You could have tried to wipe the big smile off Lew Ford's face this morning, but you would not have been able to do it. The 35-year-old Ford has not played in the majors since 2007 with the Twins. Since then, he's played in Mexico, Japan and in the Atlantic League. But after being called up by the Orioles, he is back in the American League and will bat fifth in left field today for the Birds. No major league team would give him a chance in spring training, and he began the 2012 season with...

The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Lew Ford from Triple-A Norfolk. Ford batted .331/.390/.550 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 62 games (242 at-bats) for the Tides this season. He last played in the majors in 2007, batting .233/.315/.362 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 55 games for Minnesota. He is a career .272/.349/.402 hitter with 32 home runs and 172 RBI in 494 games over five major league seasons (2003-07). Ford will wear #51 and his...

Lew Ford will appear in his first major league game in five years today when he starts in left field and bats fifth for the Orioles. Omar Quintanilla gets another start at second base. For the Orioles: Nick Markakis RF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Lew Ford LF Mark Reynolds 1B Chris Davis DH Wilson Betemit 3B Omar Quintanilla 2B Wei-Yin Chen LHP For the Athletics: Jemile Weeks 2B Jonny Gomes DH Josh Reddick RF Yoenis Cespedes CF Chris Carter 1B Brandon Inge 3B Derek Norris...

Jordan Zimmermann will enter the month of August with a 2.28 ERA, fourth-best in the majors. He'll go into his next start having allowed either zero or one run in seven straight outings. He wraps up July having worked at least six innings in all 21 of his starts this season, a streak topped by only Justin Verlander. He's only lost one game in the last two months. Yeah, the guy's on a decent little run right now. Last night, Zimmermann put on a clinic in his first big league start in his...

Outfielder Lew Ford has arrived in Baltimore. He tweeted a photo of his view overlooking Camden Yards. With the Athletics sending left-hander Travis Blackley to the mound today, Ford could appear in his first major league game since September 2007. Orioles manager Buck Showalter will have to choose between two left-handed hitters to play second base. Not exactly an advantageous matchup, but that's how the roster is constructed until Brian Roberts and Robert Andino come off the disabled list...

The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned RHP Miguel Socolovich to Triple-A Norfolk. Socolovich allowed one earned run in a new career-high 2.2 innings pitched in tonight's game. In two stints with the Orioles, he pitched to a 9.00 ERA (7.0IP, 7ER) over four games.

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...