PITTSBURGH – The Nationals made an early morning roster move before today’s finale against the Pirates: They returned from rehabilitation assignment and reinstated Thaddeus Ward from the 15-day injured list and optioned Joe La Sorsa to Triple-A Rochester. Ward went on the IL on July 3 with right shoulder inflammation after appearing in 22 games out

PITTSBURGH – The Nationals have a chance to split this four-game series with the Pirates in this afternoon’s finale. After Patrick Corbin pitched 6 ⅔ strong innings on Monday en route to victory, Joan Adon and Jackson Rutledge combined to pitch 7 ⅔ innings over the last two games, both losses. So the Nats will turn to Josiah Gray to provide some le

Finally everyone - from the clubhouse to the dugout, to the media to the fanbase - can turn their full attention to the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays series that begins tonight at Camden Yards. The Orioles begin the four-game set leading the AL East by two games. A split or better would be big for Baltimore. The Rays could use three wins or better. No

Now, it gets real. Or real important. And really hard. The other games counted, of course, but the Orioles are set to play four against the Rays beginning tonight at Camden Yards. The team that’s two behind them in the division race. The team with the same lengthy stubborn streak, refusing to let injuries and other impactful issues break its spirit

PITTSBURGH – Jackson Rutledge seemed antsy when he walked into the Nationals clubhouse at PNC Park this afternoon. A major league debut can do that to a young pitcher. The former first-round pick arrived in Pittsburgh just before last night’s game against the Pirates. He then spent the rest of the night and all day today anticipating his major leag

Ryan Mountcastle drew a painful walk tonight in the bottom of the first inning. Losing him could severely hurt the Orioles. Mountcastle fouled off a sinker from Cardinals' starter Drew Rom to leave the count 2-2, took two pitches out of the strike zone and headed to first base. He was grimacing and rotating his left arm as if experiencing shoulder

One day ahead of the start of a showdown series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles are wrapping up their three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Orioles (91-53, .632) lead the American League East by 2.5 games right now over the Rays, which won 5-4 this afternoon against the Twins. The Orioles beat the Cardinals 11-5 Monday night but

The Orioles didn’t send down left-hander Cole Irvin again today based on poor evaluations of his performance. Circumstances beyond his control removed him from the active roster and the clubhouse. Irvin was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, with Nick Vespi recalled again. “Because of the six-man rotation right now, as well as, the last four or five sta

PITTSBURGH – The excitement continues for the Nationals at PNC Park as they prepare for Jackson Rutledge’s major league debut. The Nats officially recalled the big right-hander from Triple-A Rochester ahead of tonight’s third game of this series against the Pirates. Rutledge, 24, was the Nationals’ first-round pick at No. 17 overall in the 2019 MLB

The Orioles are closing in on clinching their first playoff berth since 2016 with a magic number of four to clinch. They have bigger fish to fry, of course, and want the AL East championship, but clinching a playoff berth will come first. The players are not yet ready to talk much about that, even with it so close at hand. They are keeping their on