I realize it's only April, but Major League Baseball seems to think it's time to start voting for the All-Star Game. Ballots were released this weekend for the July 15 affair at Target Field in Minneapolis. It's clear that by the end of April, we have no idea who will earn spots on the team. There's plenty of baseball left to be played before then. I think the only thing that is clear is that the Twins' Joe Mauer will probably be starting on the American League squad in his home park. All...

Will the real Orioles offense please stand up? Just when it seems the team is scoring some runs and taking off on offense, they don't. The Orioles scored a combined 21 runs Wednesday and Thursday at Toronto. Then they got shut out by Kansas City on Friday night and scored six runs in three games over the weekend. The Orioles scored 10 runs on Wednesday and 11 on Thursday at Rogers Centre. It was the first time the Orioles have scored 10 or more runs in back-to-back games since Aug. 14-15, 2008...

HOUSTON - Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Wilson Ramos, Doug Fister and Scott Hairston are all already on the disabled list. Denard Span spent time on the seven-day concussion DL earlier this season. Taylor Jordan battled through four innings yesterday while dealing with a bout of the flu. Danny Espinosa has a sore knee after taking an Ian Kennedy curveball off his right kneecap. The blows just keep on coming. But as the Nationals have said in the past, and will continue to say, no one will feel...

The Orioles are off today. They're also off on Thursday and again next Monday. They'll pay a heavy price for these unnecessary early-season breaks later in the summer. "We've got another one around the corner, too, which is crazy," said manager Buck Showalter. "You go 20 days and then you have three in 10. I mean ..." We get it. On the plus side, these off days provide rest for the bullpen and mean fewer games missed by first baseman Chris Davis, who's on the disabled list with a...

Right-hander Taylor Jordan made it through four innings Sunday but then was pulled from game. The bullpen was unable to keep the game within reach and the Padres defeated the Nationals 4-2. Manager Matt Williams said Jordan had been feeling under the weather since late last night. "He showed up this morning running a fever," Williams said. "I don't know if it was the flu or what. There was some question as to whether he would even start. But we gave him a bag of fluids and he ate something...

Kansas City right-hander James Shields gave up just three hits over seven innings today as the Royals beat the Orioles 9-3. One was a two-run homer by Nelson Cruz in the sixth inning. But other than that, the O's didn't get much going against him today. "He is one of the toughest pitchers in the league," Cruz said. "His changeup is always working good. He had a good cutter today. He barely misses with his pitches and commands basically all of them. "He has two or three secondary pitches...

Manny Machado is scheduled to serve as the designated hitter Monday at Single-A Frederick after collecting four hits today. Machado doubled twice, singled twice, stole a base and scored two runs. He's collected eight hits in three rehab games. "Talked to him a little bit today," said manager Buck Showalter. "We'll see after the game how he feels. Right now the plan is for him to DH (Monday) in Frederick. See if something has changed." The Orioles are giving serious consideration to...

Omar Infante began today with just 11 RBIs this season, and he was only 1-for-8 in the first two games of this series. But the Kansas City second baseman had a huge day at the expense of the Orioles, driving in six runs as the Royals beat the O's 9-3 in front of 38,368 at Camden Yards. For the 10th time in 11 home games, the Orioles scored three or fewer runs. They've scored just 27 runs at the Yard this season. Infante had an RBI groundout in the first, a sac fly in the third, a two-run...

The Orioles have been charged with one error in six innings this afternoon, but that's not the entire defensive story. Adam Jones dropped leadoff hitter Nori Aoki's fly ball for a three-base error in the first, saddling Miguel Gonzalez with an unearned run. Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar got caught in a rundown between first and second base after his leadoff single in the fifth inning, but Nick Markakis lobbed the ball over Steve Lombardozzi's head. Escobar scampered back to first base...

Nationals right-hander Doug Fister completed his rehab assignment for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals on Sunday. Fister went four innings, as planned, and threw 59 pitches, 42 for strikes. This was Fister's initial rehab start. He is currently on the 15-day disabled list with a right lat strain. Fister told reporters afterward that he had good location and spring training velocity. A source at the stadium told me Fister "looked pretty good for his first outing." Fister allowed six hits,...