ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For the second day in a row, the Orioles recalled a player from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned him following the game. One and done. Left-hander Mike Belfiore was sent back to Norfolk after tonight's 2-1 loss to the Rays. He wasn't being punished. He didn't pitch. He just sat in the bullpen and watched for nine innings. The move was anticipated, and it's a clear signal that the Orioles plan to activate reliever Pedro Strop from the 15-day disabled list before...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - James Loney led off the bottom of the seventh inning tonight with a single into left-center field, putting the tying run on base against Orioles starter Jason Hammel. Desmond Jennings stepped to the plate, and a few Orioles anticipated a bunt to move Loney into scoring position. Jennings swung at the first pitch and launched a two-run homer to center field. "I went up there thinking he might bunt him over," said Manny Machado following the Orioles' 2-1 loss to the...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles made a minor league trade tonight, acquiring first baseman Seth Loman from the Chicago White Sox organization for cash considerations. Loman, 27, was batting .223/.390/.471 with six doubles, eight homers and 19 RBIs in 39 games at Triple-A Charlotte. He's a career .282/.382/.509 hitter with 123 homers and 424 RBIs in 668 minor league games over eight seasons. Loman has played 319 games at first base. He also can play the outfield. MLB.com first reported...

The Orioles drafted three high school catchers in the first six rounds of this year's draft and have taken four catchers among their first 11 picks so far. Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich said tonight that was not necessarily to help a position that some consider lacking in depth in the organization. "Well, I know what it looks like, but really, in a year like this where there is so much good catching depth in the draft, you kind of have to get it while it's there," Rajsich said....

The Orioles made eight picks on day two of the 2013 First Year Player Draft on Friday, completing rounds 3-10. After two days of the draft, the Orioles have selected 11 players overall, four pitchers and seven position players, with five of the selections being college products. The Orioles selected one right-handed pitcher, three left-handed pitchers, four catchers, two infielders and one outfielder. The draft will conclude tomorrow with rounds 11-40. ROUND, PLAYER, POS 1 (22),...

High school catcher Alex Murphy, drafted in round six by the Orioles out of Calvert Hall in Baltimore today, told MASNsports.com tonight that he has already agreed to terms with the team. He has not been officially signed and there has not been any announcement, but the deal has been agreed to and he will soon report to Sarasota, Fla., for orientation with his hometown team. "I haven't signed anything yet, but I will be signing and I'm proud to be an Oriole," Murphy said. Murphy is a...

The high Single-A Potomac Nationals announced that three of their players have been selected to play in the 2013 California-Carolina League All-Star game on June 18 in San Jose, Calif. Left-hander Robbie Ray, right-hander Blake Schwartz and outfielder Billy Burns will represent the P-Nats in California. The 21-year old Ray leads the Carolina League with 81 strikeouts over 12 starts. He is 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA. The 6-foot-2, 170-lb., southpaw struck out a career-high 10 hitters on April 21...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manny Machado bounced an RBI single into center field with two outs in the top of the third inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead and continue his assault on road pitching. Machado has hit safely in 22 of the last 24 road games, batting .394 with 14 doubles, three homers, 13 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He's hit in 14 of his last 15 road games, batting .406 with eight doubles, two homers, nine RBIs and 11 runs scored. Machado has hit in five straight games, but he didn't...

The Washington Nationals today selected eight players on the second day of Major League Baseball's 2013 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Player Personnel Roy Clark and Nationals Director of Scouting Kris Kline made the joint announcement. The Nationals kicked off today's action selecting prep third baseman Drew Ward with their third-round pick (105th...

Just about 15 minutes after the Nationals announced that they had signed right-hander Jake Johansen, their top overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, Johansen hopped on a conference call with reporters to discuss officially being added to the Nats' system, his future plans and his performance at Dallas Baptist University in his three years there. The 22-year-old right-hander, who the Nats took with the No. 68 overall pick in the draft, said that he got a really good feel from the...