SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter expects every pitcher used in today's intrasquad game, scheduled for eight innings, to work one inning. The Thursday intrasquad game is scheduled for four or five innings because Showalter wants to treat his players to a shorter day. Showalter said there's a 55 percent chance that it will be played on the Camden Yards replica field, which would make it open to the public. Do you like those odds? Showalter met with Nelson Cruz today to...

Entering the 2014 season, the Nationals have one of the best rotations in baseball. Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann are returning for their third season together at the top of the Nats rotation. Mike Rizzo acquired Doug Fister in the offseason to add even more strength behind the strong 1-2-3 punch. And finally, behind all of that talent, the competition to be the fifth starter has been heating up in spring training. It's difficult to emerge as the ace in such a...

VIERA, Fla. - Matt Williams has posted the pitching probables for the Nationals' first two Grapefruit League games, starting with Friday's game at Port St. Lucie against the Mets. As I mentioned yesterday, right-hander Taylor Jordan will get the start on Friday, and Jordan said today that he's been told he'll throw two innings. Here's are the pitchers scheduled to follow Jordan to the mound on Friday (the order of the pitchers can sometimes change, and not everyone is guaranteed to...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles infielder Alexi Casilla says his right hamstring is still sore and he will spend the day icing it. Casilla remains day-to-day after leaving yesterday's workout. Chris Davis can't remember the last time he batted first prior to today's intrasquad game. Guys who can launch a ball 500 feet aren't your prototypical leadoff hitters. Davis has never batted first in the majors. He's 0-for-2 in the second slot. Manager Buck Showalter went the alphabetical route in...

Last season, the O's led the majors with 212 home runs. Only 36 of those blasts came off the bats of players no longer in the Orioles organization, leaving them with plenty of power returning to the lineup for 2014. In fact, with the addition of Nelson Cruz, the Orioles arguably have a more power-packed lineup than last season. Cruz is coming off of a 27-homer season (in 109 games played) for the Rangers. This week, I'm throwin' it back to an Orioles' four-homer game against the Red...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles just posted their lineups for today's intrasquad game at Ed Smith Stadium. Chris Davis is leading off for the home team. I'm guessing that he campaigned hard for that job. Nelson Cruz's name isn't listed on the cards. Manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that Cruz wouldn't play. Visitor Michael Almanzar 3B Steve Clevenger C Ivan DeJesus Jr. SS Xavier Paul LF Steve Pearce 1B Francisco Peguero CF Nolan Reimold DH Jonathan Schoop 2B Henry Urrutia...

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have a handful of pitchers who could quickly move through their minor league ranks and make an impact at the big league level in the next year or two. Since the promotions of Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon, however, the Nats have lacked a big-name position player prospect who can excite fans and leave them looking forward to future seasons. There is one guy that talent evaluators within the organization will be watching closely this season, however, a guy who...

They didn't have to go far to do it, but the symbolic gesture by several key Orioles to attend Nelson Cruz's press conference may be a big step forward for Cruz with his new team. With their words - and yesterday with their actions - the Orioles players have warmly welcomed Cruz to the team. They are not condoning his suspension, but they are also letting him know he is one of them now and it's time to go to work. Of course, it's now up to Cruz to avoid another suspension that would...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Let the games begin. Not the real ones that count in the Grapefruit League standings, but the intrasquad games that lead into Friday's exhibition opener against the Rays in Port Charlotte. Brian Matusz and Kevin Gausman will make today's starts, each pitcher going one inning. Matusz also will try to get through the entire day without being forced to talk about his wart. I've named the situation "Wartgate," and I don't expect it to start trending on Twitter. Today also...

VIERA, Fla. - Matt Williams met with the media this afternoon, as he does every afternoon in spring, and discussed a variety of topics. Here's a sample platter from that afternoon session with reporters: On Ryan Zimmerman getting his first work this spring at first base during early drills: "He's got great hands, man, so he's really good at it. ... We worked with his footwork around the bag. That's an important thing for a guy that may get a chance to move across the diamond for a couple...