PHILADELPHIA - It's clear at this point that Michael Morse is going to have to play though his lingering wrist and hand issues for the rest of this season. He won't be 100 percent healthy the rest of the way out, and a lot of Morse's performance will be about how much he'll be able to tolerate, and fight through, any pain he feels when swinging. Morse is in the Nationals' lineup tonight, but manager Davey Johnson admits that he doesn't have a lot of faith that Morse is back healthy...

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis has a new cast on his left hand and is still expected to have the pins removed from his thumb while the Orioles are in Tampa Oct. 1-3. The cast will be replaced by a splint. Today's pregame media session was dominated by injury news and updates, beginning with pitcher Randy Wolf, who's experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired left elbow and will be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum. Appointments with Yocum and Dr. James Andrews rarely lead to good...

Dylan Bundy will get an award tonight at Camden Yards. To no one's surprise, he was the easy choice as this season's winner of the Jim Palmer Award, which goes to the Orioles' minor league Pitcher of the Year. "It's a good honor and I'm blessed to have that," Bundy said. "I'll take that award with honor. It's a huge honor for an award being named after Jim Palmer. Not really sure what the words are for that, but it's exciting. "My goal at the beginning of the year was to be in...

Orioles pitcher Randy Wolf underwent an MRI on his left elbow today and will consult with Dr. Lewis Yocum, who performed his ligament-reconstructive surgery back in 2005. The club isn't saying much about the injury beyond how Wolf felt discomfort in the elbow while throwing a curveball in the fifth inning of Saturday's start in Boston. Manager Buck Showalter wouldn't discuss Wolf's status with reporters until conferring with the veteran pitcher. Showalter said there are two or there...

The Nationals will have an extra dose of power tonight against Cole Hamels, as slugger Michael Morse returns to the lineup. He'll bat fifth and start in left field as Washington draws closer to its first division crown since moving to the nation's capital. For the Nationals: RF Jayson Werth CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche LF Michael Morse SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa C Kurt Suzuki P Ross Detwiler For the Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins CF John Mayberry 2B Chase...

Manager Davey Johnson said Monday he would consider Christian Garcia as a starter next season. Going up to Garcia and saying this, Johnson said the right-hander responded, "I'm good with being in the bullpen." "Of course you are," Johnson laughed. "You are in the major leagues". But Double-A Harrisburg pitching coach Paul Menhart, who worked with Garcia before he was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, said Garcia can start because that is all he ever knew coming into this season. "That...

PHILADELPHIA - It's an absolutely gorgeous day at Citizens Bank Park, as the Nationals get set to open a three-game set with the Phillies. The Nats won't see Cliff Lee in this series, but they're likely to get two of the Phillies' other big three starters. Cole Hamels will take the mound tonight, Kyle Kendrick will go tomorrow and while the Phillies haven't officially announced their starter for the series finale on Thursday, Roy Halladay would be able to get the start on regular...

The Orioles today announced the winners of their player development and scouting awards for 2012, including outfielder LJ Hoes as the club's top minor league player and right-hander Dylan Bundy as the club's top minor league pitcher. The winners will be honored before tonight's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Hoes, the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year, hit a combined .287 with five home runs and 54 runs batted in for Norfolk and Bowie. He also had a .372 on-base...

As expected, the Orioles have named outfielder LJ Hoes as their minor league Player of the Year and Dylan Bundy as their minor league Pitcher of the Year. The winners will be honored before tonight's game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Hoes will receive the Brooks Robinson Award after batting a combined .287 with five home runs and 54 RBIs for Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie. He also had a .372 on-base percentage, 20 stolen bases and 79 runs scored - the latter stat...

What can be said, written or thought about Brooks Robinson that hasn't already been said, written or thought? Simply put, he's Mr. Oriole, the enduring face of the franchise when the O's finally weaved themselves into the tapestry that is Baltimore, right beside steamed crabs, marble stoops and painted screen doors. If you don't have a Brooks Robinson autograph, that means you've probably never tried. As a kid, I remember thinking how cool it was for the best third baseman of all time to...