ABERDEEN, Md. - He didn't get any hits Saturday in his first game since July 1, but Brian Roberts played all nine innings for the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds at Ripken Stadium in their 7-2 loss to Vermont. Roberts hopes to return for another game here tomorrow. "Got through nine innings, so we'll wait and see how everything goes tonight and in the morning," Roberts said. "I'm going to go into the stadium (Camden Yards) in the morning and see those guys (the training staff)...

Nationals rehabbers Jayson Werth (left wrist) and Chad Tracy (right adductor) delivered for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. Werth went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Tracy went 3-for-4 with an RBI as the Chiefs outlasted Lehigh Valley, 6-4. Werth had a RBI double in the fifth and a two-run single in the seventh. Manager Davey Johnson had said pregame that it looked like Tracy could be the first activated for Tuesday when the Nationals return from Milwaukee to play Philadelphia. But, it is a good...

The Orioles announced after tonight's 6-1 loss to the Athletics that reliever Miguel Socolovich has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. No corresponding move was included in the press release, but the Orioles are purchasing outfielder Lew Ford's contract from the Tides. Socolovich allowed one run and two hits in a career-high 2 2/3 innings tonight, with no walks and three strikeouts. In two stints with the Orioles, he's permitted seven earned runs and seven hits in four games. Socolovich...

Since making his major debut on Sept. 6 of last year, Corey Brown has had to wait quite a while for his first big league hit. I have a feeling the wait was worth it. Brown got in both the hit column and the home run column with one fourth-inning swing tonight, taking a Randy Wolf curveball out over the center field wall. The 26-year-old, who is only in the starting lineup tonight because Bryce Harper was a late scratch with a stomach virus, made his way around the bases and was greeted at...

The Orioles and Athletics were scoreless through three innings tonight before the home run bug bit Tommy Hunter again. You know exactly where it got him. Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run shot deep into the left field seats in the fourth to give Oakland a 2-0 lead. Hunter started off Cespedes with four consecutive four-seam fastballs. He threw an 83 mph slider and Cespedes launched it for his 14th homer of the season. Hunter has allowed 23 homers in 99 1/3 innings. In four innings tonight,...

ABERDEEN, Md - Wearing a blue No. 17 Aberdeen IronBirds jersey, but using his specially-designed Orioles batting helmet, Brian Roberts moved to the plate here a few moments ago for his first-ever at-bat in a New York-Penn League game. Starting what he hopes will be just a two-game rehab assignment before he can rejoin the Orioles, Roberts led off the last of the first drawing a walk on a 3-2 pitch. He scored moments later when Creede Simpson ripped an RBI double into the gap in...

Needing a right-handed hitter and a deeper bench, the Orioles are prepared to purchase outfielder Lew Ford's contract from Triple-A Norfolk tomorrow and add him to the 25- and 40-man rosters. Ford is batting .331/.390/.550 with 14 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 40 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 62 games at Norfolk. He's not in the Tides' lineup tonight. Ford, 35, hasn't played in the majors since 2007 with the Twins. He's a career .272/.349/.402 hitter in 494 games over parts of...

Bryce Harper has been scratched from tonight's game due to a stomach virus, forcing manager Davey Johnson to shuffle his starting lineup just a bit. Corey Brown will now play center field as the Nationals take on the Brewers in Milwaukee. Brown will also take over Harper's No. 2 spot in the batting order. According to the Nationals, Harper will be available to pinch hit tonight, indicating that the virus isn't anything serious. It has been enough to knock the rookie out of the starting...

Robert Andino took batting practice again today and is ready for his injury-rehab assignment to begin tomorrow at Triple-A Norfolk. Andino could be activated on Tuesday on the first day that he's eligible to come off the disabled list. "We'll see. I'll probably play two games and see what happens after that," he said. The original projection had Andino being out three to four weeks with a strained left shoulder, but he's way ahead of schedule. "Every day, it really got better," he...

ABERDEEN, Md. - After taking his cuts during batting practice in front of short-season Single-A Aberdeen manager Gary Allenson, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is going to bat leadoff and play second tonight for the IronBirds. His goal is to play nine innings the next two days here with the IronBirds and come through the games healthy enough to rejoin the Orioles for a road trip that begins Monday in New York. Roberts has been on the disabled list since July 3 with a labral tear in his...