Wondering how Drew Storen will be used once he's back from his lengthy rehab from elbow surgery? If so, this entry's for you. Manager Davey Johnson said again today that Tyler Clippard will remain his closer once Storen is back with the Nationals, which the team expects to be just after the All-Star break. Johnson feels Clippard is closing as well as anyone in the league right now, and the numbers back him up on that. So with Clippard in the ninth-inning role and Sean Burnett proving to be...

The Orioles recalled first baseman Joe Mahoney today, but he's not in the lineup. His major league debut will have to wait. Mark Reynolds is playing first base and batting eighth. Jim Thome continues to serve as the designated hitter. For the Orioles: Xavier Avery LF J.J. Hardy SS Chris Davis RF Adam Jones CF Jim Thome DH Matt Wieters C Wilson Betemit 3B Mark Reynolds 1B Robert Andino 2B Jake Arrieta RHP For the Angels: Mike Trout CF Torii Hunter RF Albert Pujols 1B Kendrys Morales...

The last couple days, Jayson Werth has been back in his familiar spot in right field. OK, it's only been during batting practice, as Werth has been shagging fly balls of the bats of his teammates. But still, Werth has at least started to return to baseball activities more than eight weeks after breaking his left wrist in a game against the Phillies. Werth still feels a little discomfort in his wrist when he extends it in a hitting motion, so the team won't have him start swinging a bat just...

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled INF Joe Mahoney from Triple-A Norfolk. Mahoney has batted .257/.312/.357 with 14 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBI in 84 games with the Tides this season. Originally selected by the Orioles in the sixth round of the 2007 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Richmond, Mahoney will be making his major league debut. He will wear jersey number 54.

Instead of heading to Kansas City over the All-Star break, Bryce Harper will be going to Las Vegas. Despite plenty of fan support in the voting on MLB.com and on Twitter, Harper came up short in a bid to earn the final spot on the National League All-Star team. Cardinals third baseman David Freese won the NL portion of the Final Vote, while Rangers starter Yu Darvish was the American League choice. Harper ended up coming in third in the NL voting, behind Freese and Atlanta's Michael Bourn....

When Ian Desmond returns to the Nationals dugout after hitting a home run, he gets the usual handshakes and high fives. But if you watch MASN, you'll see another courtesy extended a player who returns after circling the bases or some other significant offense accomplishment. The batting helmet on a player's head doesn't stay there for long. In a sea of arms, a teammate's hands reach out and pluck the headgear. What started as a simple congratulatory maneuver has become a celebratory rite...

Major League Baseball has announced that Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish and Cardinals infielder David Freese are the Final Vote winners for the 2012 All-Star Game on July 10 in Kansas City. Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel was a finalist, but he couldn't overtake Darvish and White Sox's pitcher Jake Peavy. Royals closer Jonathan Broxton and Angels reliever Ernesto Frieri also were finalists. Hammel is 8-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 16 starts, with 97 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings. The right-hander has lost...

It seemed like fans and reporters alike were saying the same thing Wednesday - "Where did this come from?" - as they watched Chris Tillman take a one-hit shutout into the ninth inning at Seattle. Tillman's average fastball velocity in his major league starts in 2011 was 89.3 mph and he averaged 95 mph in Seattle and topped that late in the game as his velocity held strong for 125 pitches. Plus, Tillman's delivery was different than what we had seen from him in the past. It was more...

When Bryce Harper first got brought up to the big leagues, it was his patience at the plate which impressed me maybe more than anything else. Yes, he was athletic and had a smooth swing and played the game hard. But we knew he'd bring all that to the table. We didn't know that the 19-year-old with massive power and a desire to prove he was a big leaguer would be able to lay off tough pitches out of the zone and wait for something over the fat part of the plate. A couple weeks ago, however,...

Left-hander Zach Phillips has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, creating another roster move for the Orioles' top affiliate. The Orioles designated Phillips for assignment on June 30 to make room for Jim Thome on the 40-man roster. In his only appearance for the Orioles this year, Phillips allowed two earned runs and three hits and walked two batters in two-thirds on an inning. The Orioles had recalled him on May 8 while optioning pitcher Jason Berken. Phillips is...