BRADENTON, Fla. - Forgive the earlier typo. Matt Wieters is catching and Ronny Paulino is serving as the designated hitter. Here's more from second baseman Brian Roberts, who will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list and accompany the team to Baltimore for opening day: Is this news an important part of his progression? "Every day is a bigger step than the day before," he said. "My doctor thinks this is a huge part of this process, being in those environments. When you have these...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts will go on the 15-day disabled list and head north with the Orioles rather than stay back at extended spring training. He'll continue to take batting practice and infield, and expects to accompany his teammates to Toronto and Chicago on the first road trip. He'll probably skip Anaheim. "That's the plan now, try to stay with the team and go that way," he said. "I really didn't want to be separated again and be down here away from my teammates...

VIERA, Fla. - Just a couple hours after Davey Johnson anointed John Lannan his fifth starter, the lefty showed that he might be close to being regular season-ready. Lannan retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced today, striking out three Astros hitters in his first four innings of work. He allowed a solo home run to Houston third baseman Chris Johnson in the second inning, and then gave up one more run in the fifth, but overall, Lannan looked really sharp. He mixed his pitches well,...

Endy Chavez may prove to be a real nice pickup for the Orioles this year. He has been among the team's best hitters at spring training. In fact, he is batting .500 at 14-for-28. That is robust. Some have even speculated that Chavez could get some playing time in left field this year - and maybe even play ahead of Nolan Reimold. I say that is crazy talk. It's time to see what Reimold can do once and for all as a regular for this club and three good weeks or so at camp by Chavez should not...

Earlier today, I published an entry with new Orioles director of pitching development Rick Peterson and his goal to have the organization's pitchers work down in the strike zone and get quick outs this year. As it relates to less-experienced minor league pitchers, Peterson wants them to become better at the mental part of the game. "One thing we want is to get them to think properly and process properly in game competition, especially the most talented pitchers," Peterson said. "When...

VIERA, Fla. - If it wasn't already clear that John Lannan was lined up to be the Nationals' fifth starter with Chien-Ming Wang injured, it's clear now. As clear as can be. "John's my guy," manager Davey Johnson said today. There you have it. Wang appeared to be a lock for the final spot in the Nats' rotation when he came back healthy this spring and was throwing the ball well, but once the veteran righty went down with a strained left hamstring March 15, Johnson needed to look to one...

VIERA, Fla. - Apparently, Jayson Werth's monster home run yesterday really did make a crash landing on his truck. Werth told reporters this morning that several witnesses saw the baseball nail the truck and that there was a "smoldering crater in the hood". The Nationals right fielder might have taken some liberties with that story, but regardless, yesterday's blast was hit far enough to clear a patio area beyond the left-field fence, fly through a patch of trees and come down all the way...

Opening day is like Christmas morning and New Year's Day rolled into one for baseball fans, filled with eager anticipation and a feeling of renewal. When fans stream into Camden Yards on April 6 for the season opener against the Minnesota Twins, they'll also get to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking ballpark and check out some new additions, the product of an offseason's worth of busy construction activity. This morning, the Orioles released the first artist's rendering...

Today, the Orioles unveiled the first rendering showcasing the improvements taking place at Oriole Park at Camden Yards for 2012. The renovations, which are part of a multi-year plan, represent the club's continued commitment to honor the proud history of the franchise, improve the design aesthetic and functionality of the park, and enrich the overall fan experience. "This most recent phase of upgrades continues to tell a story about one of the most iconic parks in baseball history," said...

VIERA, Fla. - His teammates have noticed a change. "He's been a different guy," Ryan Zimmerman said. His manager is seeing definite improvements. "That's the hardest ball I've seen him hit since he's been here and I've been here," Davey Johnson said yesterday. Heck, even Jayson Werth himself is willing to acknowledge that he's in a better place this spring training than he was last year at this time. "A lot's changed in a year, I'd say," Werth said. The 2011 season was...