After missing the last two games with tightness in his back, Adam LaRoche is back in the lineup tonight for the Nationals' series opener against the White Sox. Including yesterday's off-day, LaRoche had three days to rest his ailing back, which initially tightened up on him late in the Nationals' series against the Marlins last week. The cold weather at Nats Park likely contributed to the discomfort. He told reporters Sunday that he was feeling better and apparently has been cleared to give...

Orioles 2011 first-round pick Dylan Bundy is still in Florida in rehab mode dealing with mild tightness in his right elbow. I've heard there have been no setbacks, but he has yet to throw any bullpen sessions. The club is just being cautious with a young prospect. He is now pain-free and is on a strengthening program. We are likely looking at a timetable of a few weeks or more before he could pitch in any games, since he'll have to build arm strength back up and likely pitch in a simulated...

I've decided that I would like a montage of moments from my life set to "One Shining Moment" and played at my funeral. I'm not sure whether I'm kidding or not. Is that weird? I don't care. Now I just have to get to work on creating some actual shining moments. I'm not sure me sitting on my sofa eating nachos will cut it. If you haven't yet seen how the Rangers-Rays game ended last night, take a look. Yikes. Just a bit outside. Nationals manager Davey Johnson knew going into the...

Get your finger off the panic button. The Orioles are only seven games into the 2013 season. You're not allowed to worry yet. The old cliche saying goes, "a baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint," and right now the Orioles just finished mile one of 26.2. If this were a movie, we'd be halfway through the opening credits. If it were a football season, we'd be in the third quarter of week one. Sure, three-game losing streaks are nothing to be happy about and Orioles fans haven't seen...

BOSTON - If you think the Orioles have hit a rough patch, consider what's happening at Triple-A Norfolk. The Tides gave up three touchdowns last night and lost to Charlotte 21-4. Outfielder Jason Pridie, pitching for the first time since high school, threw two fastballs and recorded the final out. Pridie tweeted that his two-seamer had some nice movement. Good to know, just in case the Orioles get lured into another 17-inning marathon. The Orioles are off today, and center fielder Adam...

We already know that Manny Machado is a very talented young player. But a conversation I had with him in the clubhouse Sunday morning provided further proof that the kid is a very smart and savvy player also. Machado never batted second in the minors for the Orioles. But he's batting second now for the big club. I wanted to know if batting second means he goes into games with a certain approach or outlook to his at-bats in mind. Does he go in with a specific game plan? "It just all depends...

BOSTON - The Orioles are below .500 for the first time since 2011. They've lost three games in a row. Adam Jones isn't concerned and he wonders why anyone would be at this early stage of the season. "Seven games into the season," he said. "I mean, seven games into the season. No one's concerned." Are the Orioles badly in need of Tuesday's off day after losing their last three games? Jones had a little fun with that one. "We might spend it all day tomorrow crying as a team, holding...

BOSTON - The Orioles wasted a solid outing from left-hander Wei-Yin Chen today in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Chen took a shutout into the seventh inning before Dustin Pedroia reached on an infield hit up the middle, Mike Napoli doubled on a towering fly ball to left-center field and Daniel Nava launched a fastball over the Green Monster in left. Ballgame. "He was great," said manager Buck Showalter. "One mistake. We didn't do much offensively and both guys pitched really well up...

The Nationals' home opener in 2012 was against the Cincinnati Reds. They won three of the first four at Nationals Park to set up a truly successful first month and got the season rolling toward 98 wins. The Reds didn't like that movie and let Washington know they will be playing a very different role this year. The Reds had the second best record in the National League last year, winning 97 games. With Shin-Soo Choo at the top of their order, they are going to be even better. Choo's...

Last season, the Orioles never once fell under the .500 mark on their way to 93 wins and the playoffs. They won't be able to say that about this year. The Orioles are now 3-4 and lost their third straight game today as Boston won its home opener 3-1 over the Orioles at Fenway Park. It's the first three-game losing streak for the O's since last July 23-25. The Orioles, who scored 29 runs in their first four games, had gone 15 consecutive innings without a run until Adam Jones' solo homer...