The Orioles today announced that they have signed 24-year old Cuban outfielder Dariel Alvarez to a minor league contract. Alvarez will be assigned to Class-A Frederick after reporting to Sarasota this week. Alvarez played for Camaguey in the Cuban League from 2007-11 and Tuxpan in Mexico in 2012. In five seasons with Camaguey, he batted .297 (341-1147) with 37 home runs and 180 RBIs. In 2011, Alvarez set career highs, batting .363/.404/.613 (125-344) with 20 home runs, 81 RBIs, 22 doubles and...

The Orioles today announced that right-hander Francisco Rodriguez has reported to the club and they have optioned infielder Danny Valencia to Triple-A Norfolk. Rodriguez was acquired from Milwaukee last night. He will wear uniform #57. Valencia is batting .200/.243/.443 (14-for-70) in 24 games for the Orioles this season.

ABERDEEN, Md. - Orioles infield prospect Jonathan Schoop will play tonight at Ripken Stadium for short-season Single-A Aberdeen and then play again tomorrow with the IronBirds. After that, he expects to rejoin the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. Schoop is coming back from a stress fracture in his lower back. He got hurt in a game on May 12 with Triple-A Norfolk. "I don't know exactly how I hurt it, but it was early in that game," Schoop said today. "My second AB, I got a hit and then went from...

The Orioles are adding a reliever for tonight's game in Kansas City and subtracting a bench player. To make room for right-hander Francisco Rodriguez on the 25-man roster, the Orioles have chosen to option corner infielder/designated hitter Danny Valencia to Triple-A Norfolk, according to a team official. The move leaves the Orioles with a three-man bench and eight-man bullpen. Valencia is 0-for-22 since June 17. He's batting .200/.243/.443 with five doubles, four homers and eight RBIs in...

Right-hander Taylor Jordan continues to be consistent on the mound, and although his record doesn't show it, he has made progress fine-tuning a pair of his best pitches. Jordan is 0-3 with a 3.68 ERA in five starts for the Nationals. He was 9-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 15 minor league games. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Jordan will only have a handful of starts remaining before he will need to be shut down if general manager Mike Rizzo follows the same restriction of 160 innings he placed on...

With Bryce Harper needing to get treatment on his left knee recently and Ian Desmond dealing with a torn blister on his left hand, Davey Johnson has given both guys a game off tonight against Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano. Harper has started all 19 games since he returned from a month-long DL stint due to left knee bursitis, but he's gone just .214 with one homer and six RBIs in those games. The lone homer, in fact, came in Harper's first at-bat off the DL. The Nationals'...

The Nationals' 2012 minor league Player of the Year, third baseman Matt Skole, is making good progress as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery back in April. While with Double-A Harrisburg, Skole's elbow was injured early in the season on a collision at first base while attempting to field a throw. It is unlikely, however, that Skole will return to play for Harrisburg during the regular season, according to Nationals director of player development Doug Harris. Harris is hopeful that Skole...

As expected, Henry Urrutia is serving as the Orioles designated hitter for tonight's game in Kansas City. Still waiting for an announcement on the corresponding roster move for reliever Francisco Rodriguez. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Henry Urrutia DH Brian Roberts 2B Wei-Yin Chen LHP For the Royals Lorenzo Cain CF Eric Hosmer 1B Billy Butler DH Salvador Perez C Miguel Tejada 3B David Lough...

ABERDEEN, Md. - Steve Johnson will pitch tonight at Ripken Stadium as part of a rehab assignment with the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds. Jonathan Schoop will bat third and play second base for Aberdeen in his second game with the IronBirds. Schoop went 2-for-4 here last night with two singles. Johnson is working his way back from a strained left oblique; he went on the Orioles' disabled list June 6. He made one start last Saturday in the Gulf Coast League, pitching two shutout...

Bryce Harper and Ian Desmond have both been held out of tonight's Nationals lineup against the Pirates. Anthony Rendon will get the start at shortstop, and Steve Lombardozzi will be at second. This is the first time Harper is out of the starting lineup since his return from the disabled list in June. He's hitting just .190 with 15 strikeouts in his last 11 games. Prior to tonight, Desmond had played in 99 of the 100 games the Nats had played this season. This will be Rendon's first...