More news nuggets to hold you until dinner. Choose your own dipping sauce. Tsuyoshi Wada will get a second opinion on his left elbow from Dr. Lewis Yocum in Calfornia. Yocum removed bone chips from Wada's elbow in 2007 and also did the Japanese pitcher's physical in December before he signed with the Orioles. An MRA revealed a damaged ligament in Wada's elbow, which didn't appear during the physical. The pain apparently is in a different location from what Wada experienced in spring...

One night after Ryan Flaherty started at third base for the Orioles, the Rule 5 pick moves over to second base as Robert Andino's replacement. Andino is in Miami for the birth of his daughter. He's also celebrating a birthday. Nolan Reimold remains out of the lineup. For the Orioles: Endy Chavez LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Chris Davis 1B Wilson Betemit 3B Mark Reynolds DH Ryan Flaherty 2B Jason Hammel RHP Also, Jason Berken is in the clubhouse...

With Ryan Zimmerman still out because of a shoulder injury, Nationals manager Davey Johnson has Chad Tracy hitting third and playing third base today against the Padres. Hey, why not reward the guy for his massive two-run, pinch-hit single last night? Tracy's big hit yesterday snapped an 0-for-11 skid. He'll have a few chances to up his .200 average today against Padres righty Joe Wieland, who is 0-2 with a 4.30 ERA this season. With Wieland on the mound, Johnson has all of his left-handed...

With cleanup hitter Michael Morse on the shelf for quite some time with a strained lat muscle, and now the news that third baseman Ryan Zimmerman could be headed to the disabled list with a shoulder injury, the time is now to get some power into this lineup. Mark DeRosa, Xavier Nady, Steve Lombardozzi and Chad Tracy are all outstanding utility players that combine energy, experience and ability to keep this team on pace. It is obvious the Nationals' pitching is for real. It still has a long...

While it certainly hasn't been easy considering the lack of power in their lineup, the Nationals have been able to scratch and claw their way to wins without cleanup hitter Michael Morse, who is currently shut down with a strained lat muscle. They've made do without Drew Storen, who saved a whopping 43 games last season but is out until around the All-Star break because of elbow surgery. But if they're without Ryan Zimmerman for any extended period of time, the Nats might be in...

For many Orioles fans, Jon Miller will be the voice most associated with Camden Yards. He was the lead play-by-play radio broadcaster when the team moved downtown from 33rd Street, and his call of Cal Ripken's 2,131st game is nothing short of iconic. It's little wonder Miller was presented the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence in 2010 by the Nationals Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., joining legendary O's voice Chuck Thompson (1993) on the roll of winners. If...

I kind of came to this conclusion long before yesterday, but being at Perdue Stadium on Tuesday afternoon and night reinforced the thought: The Delmarva Shorebirds are going to be an exciting young team to watch this year and that team may have a heckuva season in 2012. Led by a young pitching staff filled with good arms, some of the organization's top picks from the 2011 draft and a speedy outfield, I think there is a decent chance that Delmarva, which is 10-8 now, could really take off over...

One thing we know for certain: Fourteen years of poor performance has taken a toll on the fan base. It has thinned the ranks of casual fans, of course; that much is obvious. But I believe it has thinned the ranks of die-hards as well. Across the board, there just aren't as many Orioles fans as there used to be. The evidence is anecdotal but extant. That the O's are off to a decent start and the NFL draft still dominates sports talk radio says quite a bit. That online comment forums are often...

As it stands, the Nationals are 13-4 and the division rival Phillies are 8-10. It's early yet, but that doesn't mean it's not fun for fans to fantasize about winning baseball in Washington. This tiny taste of what it feels like to sit atop the standings for more than a day or two is special for long-time Nats fans. It's been less than a decade, but the die-hard Nats fan contingent have held out for what they expected would eventually occur. These are the fans who braved the conditions at...

How's it all look from up top, folks? Think you could get used to this view? After toiling toward the bottom of the league for the vast majority of their previous seven years of existence, the Nationals went to bed last night owners of the best record in the National League. Their 3-1 victory over the Padres yesterday coupled with the Dodgers' loss to the Braves made Washington's 13-4 mark tops in the NL and tied the franchise record for best 17-game start to a season. It's still...