VIERA, Fla. - An MRI taken yesterday afternoon has revealed that Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus has costochondritis, which is inflammation of the cartilage that attaches the ribs to the breastbone. Doctors have told Mattheus he's day-to-day at this point. Mattheus first started feeling pain in his upper chest after throwing his second bullpen session of spring, back on Feb. 18. He was shut down for a few days, but when the pain didn't dissipate, the Nationals sent Mattheus for an MRI in...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Nelson Cruz press conference will start in a few minutes. Cruz worked out earlier this morning and hung around the clubhouse. A bunch of Cruz's new Orioles teammates are standing in the back of the room, including Adam Jones, Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy, Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Tommy Hunter and Darren O'Day. Brian Matusz will have a wart removed from his left middle finger on Monday in Philadelphia. We were told yesterday that it was his index...

VIERA, Fla. - Around July of last year, veteran right-hander Clay Hensley had one foot out the proverbial door, ready to step away from baseball and move on to the next phase of his life. Now he's in Nationals camp, pitching well and battling for a spot in Matt Williams' bullpen. That in itself sounds like a cool story, but tales like that aren't unique to Hensley. There are countless players throughout spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona who are trying to work their way back...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Another day, another press conference. We're not in Baltimore anymore. The Orioles will introduce outfielder Nelson Cruz to the media at 9:30 a.m., with the press conference airing live on MASN HD. Cruz will head to the back fields afterward for his first official workout. Executive vice president Dan Duquette inadvertently stirred up another rumor, and a portion of the fanbase, by stating yesterday on 105.7 that the Orioles would sign another hitter in the next day or...

After pitching out of the bullpen last season, Orioles 2009 first-round pick Matt Hobgood, will return to a 'pen role in 2014. O's director of player development Brian Graham confirmed that during an interview Sunday night. Not only that, but he said the 23-year-old right-hander has a chance to begin this year pitching at the Double-A level for the first time as a pro. After Hobgood underwent shoulder surgery in early 2012 and missed all of that season, the 2009 fifth overall pick returned...

The Orioles today announced that they have signed free agent outfielder Nelson Cruz to a one-year contract. Cruz, 33, was an American League All-Star for the second time in 2013, batting .266/.327/.506 with 27 home runs and 76 RBI in 109 games for Texas. Since becoming a regular in 2009, Cruz has hit at least 22 home runs in each of the last five seasons, and he is one of 13 hitters with 20 or more long balls in each of those seasons. Among players appearing in at least 100 games, Cruz is...

VIERA, Fla. - While most of the day was highlighted by the "Pitchers' Hitting Game" that took place on the field at Space Coast Stadium as well as Field 5, there were some other drills run today. Before the hitting game took place, position players and pitchers all warmed up on the minor league fields, as per normal. They then practiced making turns around first base, and did so with a coach standing directly on top of the base, so that only the very front left corner of the bag was...

VIERA, Fla. - While Bryce Harper was the Nats' starting left fielder for the vast majority of last season, he essentially backed up Jayson Werth in right, starting 16 games out there, and also started eight games in center in place of Denard Span. Harper's versatility and arm strength allows him to play all three spots, and former Nats manager Davey Johnson took advantage of that, sliding Harper around the outfield as needed. This year, new Nats manager Matt Williams says that for the most...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have their third free-agent signing in a week. Outfielder Nelson Cruz passed his physical and signed a one-year, $8 million deal that includes another $750,000 in possible incentives. A press conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and will include executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. Same arrangement as the other two press conferences. It's become a familiar scene. The Orioles designated left-hander Chris Jones for...

VIERA, Fla. - Spring training can be a tedious, dull experience for major league players. Many of the drills they're being put through during these weeks leading up to games are ones that they've been doing since middle school. Position players take batting practice and work on defensive fundamentals. Pitchers throw bullpens and practice fielding comebackers. Gets old after a while. Actually, it gets old after Day 2. So manager Matt Williams and the Nationals' coaches decided to take a...