The Orioles today announced that they have optioned left-hander Zach Britton, infielder Jonathan Schoop and infielder Yamaico Navarro to Triple-A Norfolk and have reassigned right-hander Daniel McCutchen to minor league camp. With the assignment, the Orioles now have 40 players at major league spring training, including 11 non-roster invitees.

In addition to reassigning pitcher Daniel McCutchen to minor league camp earlier this morning, the Orioles have made three more cuts today. The club optioned left-hander Zach Britton and infielders Jonathan Schoop and Yamaico Navarro to Triple-A Norfolk. While Schoop and Navarro weren't expected to make the 25-man roster, Britton was in the thick of the competition for the fifth starter's job. Sending the 25-year-old to the minors begins to clear up the rotation picture, as Jake Arrieta...

SARASOTA, Fla. - You can include Tommy Hunter on your list of pitchers who are amused and challenged by the free-swinging minor leaguers who stand in the box against them at Twin Lakes Park. Hunter threw 51 pitches yesterday against a group of Tampa Bay Rays Single-A hitters while the Orioles were playing in Port Charlotte. "I felt pretty good," he said. "Got my work in. They swung at a lot of pitches, so it's hard to really ..." No need to finish the thought, though Hunter came back to...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles reassigned pitcher Daniel McCutchen to minor league camp this morning, reducing their roster to 43 players. More cuts are expected later today. McCutchen allowed five runs in 7 1/3 innings this spring, all of them coming in a March 7 game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He lowered his arm slot after that outing, at the suggestion of manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Rick Adair, and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings over three appearances. He also picked up a...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Nolan Reimold is starting in right field for the Orioles in today's game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Ed Smith Stadium. Nate McLouth is starting in left field. Maybe they'll change positions every inning. For the Orioles: Nate McLouth LF Brian Roberts 2B Chris Davis 1B Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Nolan Reimold RF Manny Machado 3B Steve Pearce DH Wei-Yin Chen LHP Mark Hendrickson is back in camp after leaving the team earlier this week for...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Antonio Bastardo is arriving in Sarasota later today with the Philadelphia Phillies, so you know it's going to be a good day. Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen gets to pitch in a Grapefruit League game, which hasn't happened since March 8. He's only done it twice this spring. Jim Johnson and Darren O'Day also are scheduled to pitch today. For the Phillies: Ben Revere CF Jimmy Rollins SS Chase Utley 2B Ryan Howard 1B Michael Young 3B Domonic Brown RF John Mayberry LF Steve...

Nice return to the Orioles. Rejoining the Orioles Wednesday after playing in the World Baseball Classic, the club's No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America had a big game Friday. Jonathan Schoop got the start at shortstop against Tampa Bay and went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer off Jeff Niemann. Schoop has some power potential and delivered a huge three-run homer against Cuba in the WBC. But fans wonder and ask often about his defense. He can play at second, short and third and was...

VIERA, Fla - Before I head over to Orlando International Airport for the flight back to Baltimore, I wanted to pass along the Nationals lineup for today's 1:10 p.m. game against the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie. Consider it my going away gift to you. MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko will be at Tradition Field this afternoon and will handle coverage duties for the remainder of spring training, through the Nationals' March 29 exhibition game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. A...

VIERA, Fla. - Want to get a good indication of just how well Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is hitting in spring training? Check out his batting practice session and see how many sharp ground balls are rocketing off his bat. A 1-for-3 day in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers upped his Grapefruit League batting average to .316, and continued to dispel any worries about Espinosa's decision to strengthen his torn left rotator cuff instead of opting for offseason surgery. He's been...

VIERA, Fla. - As soon as the ball came off Prince Fielder's bat in the fourth inning, Stephen Strasburg immediately knew two things: The screamer was coming right at him, and he had a shot to catch it. The ball hit him, and he didn't snag it. And as it caromed into short center field for a single, all eyes turned to the mound as Nationals personnel descended upon the ace to make sure he was OK. It was the kind of reaction play that can either be a pitcher's best friend or worst enemy....