Prior to tonight's 7:05 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Orioles will host a special pre-game ceremony and check presentation to The Miracle League of Manasota. The third annual Birdland Golf Classic, hosted by OriolesREACH on February 20, raised over $40,000 dollars for The Miracle League, which gives children and adults with special needs the opportunity to play baseball. On-field to help present the check will be representatives from the tournament's top sponsors, including...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Nick Markakis, sitting at his locker with another ice pack wrapped on the back of his neck, will speak with spine specialist Dr. Lee Riley later today and hopes to be cleared for baseball activities within the next day or two. Markakis said he has full range of motion in his neck and no pain. Reliever Pedro Strop is back in camp after helping the Dominican Republic win the World Baseball Classic. He flew into Florida last night, woke up a few hours ago and rushed to the...

VIERA, Fla. - Dan Haren gets another crack at finding his velocity and command tonight when the Nationals venture to Champion Field for a 6:05 p.m. game against the Atlanta Braves. So far this spring, Haren hasn't looked very good, posting a 5.79 ERA in four starts. A look inside the stats makes Haren's spring starts look even more confounding. In 14 innings pitched, he's yielded 15 hits and nine runs. But most of the damage has been of his own doing - Haren's allowed only three walks,...

The Baltimore Orioles announced today that they will offer an exclusive incentive for those fans attending Saturday's Tag Day to purchase a partial season plan. The Orioles will provide $50 in vouchers to any fan purchasing two seats in a 13-game plan at the event. The vouchers can be redeemed at Oriole Park for additional tickets, merchandise and concessions throughout the 2013 season. Tag Day will be held at Oriole Park from 9:00 a.m. - noon this Saturday. Tag Day is an opportunity for...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles began the process of releasing perhaps as many as 30 or more minor league players when they cut eight this morning from a camp that had 175 players and will be adding more with players coming down from Baltimore. The club released left-handed pitchers Cameron Coffey, Eric Wooten and Matt Bywater, right-hander David Baker, catchers Adam Davis and Kevin Dultz, third baseman Dudley Leonora and outfielder Tim Smith. Among that list are five Orioles draft picks, two...

SARASOTA, Fla. - In handicapping the fifth starter competition, some have labeled Jake Arrieta the favorite, or at least one of the top pitchers with the best shot to win that job. Arrieta has pitched well during spring training with an ERA of 2.38. Over 11 1/3 innings he has allowed seven hits and three runs with six walks and seven strikeouts. He has pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings over his last two outings. In his past three outings, counting three innings against Spain's WBC team (not...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have another home game on the agenda, and it's going to be played under the lights The Pittsburgh Pirates are traveling to Ed Smith Stadium, which means the lights will be bright. Go to their home ballpark and it's like each dugout is given a candle and a box of matches to illuminate the field. Jake Arrieta, Luis Ayala, Tommy Hunter and Troy Patton will pitch for the Orioles tonight. Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez is starting for the Pirates. Arrieta blanked the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been a criticism of the Orioles organization for a long time and it seems a valid one. The club has been lacking on the international front, especially in amateur signings and has been lagging behind many teams - well behind some - in producing foreign-born major league talent. Orioles executive vice-president Dan Duquette wants to change that. In a lengthy one-on-one interview with MASNsports.com Wednesday, he explained some upgrades the club has made and some it still...

JUPITER, Fla. - Henry Rodriguez will be given every opportunity to work through his command issues, manager Davey Johnson said yesterday after another rough outing from the hard-throwing right-hander. "He's a power arm and he hasn't pitched a lot. ... He didn't pitch winter ball," Johnson said when asked about Rodriguez's struggles. "Once he's healthy, I need to go to him more, try to wear him down and get him comfortable going out there. It's just a matter of him getting enough...

JUPITER, Fla. - The player to be named is no longer nameless. The Nationals today acquired left-handed pitcher Ian Krol from the Oakland A's, completing the Jan. 16 deal for outfielder/first baseman Michael Morse. Morse was shipped to the A's in exchange for Krol and right-handers A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen. Oakland then flipped Morse to Seattle for catcher John Jaso. The 21-year-old Krol was drafted by the A's in the seventh round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. In four seasons on...