As we all know, veteran Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts returned to competitive baseball last night as he played three innings for the Double-A Bowie Baysox last night. Roberts is playing for the Baysox as part of a rehabilitation assignment. He's missed much of the past two seasons dealing with post-concussion syndrome issues and other injuries. His Wednesday night was pretty mundane, as he walked in both his plate appearances and made some routine plays in the field. No matter what...

I usually use this space to delve into something that's caught my eye in the previous week of Nationals baseball. I try to examine whatever that might be using statistics, either the boxcar stats that come in the daily paper (you still read box scores, right?), or advanced stats, which really aren't all that advanced (it's still add, subtract, multiply and divide, just using some concepts you might not have thought about too much). But this week, I'm going to forget the statistics and...

You know what's fun? Being around opposing team's reporters and members of the national media and hearing them discuss Bryce Harper. Those of us who watch the 19-year-old play every day are accustomed to his speed, power, baseball awareness (most of the time) and hustle. Those who haven't witnessed Harper in action as much are wowed by what they see even on days when the youngster doesn't light up the stat sheet. As I wrote last night, Harper's statistical performance in yesterday's...

PHILADELPHIA - Bryce Harper was asked after tonight's game whether he got the feeling early on that his old buddy Cole Hamels was going to keep the Nationals off-balance all night. "Um, me personally, no," Harper said. "But maybe for everybody else, I guess. I felt good against him." Harper went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk against Hamels tonight, but it was his first at-bat that he was lamenting after the game. The Nats right fielder took a 90 mph cutter out to deep left in the...

In case you don't recognize it, the Orioles are experiencing what is commonly known as an "off-day." No reason to report to the ballpark. No workout, no game, no interviews. The rainout that proceeded the doubleheader against the Rangers doesn't count in manager Buck Showalter's book. Players still had to show up at Camden Yards. They hit in the indoor cage and watched video and dressed in front of each other. That's not an "off-day." I'm going to have one of those, too, but not...

PHILADELPHIA - After a bit of a shaky start, Edwin Jackson settled down and ended up allowing just three runs over seven innings in tonight's loss to the Phillies. Jackson just got out-pitched by Cole Hamels, who held Nationals hitters in check for a second straight start. "I thought Edwin pitched a damn good ballgame, we just couldn't get nothing going against Hamels," manager Davey Johnson said. "You've got to give him credit. Pitched a good ballgame, and by the time we got something...

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals have won 10 series this season. They still only have one sweep, and that was of the two-game variety. For the ninth time this season, the Nationals entered a series finale with a chance to earn a sweep and came up short. They lost to the Phillies 4-1, with Cole Hamels again cruising through an outing against Nats hitters. He held them scoreless over eight innings, allowing just four hits and three walks and striking out eight. The Nats had chances, but Hamels was...

BOWIE, Md. - Even though he batted twice without once swinging at a single pitch, Brian Roberts was pleased with his first game back tonight at Double-A Bowie as he began a 20-day rehab assignment that he hopes leads him back to the major leagues. "Exciting. Fun," Roberts said of getting back in the batter's box for the first time since May 16, 2011. "You realize how much you enjoy playing the game and how fortunate and blessed I have been to play this long to begin with. Hoping to have...

PHILADELPHIA - While Cole Hamels' actual outing against the Nationals back on May 6 might have gotten overlooked because of the Bryce Harper plunking, the Phillies lefty dominated Nats' hitters that day, allowing just one run and five hits over eight innings. Hamels has continued that dominance tonight. The Nats have yet to record a hit off Hamels through five innings, and they've been set down on strikes five times. Hamels has walked three Nats, but the scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park...

PHILADELPHIA - Nationals players aren't the only ones dealing with injuries. Their manager is, too. Davey Johnson has been battling a toe injury which originally came about back in his football playing days, but has cropped up recently. He's going to see a toe specialist in Baltimore during the Nats' off-day, but scoffed when asked if there's a chance of him missing any games. "I'm not missing no games," Johnson said. "I'm missing my day off and playing golf and hustling some of the...