After an overwhelming fan response the past two seasons, the Orioles have announced the return of the AT&T Fans' Choice Bobblehead promotion for 2014. Fans will once again be able to select the player they want to be immortalized in a bobblehead giveaway, scheduled to be distributed during Fan Appreciation Weekend on Sunday, September 21 to the first 25,000 fans age 15 and over. Fans can vote for any of four players - all right-handed pitchers -- who have never been featured as an Orioles...

With Wilson Ramos having hit the disabled list and Sandy Leon called up to serve as the backup to Jose Lobaton, the Nationals have used 26 players. When Doug Fister returns at the end of April or beginning of May, that number will be at least 27. In 2013, the average National League club needed 45 players to make it through the season. The Nationals were right around average with 44. Injuries, underperformance and trades are going to happen during the course of the season, and this is going to...

The low Single-A Hagerstown Suns make their season debut tonight against the Rome Braves under new manager Patrick Anderson with game time at 6:35 p.m. from Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown, Md. Tonight's pitching matchup is right-hander Nick Pivetta against right-hander Frank Lafreniere. Pivetta was 1-1 with a 2.91 ERA in nine games for the rookie-level GCL Nats and short-season Single-A Auburn. He was the Nationals' 2013 fourth-round selection out of New Mexico Junior College. The...

The Nationals were hoping to get their first regular season look at Jordan Zimmermann this afternoon, but will have to wait after the right-hander fell ill last night. Tanner Roark, originally scheduled to pitch Friday, will start the series finale against the Mets. Before Thursday's game at Citi Field, manager Matt Williams said that Zimmermann is running a fever and spent all night sick to his stomach. Zimmermann is being treated with fluids and will head back to Washington ahead of the...

The Orioles' four full-season minor league affiliates open new seasons tonight. Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie open at home while Single-A Frederick and Single-A Delmarva begin with road openers. * The Norfolk Tides open against Charlotte at Harbor Park. The Tides will play their first eight games at home. Norfolk lost on the final day of the 2013 regular season to miss out on its first playoff berth since 2005. Tides manager Ron Johnson is the first skipper to lead Norfolk to...

NEW YORK - The Nationals will field a slightly different lineup again as they look to sweep the Mets to start the season. For today's day game after a night game, catcher Sandy Leon and second baseman Danny Espinosa get their first starts of the season with Jose Lobaton and Anthony Rendon starting the contest on the bench. Also, as was previously written here, Tanner Roark will be starting in Jordan Zimmermann's place for the series finale. For the Nationals CF Denard Span LF Bryce...

NEW YORK - The Nationals announced this morning that right-hander Jordan Zimmermann has been scratched from his scheduled start today with flu-like symptoms. Tanner Roark, who had been set to start the Nats' home opener tomorrow, will now start today's series finale against the Mets. A chest cold has been working through the Nats clubhouse all spring, and Zimmermann is apparently the latest to catch a bit of it. Roark was scheduled to start the Nats' exhibition game against the Tigers...

Manager: Fredi Gonzalez, fourth year Record: 2-1 Last 10 games: 2-1 Who to watch: 1B Freddie Freeman (.333/.500/1.000, 2 HR, 2 RBIs); RF Jason Heyward (.250/.308/.500, 1 HR, 2 RBIs); RHP Julio Teheran (1-0, 3.00 ERA); RHP Craig Kimbrel (2 saves, 0.00 ERA) Season series vs. Nats (2013): 13-6, 73 runs scored, 49 runs allowed Pitching probables April 4: David Hale vs. TBA, 1 p.m., MASN HD April 5: Julio Teheran vs. Stephen Strasburg, 7 p.m., MASN HD April 6: Alex Wood vs. Taylor Jordan, 1:30...

Every time Zach Britton took the mound this spring, a number of scouts from opposing teams eagerly watched the Orioles lefty work. The 27-year-old impressed over his 10 2/3 innings in the Grapefruit League, allowing just two runs (one earned), scattering six hits, walking four and striking out 11. Britton is out of options, so if he didn't make the ballclub, he would have been a valuable trade candidate for any team seeking bullpen help. On opening day, we saw Britton do just that. It was...

NEW YORK - You know how all spring, I kept noting that spring training statistics don't mean anything? I'm sure you got tired of reading it. Heck, I got tired of writing it. But while it's certainly nice to see your team's players dominate during spring training and post impressive numbers, there is no guarantee whatsoever that those stats will carry into the games that actually matter. Take Drew Storen, for example. Storen made seven Grapefruit League appearances this spring, working 6...