Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman had four cortisone shots during the 2012 season as he battled inflammation in his right shoulder. Despite a slow start because of that aching shoulder, Zimmerman came on strong to finish with a .282 average, 25 homers and 95 RBIs. He also hit .381 in five games versus St. Louis in the National League Division Series. That critical third cortisone shot at Baltimore in late June turned his season around. Zimmerman underwent successful arthroscopic surgery...

He was not a high draft pick and he has made just one start in 89 career pro appearances. Jason Gurka hasn't garnered much attention during his Orioles minor league career, but after back-to-back very solid seasons, he has slowly but surely worked his way up and is someone worth watching in 2013. Gurka was the Orioles' 15th-round pick out of Angelina (Texas) Junior College in 2008. The Houston native turned 25 on Jan. 10. In his O's career, he is 8-8 with an ERA of 3.38 over 160 innings...

Washington Nationals broadcast partners Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) and 106.7 The Fan will broadcast a total of 13 Nationals Spring Training matchups throughout the weeks leading up to the start of the 2013 regular season. The Nationals 2013 Grapefruit League schedule features six games televised by MASN and five games airing on 106.7 The Fan, with five broadcasts on partner station CBS Sports Radio 1580. In addition, ESPN will broadcast the Nationals-New York Mets contest from Viera,...

Another member of the Orioles family has passed away. Former catcher Earl Williams, who spent the 1973 and 1974 seasons in Baltimore, died at 64. No other details are available at this time. Update: According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Williams was diagnosed with acute leukemia last July. The Orioles acquired Williams and Taylor Duncan from the Atlanta Braves on Nov. 30, 1972 for Davey Johnson, Pat Dobson, Roric Harrison and Johnny Oates. Williams batted .245/.330/.411 with 36 homers and...

The Nationals have released their 2013 spring training broadcast schedule, which begins Feb. 24 against the Miami Marlins with a radio game on 106.7 The Fan. The first televised game is Feb. 28 on MASN as the Nationals battle the New York Mets. Five games will also be broadcast on CBS Sports Radio 1580 AM, the first on Feb. 26 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., against the Atlanta Braves. MASN previously released its television schedule for spring training 2013. You can access that schedule here....

The Nationals do not want to have to go into their 2013 defense of the National League East crown without left-hander Gio Gonzalez. This week, however, Gonzalez's name was linked to a South Florida company that allegedly distributed performance-enhancing drugs to pro athletes. If, in a worst-case scenario, Gonzalez is suspended for any period of time, what kind of options do the Nationals have as a choice for a possible sixth starter? Free agents Javier Vazquez, Jonathan Sanchez, Joe...

One of the qualities shared by the Orioles' pitchers is their enthusiasm for competing in spring training. They keep insisting that they're looking forward to it, that it adds to the excitement in camp. I'd rather have a spot waiting for me, but that's how I roll. Don't judge me. "We were in the same position last year," said Steve Johnson, who will be fighting for a spot in the rotation. "There were a ton of pitchers in camp last year and I was in a little bit of a different...

Here we go again. Major League Baseball players are making headlines and being linked to using performance-enhancing drugs, or PEDs. Tuesday's story in the Miami New Times comes out and the national baseball press is again fixated on the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. This all follows by weeks the latest Hall of Fame vote announcement where no one was elected and where Roger Clemens got just 37.6 percent of the vote, Barry Bonds got 36.2 percent and Sammy Sosa got 12.5 percent. Seventy-five...

On Wednesday, February 20, the Orioles will hold the 3rd Annual OriolesREACH Birdland Golf Classic at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club to benefit the Miracle League of Manasota, an organization dedicated to providing an opportunity for every person to play baseball, regardless of their ability. The event begins with registration and lunch at 11 a.m. with a shotgun start set for 12:30 p.m. The classic will feature a silent auction and the chance to play a round with current and former...

The Miami New Times has released images they obtained from the notebooks of Anthony Bosch, an alleged distributor of performance-enhancing drugs, images that appear to connect Gio Gonzalez and his father Max to Bosch and his anti-aging clinic, Biogenesis. The images show the five times that Gonzalez, a 21-game winner with the Nationals last season, appeared in Bosch's records, and the according to the New Times, all five references come from the notebook marked "2012". Gonzalez's name...