LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It's always nice watching a young player begin to grow in front of our eyes, to evolve from a guy getting by on talent to one who starts to really get it. We saw a bit of that with Stephen Strasburg tonight; but we didn't see it until the Nationals starter's jersey was off and he had large bags of ice taped to various parts of his right arm. Strasburg's line tonight wasn't pretty. He went four innings against the Braves, and allowed four runs on five hits with...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Despite being quoted as saying he doesn't think he has a good chance to make the Nationals' 25-man opening day roster, Bryce Harper said tonight that his goal remains the same: Start the season in a big league uniform. A

Life is tough in the American League East. You don't have to tell the Orioles or any Orioles fan that. It's a division filled with top stars, top lineups, big payrolls, excellent farm systems and top pitching rotations. If you don't pitch well, you will get destroyed in this division, which features some of the best pitchers and rotations in the AL. Here is how I rank the starting fives in the East. 1 - Tampa Bay Rays James Shields David Price Jeremy Hellickson Matt Moore Jeff Niemann or...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The balls are flying out of Champion Stadium tonight, as the Nationals and Braves have combined to hit four home runs through four innings of play. Two have come off Nats' bats - a two-run shot from Chad Tracy and a solo blast by Jesus Flores - but the two that will draw the most attention were the homers hit off Nationals right Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg allowed four runs in his four innings of work, and surrendered longballs to Dan Uggla (a two-run shot in the...

The Orioles today announced that they have optioned infielder Joe Mahoney to Triple-A Norfolk, bringing their spring roster to 48 players.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Bryce Harper won't just be returning to the lineup tonight for the first time in a week after suffering a left calf injury. He'll also be playing center field. After a late lineup change, Harper will get the start in center for the Nationals tonight, with Roger Bernadina moving over to right field and Eury Perez manning left field. Update: Bernadina has been scratched from tonight's lineup because he's experiencing lightheadedness after having a tooth pulled...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles lost to the Pirates today, 11-5, but nobody sang "We Are Family." The day wasn't a total bust. The Orioles will make two or three more cuts later this afternoon. "Nothing earth-shattering," manager Buck Showalter said. "Just another note. Nobody that would surprise you." Alfredo Simon's schedule is being altered a bit because of some groin tightness. Kevin Gregg hasn't pitched since Sunday's B game, but manager Buck Showalter said it isn't a health...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Matt Lindstrom, pitching for the first time in a week after suffering from lower-back stiffness, struck out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth inning. Willie Eyre, making his spring debut after being sidelined with a groin injury, was charged with four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Casey Fossum replaced him and recorded the final out on a fly ball. Robert Andino committed an error behind Eyre when he fell backward after fielding a sharp bouncer....

SARASOTA, Fla. - I have to assume that the initial plan called for Orioles starter Jake Arrieta to go three innings today, but he exited with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the third. Arrieta threw 44 pitches, 29 for strikes, and manager Buck Showalter didn't want to push him any further. Arrieta is charged with four runs and five hits, all of them coming in the second inning. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four. The Pirates strung together three singles and a double to...

VIERA, Fla. - Michael Morse isn't in the Nationals' lineup tonight, but that doesn't mean the left fielder isn't getting work in today. Morse, who is still dealing with a lat strain, will head over to a side field at the Nats' complex and play in a minor league game today. He plans on getting 6-8 at-bats during that game, which he much prefers over the 2-3 that he would get if he was to travel with the Nationals to Orlando for tonight's game against the Braves. "I can actually work on...