VIERA, Fla. - After more than five long months of waiting, we only have to wait a bit longer. Opening day is just one week away. Only four more Grapefruit League games down here in Florida (not that anyone's counting or anything), an exhibition against the Yankees at Nationals Park and two off-days stand between the Nationals and their 2013 regular season opener against the Marlins on April 1. I think I can speak for all parties involved here - fans, players and reporters - that the opener...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Ryan Flaherty is playing right field today and left-hander T.J. McFarland is making his first start this spring, as the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox. Rule 5 rules. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Nate McLouth LF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Chris Davis 1B J.J. Hardy SS Wilson Betemit DH Manny Machado 3B Ryan Flaherty RF T.J. McFarland LHP Mark Hendrickson, Jim Johnson, Darren O'Day, Pedro Strop, Jason Gurka and Chris Petrini also are listed as available...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles' pitching picture begins to clear up, then it gets hazy again. It begins to clears up, then it gets hazy again. It's pretty obvious that the Orioles are trying to find a way to keep left-hander T.J. McFarland, who won 16 games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus last season before the Cleveland Indians left him exposed in the Rule 5 draft. The Indians would take him back in a heartbeat if he passed through waivers. The Orioles aren't confident that...

The players on the Orioles' big league roster spend their mornings working out and playing games at Ed Smith Stadium when the club is home. About 15 minutes away from there, the O's minor league camp is humming along at the Twin Lakes Park complex. After the release of eight players last week, the Orioles have, by my count, 167 players remaining there. Brian Graham is running the minor league camp, beginning his first season as the club's director of player development. We sat down at the...

BRADENTON, Fla. - Zech Zinicola gave up a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the ninth inning, the last one to Felix Pie, before recording a strikeout to complete the Orioles' 12-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field. The game lasted 3:37, not counting the 16-minute rain delay. The first inning dragged along as the Orioles scored eight runs in the top half and the Pirates answered with two in the bottom half. "We counted 11 breaks in the action in the first...

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals made a couple of roster moves after today's rain-shortened game, placing right-hander Christian Garcia on the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm tendon injury and outrighting infielder Carlos Rivero to Triple-A Syracuse. Garcia's DL stint is retroactive to March 22. Rivero had to clear waivers for the Nationals to outright him to Triple-A, and him doing so is a bit of a surprise. The Nats were afraid they'd lose the 24-year-old, but he went unclaimed,...

VIERA, Fla. - The infield here at Space Coast Stadium is currently one giant lake. The grounds crew wasn't able to get the big tarp onto the field before the skies opened up in the top of the eighth inning this afternoon, and the Braves-Nationals game was called with the Nationals officially picking up a 9-3 win after seven innings of play. Jordan Zimmermann battled winds of at least 29 mph to throw six strong innings. In his final Grapefruit League start this spring, Zimmermann allowed...

BRADENTON, Fla. - It hasn't been a good day for left-handers on the Orioles' pitching staff. Brian Matusz allowed five runs and nine hits in four innings, and he was clearly upset with his performance while talking to reporters outside the visiting clubhouse at McKechnie Field. Luis Ayala retired the side in order in the fifth, but lefty Troy Patton was charged with five runs in the sixth inning to tie the game 10-10. The last two runs scored after Patton was removed with two outs and two...

VIERA, Fla. - Within two days, the Nationals have gotten back both players they lost in the Rule 5 draft this offseason. The Tigers returned infielder Jeff Kobernus to the Nats yesterday, and today, a source confirmed that left-hander Danny Rosenbaum has been returned by the Rockies. Rosenbaum spent last season at Double-A Harrisburg, going 8-10 with a 3.94 ERA. The 25-year-old went 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight innings with the Rockies this spring, and after Colorado determined that...

VIERA, Fla. - Think Jordan Zimmermann is ready for games that actually mean something? The guy just finished off a stretch where he had retired 27 hitters in between base hits allowed. Working through a stiff cross wind that is blowing around 25 mph, Zimmermann went the first three innings without surrendering a hit to the Braves this afternoon, facing the minimum over that span. The right-hander allowed a leadoff hit to open his last start, against the Tigers, only to then hold Detroit...