Nationals manager Matt Williams today offered some intriguing insight about how he puts together a lineup and how he decides who goes into pitch in the late innings. He said a lot of lineup decisions can be made by how the team is playing, especially when they are struggling. If they were on a winning streak, for instance, players like Ian Desmond or Jayson Werth might have already taken a day off or more. "It's communication with those guys and talking with them and saying, 'Hey, I am...

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, on the 15-day disabled list with a right thumb fracture, went to high Single-A Potomac on Friday night for a rehab game. Manager Matt Williams said Zimmerman will be the designated hitter. "He has got to get some at-bats," Williams said. "He hasn't hit live. The field BP was great the other day. Did it again yesterday. Took some grounders at third yesterday. He took grounders at first the day before. Certainly been doing all the stuff in the outfield....

The Nelson Cruz show continues tonight for the Orioles. Cruz is now batting .310 in 51 games with 19 homers, 49 RBIs and a 1.038 OPS. Last night, Cruz did not homer and that was news. It was just the third time in the last 10 games where he did not hit a homer. Cruz now leads the majors in home runs and is tied for the major league lead in RBIs. In the American League, he ranks first in homers, RBIs, slugging and total bases while ranking second in extra-base hits and 10th in batting...

A week from today, the First-Year Player Draft will conclude with teams selecting players in rounds 11 through 40. Next Friday, they draft players in rounds 3 through 10. The draft begins Thursday, June 5, when the first two rounds are televised live on MLB Network. But this year, the O's won't be involved that first night. Their first pick will come in round 3 with the No. 90 overall selection. The Orioles gave up picks No. 17, 35 and 55 in the acquisitions of Ubaldo Jimenez, Bud Norris and...

HOUSTON - Orioles catcher Matt Wieters estimated that he made 25 throws today in the outfield at Minute Maid Park and came away encouraged by the condition of his right elbow. Wieters hadn't picked up a ball since going on the disabled list May 11. "It felt better," he said. "It's kind of just progress each day and see how it feels throwing, and then the next day, and we'll just keep progressing and see how it goes. "It definitely felt like I had some life back in it and it felt a...

HOUSTON - Matt Wieters played catch in the outfield with Orioles bench coach John Russell before batting practice today at Minute Maid Park, the first time he's thrown since going on the disabled list with a strained right elbow. Wieters was on the field for only a few minutes before heading back to the clubhouse with Russell and assistant athletic trainer Brian Ebel. Manager Buck Showalter said he won't really evaluate Wieters' progress until the catcher has thrown multiple times. Today...

Looks like Ryan Zimmerman might be back with the Nationals within a matter of days. Zimmerman will start a rehab assignment with high Single-A Potomac tonight, the Nationals announced. Zimmerman will DH for the P-Nats and bat third. This comes two days after Zimmerman was put through a fairly strenuous workout at Nats Park in which he took live batting practice for the first time since landing on the disabled list with a fractured left thumb on April 13. Zimmerman also took ground balls at...

HOUSTON - Former heavyweight boxing champion and Houston native George Foreman will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for tonight's Civil Rights Game between the Orioles and Astros. Then it's up to Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez to stay on his feet through the later rounds. Gonzalez has registered three straight quality starts, allowing six earned runs in 19 innings. The streak began on May 10 at Camden Yards, when he held the Astros to two runs over seven innings in a 5-4...

Single-A Delmarva outfielder Josh Hart will have arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and the recovery time is four to six weeks. So the hope is Hart can return to play later this summer. The Orioles' No. 13 prospect according to Baseball America, Hart was injured in the second game of a doubleheader on Monday night. He was going back to play a ball of the wall when the injury happened. Hart was the Orioles' second draft pick in last June's First-Year Player...

In 6 2/3 innings pitched this spring, 26-year-old former Nationals closer Drew Storen gave up nine hits, six walks and six earned runs (8.10 ERA) with opposing hitters posting a .310 batting average against him in Grapefruit League action. Storen endured a tough 2013 campaign in which he was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse for a stretch before returning to finish strong with 19 1/3 innings in the majors that saw him allow just three earned runs (1.40 ERA), while holding opponents to a combined...