SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter provided updates on a few injured players and heaped some serious praise on Steve Pearce as part of his pregame session with the media, which took place behind the cage while his club finished up batting practice. On Travyon Robinson: "He feels good. He feels good. We'll give him another day. He's having spasms, cramps. Richie (Bancells) feels he'll be back tomorrow. During the season, I could probably use him." On Ryan Flaherty starting...

After an overwhelming fan response last season, the Orioles have announced the return of the AT&T Fans' Choice Bobblehead promotion for 2013. Fans will once again be able to select the player they want to be immortalized in a bobblehead giveaway, scheduled to be distributed during Fan Appreciation Weekend on Sunday, September 29 to the first 20,000 fans age 15 and over. Fans can vote for any of five players selected by the Orioles who have not had a bobblehead before: left-hander Wei-Yin...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis took another round of batting practice today at Ed Smith Stadium and is expected to serve as the designated hitter for Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Markakis hasn't played since March 1 because of a herniated disc in his neck. His progression has taken him from hitting off a tee to soft toss to live batting practice the past two days. Markakis wouldn't be the only regular on the trip. Manager Buck Showalter...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman said his four-inning, 62-pitch outing yesterday at Twin Lakes Park was "really good" and he remains confident that he will avoid a trip to the disabled list. Tillman faced a group of Orioles minor leaguers in an 11 a.m. start, with pitching coach Rick Adair staying back to watch before joining manager Buck Showalter in Bradenton. "It went well," Tillman said. "I got the work in. Everything was there. Command was really good. I'm pretty happy with...

The Washington Nationals today placed right-handed pitcher Christian Garcia on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to March 22, with a right forearm tendon injury and outrighted infielder Carlos Rivero to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Rivero will remain in Major League Spring Training. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals currently have 31 players in their big league camp.

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...