The Orioles today announced that they have claimed right-hander Alex Burnett off waivers from Toronto and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, infielder Wilson Betemit has been transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Burnett, 25, is 3-4 with a 4.61 ERA (170.0IP, 87ER) in 174 major league games with the Minnesota Twins (2010-2012). In eight minor league seasons in the Twins and Blue Jays organizations, Burnett was 28-24 with a 3.40 ERA...

NEW YORK - Well, that was an interesting trip. It included an unscheduled stop because of a electrical wire on the track that eventually forced our train to back up - from Connecticut to about block from my Boston hotel - and a long wait in the cab line while rain fell and the temperature plummeted. Folks, it's cold and wet here. Not exactly baseball weather. It's hard to imagine a game being played tonight, but the Yankees will wait as long as it takes after two straight postponements....

While it's still incredibly early in the 2013 season, the battle for National League playoff spots just got a bit more interesting. Right-hander Zack Greinke, the Dodgers' $147 million man, fractured his left collarbone during a brawl last night, and might miss somewhere around the next two months. The injury happened after Greinke plunked Padres left fielder Carlos Quentin and Quentin charged the mound. Greinke defended himself from Quentin by ramming his left shoulder into the 240-lb....

The signing of Rafael Soriano came as a surprise to most, including Nationals manager Davey Johnson. Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore explored the possibility before the two-year, $28 million deal with the veteran reliever was announced, but the baseball world at large was caught off guard by the defending NL East champions' decision to strengthen a strength and add another closer to an already strong bullpen that had helped them get within one strike of the National League Championship...

On April 5, with Chris Davis having hit four home runs in four games, MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons commented on Twitter about the Orioles' 2011 acquisition of the lefty slugger and remarked, "Now Davis is Boog." Boog, of course, is Boog Powell. And Gammons, of course, was engaging in a bit of hyperbole. Chris Davis is no Boog Powell. Nevertheless, a player like Davis, built the way he is and performing the way he has to start the season, invites historical comparisons, and Powell is...

BOWIE, Md. - It seems a little crazy to say this but, after just 28 professional innings, is Kevin Gausman ready for the major leagues? He may be - or at least he may be close. Double-A Bowie manager Gary Kendall is not one to rave about or overly hype players, but after seeing Gausman's strong six-inning outing last night against Akron, where he allowed just two hits and one run, Kendall sounded like a skipper that just might endorse Gausman for the majors right now if Dan Duquette and Buck...

BOSTON - The euphoria of winning another series at Fenway Park - and it's becoming the norm - quickly died down for the Orioles last night. No time to celebrate with the team boarding a flight to New York. It's on to the next city and the next set of obstacles. "We move on to another challenge in New York," said manager Buck Showalter. "A team that's playing well, and try to deal with the issues that teams face - weather, hostile environment. But our guys will be ready." The Yankees...

The big topic of discussion in the press box during tonight's 7-4 Nationals win was White Sox manager Robin Ventura's decision to intentionally walk Bryce Harper with two outs and Ryan Zimmerman on deck in the fifth inning. Harper, while he's on fire and possesses a world of talent, has played just 148 games in his big league career. Zimmerman has a proven track record, having performed at a high level over nine major league seasons. We're just nine games into the season. You don't often...

BOSTON - Adam Jones and Chris Davis were a combined 3-for-7 tonight with a double, home run, three RBIs, two walks and a run scored. In other words, their standard night. The duo is batting a combined .434 with seven homers and 29 RBIs. The rest of the team is batting .217 with four homers and 14 RBIs. "I think everyone thought we were going to go get a middle-of-the-lineup hitter," Jones said. "I'm glad what (Dan) Duquette and (Buck) Showalter did. They put it upon the in-house (guys)....

The Nationals have played two series at home this season. They've swept them both. Tonight's 7-4 win over the White Sox gave the Nats another three-game sweep at Nats Park and made a winner of Dan Haren for the first time this season. While Haren allowed 10 hits, hit a batter and threw 101 pitches over five innings, he allowed just three runs and kept his team in the game. "You know, he's still not where he wants to be, I'm sure," manager Davey Johnson said of his starter. "They've...