-4 day. "I think Manny's primed to have a good year. You can tell how good he feels. He's playing with a certain recklessness that healthy people...

The Orioles today announced that they have optioned left-hander Tim Berry and right-hander Mike Wright to Triple-A Norfolk. With these moves, the Orioles now have 43 players at Major League Spring Training, including nine non-roster invitees.

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles ended up making two camp cuts today with the announcement that they optioned left-hander Tim Berry to Triple-A Norfolk. Earlier in the day, the Orioles optioned pitcher Mike Wright to Norfolk. With these moves, the Orioles have 43 players in camp, including nine non-roster invitees. Berry allowed two runs (one earned) in one inning today against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. In four spring games, he surrendered five runs (four earned) and seven hits in five innings,...

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer was brilliant today, fanning six in five innings in a 7-5 win over the Astros. He gave up one run on a homer to Astros catcher Jason Castro and scattered three hits with a walk and a hit batter in his fourth start of the spring. Scherzer indicated afterward that, as good as he looked, he's still got work to do before the start of the season. "There's times where I feel like I'm really on and then there's times where I start losing it...