With the 22nd overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, the Orioles selected North Carolina high school right-hander Hunter Harvey, the son of former major league closer Bryan Harvey. Harvey was 8-0 with a 0.38 ERA at Bandys High School in Catawba, N.C., with 116 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings. Baseball America rated him as the seventh-best right-handed pitcher in the draft. John Hart on MLB Network said he believes Harvey can be a starter. Harvey is listed as 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds....

The Nationals have just announced that tonight's game between the Nats and Mets has been postponed due to inclement weather. No makeup date has been announced as of yet. The Mets make two more trips to D.C. this season - July 26-28 and August 30-September 1 - so there are plenty of options when it comes to makeup dates. The Nats could choose to push back Gio Gonzalez and have him start tomorrow and then have Nathan Karns start Saturday. That would allow them to not have to call-up a...

The Orioles announced after today's game that they have optioned outfielder Xavier Avery to Triple-A Norfolk. Avery, 23, did not appear in today's game after being recalled earlier in the day. He began the season with Double-A Bowie, where he batted .300/.391/.406 with 34 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 39 games. He has also played in 15 games with Triple-A Norfolk, batting .192 (10-52). A corresponding roster move will be announced tomorrow.

The Nationals tried one five-game shutdown period with Danny Espinosa a couple weeks ago in an attempt to allow the second baseman's fractured right wrist to heal and his offensive performance to improve. That period of rest didn't seem to help too much, at least based on the numbers that Espinosa put up after his return to the Nats' lineup (2-for-17 over five games with no walks and seven strikeouts). Espinosa was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with the wrist injury, and after...

Outfielder Xavier Avery's stay with the Orioles was an extremely short one. The Orioles optioned Avery to Triple-A Norfolk following today's 3-1 victory over the Astros. A corresponding move will be announced on Friday. Avery was recalled today, sat on the bench and packed up his belongings. The Tides are in Louisville. The Orioles are headed to Tampa. Avery began the season with Double-A Bowie, where he batted .300/.391/.406 with 34 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 39 games. He's...

One day after their pitchers allowed six homers and 11 runs, Miguel Gonzalez today restored some pitching order for the Orioles. Gonzalez gave up just one run over six innings, outpitching Houston No. 1 starter Bud Norris, as the Orioles beat the Astros 3-1 at Minute Maid Park. The Orioles take the series, two wins to one, to improve to 7-3 on the year in games that decide a series and 34-26 overall through 60 games. Gonzalez allowed five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. He threw 95...

The swelling in Bryce Harper's left knee has not subsided since he was placed on the disabled list on Saturday, and in search of a second opinion on what's ailing the 20-year-old outfielder, the Nationals are sending Harper to renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Harper has been diagnosed with bursitis in his left knee, but he hasn't played since May 26, and the knee has not improved much in that span. The knee started swelling up again after Harper did some jogging in a pool,...

Manager Davey Johnson said left-hander Ross Detwiler felt good today after yesterday's bullpen session, and he's been given the green light to go on a rehab assignment. Detwiler, on the disabled list with a back strain, will pitch for high Single-A Potomac Nationals on Saturday night against the Frederick Keys in Woodbridge, Va., at Pfitzner Stadium. "He is doing fine," Johnson said. "He is on target to pitch in Potomac on (June) 8th. He will be limited to 40 to 50 pitches. That should...

The Orioles placed one pitcher on the disabled list today. They didn't need to lose another one. Miguel Gonzalez stayed in the game after J.D. Martinez's sharp bouncer struck his left forearm with two outs in the sixth inning. Martinez reached base and Gonzalez reached for his left arm, flexing his hand as head athletic trainer Richie Bancells came out to the mound. At least he didn't reach for the ball with his bare hand. Gonzalez retired Carlos Pena on a fly ball to center field and was...

As the First-Year Player Draft is set to begin tonight, here are a few things to keep in mind. For one, teams seldom draft for need in the first round. The baseball draft is mostly about what a player can become in the future and not how he can help you now, or maybe even next year. Some players can get to the majors faster, but it's mostly about taking the best player when you pick and less about taking a player that can get there the fastest. For two, the draft rules changed last year. As...