Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter held their annual "State of the Orioles" address today at Camden Yards and answered questions from season ticket holders. Duquette and Showalter sat on top of the visitors' dugout along the third base in an event moderated by MASN's Jim Hunter. Here are some excerpts: Duquette on Nolan Reimold's future as an Oriole "We hope Nolan can help our team. He's down in Bowie. We'll have to see if...

Cubs rookie Dallas Beeler doesn't look at all intimidated going up against a first-place club in his major league debut. The 25-year-old right-hander has matched Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez zero for zero in the early going at Wrigley Field. Beeler has held the Nats to one hit through three scoreless innings, striking out three and walking none. Gonzalez has posted an identical line, throwing 40 pitches, 29 for strikes. And who has the only hit off Gonzalez? Beeler. Of course. The...

The Orioles are prepared to handle third baseman Manny Machado's suspension. They just need to know when it starts and how long it lasts. They're confident that the suspension will be reduced from five games. The Orioles have an extra reliever and could send down one while calling up an infielder as Machado's replacement. Jemile Weeks is on short-season Single-A Aberdeen's roster, a relatively short drive to Camden Yards. The only complication arrives on Tuesday, when the Orioles need a...

Bryce Harper's rehab has progressed to the point that he played nine innings in center field Friday for Double-A Harrisburg. With the outfielder's rehab from torn ligaments in his left thumb nearing completion, manager Matt Williams is optimistic that barring a setback this weekend, Harper could be back with the Nationals on Monday, or soon after. "Yeah, I feel good about it. We'll have to see how he comes out of it, though," Williams said before the first game of Saturday's...

Another day will pass without Orioles third baseman Manny Machado serving his suspension. Machado is in today's lineup against the Rays at Camden Yards. Steve Pearce gets another start in left field against former Orioles left-hander Erik Bedard, and Caleb Joseph is behind the plate. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Steve Pearce LF Adam Jones CF Nelson Cruz DH Chris Davis 1B J.J. Hardy SS Manny Machado 3B Jonathan Schoop 2B Caleb Joseph C Wei-Yin Chen LHP For the Rays Desmond Jennings...

The Washington Nationals today recalled left-handed reliever Xavier Cedeno and right-handed starter Blake Treinen from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League, and optioned right-handed pitcher Taylor Hill to Syracuse. Treinen was recalled as the 26th man for the Nationals' scheduled doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs and will start the nightcap. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Cedeno returns to the Nationals for his...

The Orioles today announced that singer-songwriter Margaret Valentine will perform America the Beautiful during the seventh inning stretch at Oriole Park when the Orioles take on the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at 4:05 p.m. Earlier this week, the Orioles announced that jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. will perform the National Anthem and God Bless America on Sunday. Valentine (@MagValentine) is a country and contemporary crossover singer-songwriter from Saratoga Springs, New York. She is...

CHICAGO - The Nationals lineup for the first game of today's doubleheader doesn't include Jayson Werth, Wilson Ramos or Danny Espinosa. Nate McLouth will man right field for the Nats in the day game, Jose Lobaton will be behind the plate, and Kevin Frandsen will play second. Gio Gonzalez will make his third start since coming back off the disabled list. His last time out, Gonzalez delivered six scoreless innings against the Brewers. For the Nationals CF Denard Span 3B Anthony Rendon...

Will the Orioles find out today whether Manny Machado must begin serving his suspension, whatever the length? It's hanging over their heads, but they're better equipped now to handle it. The Orioles have an extra reliever in their bullpen who can be sent down, and they have an infielder who can be summoned to Camden Yards. Let's just get it over with and move on. If it were up to me, and we know that's not the case, I'd recall Kevin Gausman to make the Wednesday or Thursday start and...

Dylan Bundy is ready to move up from the New York-Penn League. That is obvious. The Orioles' No. 1 prospect according to Baseball America made his third start with short-season Single-A Aberdeen last night, throwing five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts against Hudson Valley. Bundy was pitching from 90-94 mph and thought his secondary pitches were solid during his 70-pitch outing. "Curveball, I was a real happy with it," he said. "Left a couple up in the fourth out of the zone,...