JUPITER, Fla. - With Michael Morse looking increasingly unlikely to be ready for opening day, manager Davey Johnson has started thinking about Plan B. Or, should I say, Plan C. Or D. That plan, whichever letter is attached to it, is using infielder Steve Lombardozzi in left field on occasion. The experiment was put into action yesterday in the Nats' 3-2 loss to the Braves, when Lombardozzi trotted out to left in the middle innings. He'd taken part in his first outfield training session...

JUPITER, Fla. - Other than a couple minor bumps in the road, everything had gone pretty smoothly for Gio Gonzalez in his first three spring starts. Including stats from a rained out game March 11, he'd thrown 10 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run, five hits and four walks in that time, with 10 strikeouts. That's good for a 0.87 ERA. In today's 9-0 loss to the Cardinals, things didn't go quite so smoothly for Gonzalez. And that's a massive understatement. Gonzalez's spring ERA...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Trent Mummey hit a two-run homer today to complete the scoring in the Orioles' 11-1 victory over the Twins at Hammond Stadium. Dana Eveland gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning. He tossed three perfect innings in his previous outing. Chris Tillman struck out the side in the eighth in his shortest outing this spring - manager Buck Showalter wanted him to turn it loose for one inning - and Pat Neshek retired the side in order in the ninth. Wei-Yin...

JUPITER, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez retired two of the nine batters he faced in the fourth inning today against the Cardinals. He gave up a two-run homer, two doubles, two singles and two walks, all in that frame. Not exactly his finest outing. The Nationals lefty was pulled after 3 2/3 innings of work, having allowed eight earned runs overall, 10 hits and four walks. He struck out three and threw 83 pitches, 50 for strikes. Hey, at least he built that pitch count up. Ryan Mattheus came on to...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - While Taiwanese left-hander Wei-Yin Chen faces the Minnesota Twins today at Hammond Stadium, Japanese lefty Tsuyoshi Wada is pitching against a collection of Boston Red Sox Double-A players at Twin Lakes Park. Wada was allowed to go three innings and throw 46 pitches, including 31 for strikes. He faced 13 batters under those flexible rules. Wada allowed one unearned run and two hits, walked none and struck out two. Slowed early in camp by a sore elbow, Wada has appeared in...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty drove in two more runs today, increasing the Orioles' lead to 3-1 over the Twins in the second inning and increasing his chances of making the club. Flaherty tripled to center field, scoring Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis. The Orioles almost hit for the cycle that inning, with Betemit reaching on a single and Davis following with a double. Flaherty is 9-for-33 this spring with one double, two triples, one homer and seven RBIs. Only Adam Jones...

JUPITER, Fla. - About 90 percent of Davey Johnson's pregame session with reporters consisted of injury discussions. Hey, there's suddenly lots to talk about on that front. Johnson said closer Drew Storen is still feeling some discomfort in his bicep and triceps after playing catch yesterday. The team will take things very carefully with the 24-year-old over the next few days. "Storen is getting further tests on his condition on his arm and he's still had small discomfort when he threw on...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter got hung up in a huge traffic jam on I-75, so he wasn't available to the media before today's game against the Twins. He arrived about 15 minutes before the anthem. I had the same issue, but I left the complex earlier and made it with room to spare. A typical Florida accident, where the car looks like a crushed aluminum can. They're called "fender benders" down here. People barely notice, except when traffic is backed up for miles and everyone...

JUPITER, Fla. - Michael Morse's chances of being in the Nationals' lineup on opening day are apparently decreasing. Manager Davey Johnson said that a definite timetable has not yet been set for Morse to return to action, as he's still having problems with a strained lat muscle, but that it would probably be "a couple weeks" before Morse will begin baseball activities. Morse feels OK, but the Nationals are playing things safe with their projected starting left fielder and cleanup hitter,...

Since I was not invited to the meetings, I can't say for sure how involved Andy MacPhail was or was not when it came to decisions involving Orioles minor leaguers over his time with the club. But it sure does seem that first-year executive vice president Dan Duquette, who clearly takes a large and active interest in player development, will have a big say in which players end up with which minor league teams when the seasons begin in a few weeks. Duquette figures to be the final arbiter when...