First baseman Christian Walker received a standing ovation in the bottom of the second inning tonight as he walked to the plate for his first major league at-bat. Facing Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ with runners on the corners and one out, Walker struck out on five pitches - four fastballs and a curveball. The Orioles decided to select Walker's contract from Triple-A Norfolk today and take a look at him. "Talking to a lot of people during the year, they think he's got a chance to...

Manager Matt Williams is fielding a noticeably different lineup tonight as the Nationals try to sweep the Braves in Atlanta. He wanted to rest all of his regular starters one night after clinching the National League East title, but Williams anticipates that most of his position players will be back in the lineup tomorrow night in Miami. "There's a long way to go yet. It's gratifying," Williams said to reporters of the division title. "It's a culmination of a lot of hard work for guys...

It is always fun to see a player make his major league debut and Christian Walker will do that tonight as he bats seventh and plays first base for the Orioles. The club's minor league Player of the Year figures to see a lot of action in the remaining 11 regular-season games. This season, his power numbers increased while he continued to hit for a high average. In 2013, Walker batted .300 with 11 homers and 56 RBIs. In 2014, he hit .288 with 26 homers and 96 RBIs between Double-A Bowie and...

I've been asked the same question multiple times today in a variety of ways. Are the Orioles more focused on gaining home field advantage throughout the playoffs or resting some of their veterans before the Division Series? Yes. The Orioles trail the Angels by three games for the best record in baseball. They finish up their series against the Blue Jays tonight, play three at home against the Red Sox and hit the road for the final time with four games in the Bronx and three in Toronto. The...

The Orioles clubhouse was a much quieter place today but there were still plenty of smiles and the usual loose atmosphere. I asked Adam Jones about his lap around the stadium last night where he interacted with fans, high-fived many of them and was hugging some. "They haven't celebrated here in Baltimore since '69," Jones said. "Sure most of the people that stayed around weren't born yet. Some were. That was pretty cool to share with the city that supports you. You could see the...

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado was supposed to fly into Baltimore tonight, but he's going to stay in Los Angeles for another week while continuing to rehab his right knee. Machado is expected to join the Orioles on Sept. 29. Machado's knee is fine. No red flags. Apparently, his doctor suggested that he stay in Los Angeles a little longer and stay on his current rehab schedule. Right fielder Nick Markakis told Showalter that his left shoulder is sore after being hit last night by Blue...

Christian Walker, whose contract was selected today from Triple-A Norfolk, will bat seventh and play first base tonight in the Orioles' final game against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Steve Pearce is in right field and Nick Markakis is on the bench. Jimmy Paredes is leading off for the Orioles. Jonathan Schoop, who broke an 0-for-17 slump with a single last night, is starting at second base. Major League Baseball has suspended Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman six games and fined an...

ATLANTA - Now that the Nationals have wrapped up the division title, their starters get to take a break tonight at Turner Field. Manager Matt Williams is emptying his bench with none of the Nats regulars in the lineup. That includes left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who was scheduled to pitch tonight against the Braves. Right-hander Blake Treinen will start instead as the Nats go for the sweep and their fifth consecutive win. Treinen makes his first start since June 28. He has made four relief...

The Orioles announced this afternoon that they selected the contract of first baseman Christian Walker from Triple-A Norfolk. It's official. Walker will wear No. 18, which still reminds me of first baseman Jeff Conine. Walker, 23, was named the 2014 Brooks Robinson minor league Player of the Year after hitting a combined .288/.357/.489 with 53 extra-base hits, 96 RBIs and 73 runs scored in 139 total games with Double-A Bowie (.301/.367/.516 in 95 games) and Norfolk (.259/.335/.428 in 44...

The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Christian Walker from Triple-A Norfolk. Walker, 23, was named the 2014 Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year. He hit a combined .288/.357/.489 with 53 extra-base hits, 96 RBI and 73 runs scored in 139 total games with Double-A Bowie (.301/.367/.516 in 95 games) and Triple-A Norfolk (.259/.335/.428 in 44 games), leading all Orioles minor leaguers in home runs (26) and RBI (96) in 2014. He was named the...