The Orioles announced that Tommy Hunter will start the second game of the season Saturday, so we know the top three pitchers in the rotation. Jake Arrieta, Hunter and Jason Hammel will start against the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards. The assumption is that left-handers Wei-Yin Chen and Brian Matusz will start the first two games against the New York Yankees. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters in Norfolk today that he'll announce the rest of the rotation and the Orioles' 25-man roster...

NORFOLK, Va. - Besides telling reporters that Tommy Hunter will start the second game of the season between Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel, Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't reveal any new news today here during pre-game interviews at Harbor Park. Showalter said he would announce his five-man rotation and any final roster moves after today's game with the Tides. It still appears that Wei-Yin Chen and Brian Matusz will round out the rotation, but it just has not yet been...

With all the hoopla surrounding the Nationals' decision to option John Lannan to Triple-A Syracuse and slide Ross Detwiler into the starting rotation, a couple other roster decisions might have gotten overlooked. The Lannan move opened up a roster spot that allowed the Nationals to keep right-hander Craig Stammen, who would have been ticketed for Syracuse's rotation had Lannan broken camp with the major league club. Stammen put together a very strong spring, posting a 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3...

NORFOLK, Va. - Here are today's starting lineups for the 3 p.m exhibition game with the Orioles playing the Triple-A Tides here in Norfolk. Orioles LF - Endy Chavez SS - J.J. Hardy RF - Nick Markakis CF - Adam Jones DH - Nick Johnson C - Matt Wieters 3B - Mark Reynolds 1B - Chris Davis 2B - Robert Andino Norfolk Tides CF - Xavier Avery SS - Steve Tolleson 2B - Ryan Adams DH - Josh Bell LF - Jamie Hoffman 1B - Joe Mahoney RF - Scott Beerer 3B - Zelous Wheeler C - John Hester Brian Matusz...

So much for there not being any surprise roster decisions at the end of Nationals spring training. So much for the Nats setting their rotation over a week ago, leaving only a couple bench spots and the final bullpen job up for grabs. So much for that whole "John's my guy" thing. Given the way the Nationals had acted ever since Chien-Ming Wang went down with a hamstring strain in mid-March, an injury which officially opened up a spot in their rotation, the decision to option John Lannan...

TAMPA, Fla. - I made it to my Airtran gate at the Tampa airport after having my hands "tested" by security because my photo ID was in my back pocket. I've had them slapped before, but never tested. Anyway, I'm happy to report that my hands passed the test and I'm allowed to fly home, where the forecast apparently calls for temperatures in the 70s (good news) and rain (bad news.) I'm up to exactly 6,600 Twitter followers (@MASNroch) after arriving at spring training below 6,000, so...

SALISBURY, Md. - After three innings of tonight's exhibition game at Perdue Stadium, Delmarva has a 2-1 lead on Salisbury University. Delmarva took a 1-0 lead in the last of the first. Glynn Davis led off with an infield single, stole second and third bases, and later scored on a Wynston Sawyer sac fly. Salisbury tied the game with a run in the top of the second before Delmarva moved ahead in the last of the third. John Ruettiger was hit by a pitch to lead the inning and then stole two bases...

The Washington Nationals today selected the contracts of outfielder Brett Carroll, outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady and first baseman Chad Tracy. The clubs also optioned left-handed pitcher John Lannan to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League, released right-handed pitcher Chad Durbin and placed right-handed pitcher Drew Storen (15-Day, retroactive to March 26), right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang (15-Day, retroactive to March 26), outfielder Rick Ankiel (15-Day, retroactive to...

In 2009 and 2010, the Nationals gave John Lannan the ball as their opening day starter. On Tuesday, flush with quality pitchers, unwilling to use Lannan out of the bullpen and confident that he had been outpitched in spring training, they optioned the left-hander and his $5 million contract to Triple-A Syracuse. Lannan's surprise demotion was the biggest of a series of transactions announced after the Nats' 8-7 loss to the Red Sox that got them down to the 25-man roster limit. The Nationals...

Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler and right-hander Craig Stammen received the news Tuesday that they had made the Nationals' opening day roster. Just one year ago, the pair had roomed together in Syracuse for the Triple-A Chiefs with hopes of working their way back to the majors. That quest has been realized. Detwiler will be the Nationals fifth starter and Stammen will pitch out of the bullpen. Stammen remembers the work they put in with the Chiefs for the opportunity to get back to...