With Bryce Harper heading to the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left thumb, Nate McLouth gets the call to play left field for the Nationals this afternoon in the finale of a four-game series with the Padres. This is just the kind of situation the Nats were thinking of when they signed McLouth to a two-year, $10.75 million deal in December. It never hurts to have a veteran outfielder with a good glove and a little pop on your roster as a fourth outfielder when an injury occurs, as they...

The Nationals have placed outfielder Bryce Harper on the 15-day disabled list with a left thumb sprain. To take Harper's place on the 25-man roster, outfielder Stephen Souza has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. Harper sustained the injury sliding handfirst into third base on a triple Friday night. He went back in the field the following half-inning, but was later removed with what was first diagnosed as a jammed left thumb. "It's sprained right now," Harper said. "I sprained it, they...

Chris Davis' absence from the Orioles lineup last night didn't seem to hurt as much considering his one hit in 16 career at-bats against Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie. Sure, it was a home run, but still ... The Royals are sending James Shields to the mound this afternoon in the series finale, and Davis is 4-for-12 with a double, two homers and six RBIs against him. Ouch. Davis will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique. The corresponding roster move probably will...

After spending two days covering Manny Machado playing in Frederick, I'm heading back to cover the big leaguers at Camden Yards today. I hear it's the same game, but the ballparks are bigger and the players are paid a little better. The Orioles won in walk-off fashion last night when Nick Markakis plated the winning run with a single down the left field line with the bases loaded. There are probably not many players that could have hit the backdoor slider thrown to Markakis there the way he...

Nick Markakis didn't receive the traditional celebratory pie in the face tonight following his walk-off single in the 10th inning. The Orioles took a more low key, less messy approach with their new first baseman. Shortstop J.J. Hardy walked up beside Markakis in front of the home dugout and handed him the pie and a spoon. Markakis took a bite and continued his interview on MASN. Apparently, it's up to center fielder Adam Jones. "That's Jonesy's decision," Markakis said. "He was...

The Orioles received the results of Chris Davis' MRI today and decided to place him on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique. A corresponding roster move may not come until Tuesday, following another open date on the Orioles' schedule. They most likely will go with 24 players in Sunday's series finale against the Royals. Davis left Friday night's game after four innings due to the injury. He hoped to return to the lineup in a couple of days. "A little bit worse than what...

The only thing lacking in Wei-Yin Chen's start tonight is a win. Chen will have to settle for a no-decision after being removed from the game in the top of the eighth with the score tied 2-2. Evan Meek is making his 10th relief appearance. Ryan Flaherty and Jonathan Schoop singled off Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but David Lough bounced into a 4-6-3 double play. Chen escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the top half by striking out Alex Gordon on...

Jemile Weeks' first game with the Orioles tonight led to their first run in the bottom of the first inning. A night of firsts? So far. Weeks, recalled today to replace left-hander T.J. McFarland on the 25-man roster, lined a single into center field to win a nine-pitch battle with former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie. He took second on Nelson Cruz's walk and raced home on Nick Markakis' single into right-center field. Weeks and Markakis are 3-for-6 lifetime against Guthrie. Cruz scored on Adam...

FREDERICK, Md. - Manny Machado's second game in Frederick did not produce the same excitement from his at-bats as the first did, but he's quite pleased with his two days so far at Single-A Frederick. Machado went 1-for-4 with a fourth-inning single today as the Keys lost 4-2 to Carolina. He is 4-for-8 in two Keys games. "Great day," he said. "Felt good to be out there playing in the field. Definitely, I got the work in. I got the ground balls, and it was overall a good day. I got some...

Ian Desmond had three hits and an RBI, Jayson Werth had a two-hit ballgame, Adam LaRoche stayed hot, reaching base twice and driving in a run, and Anthony Rendon had a hit and made a couple of tremendous defensive plays. But with all due respect to those guys, Tanner Roark was the story today. Roark delivered a three-hit shutout in the Nationals' 4-0 win over the Padres, his first career big league complete game. After the win, manager Matt Williams and catcher Sandy Leon discussed Roark's...