The expanded roster might need to be stretched out a little more if the Orioles can't keep their outfielders healthy. We haven't reached a crisis point, but Adam Jones was a late scratch again because of his sore right thumb, and Matt Angle had to scrape himself off Nolan Reimold in left-center field. Angle made a leaping catch near the fence in the first inning to rob the Angels' Howie Kendrick, and he landed on Reimold, who also raced into the gap and was reaching for the ball. Angle...

Manager Buck Showalter wrote out two lineups today. He's got Adam Jones starting in center field in the one he posted. A change would occur only if Jones can't make it through batting practice because of his sore right thumb. "Hopefully, we won't have a rewrite," Showalter said. Jones hasn't started since Sept. 9. He's been used as a pinch-runner on Tuesday and a defensive replacement on Wednesday. "He hasn't really swung a bat and tested it, so we'll see how batting practice...

You hear people in baseball all the time say that stats compiled in spring training and in September can be deceptive. In some instances players are facing less than major league caliber players in spring and in September, the rosters are expanded and some teams might be playing out the string. So how does Buck Showalter weigh September performances by his players? "It's kind of like, 'look who he hit that home run off, look at the score.' But what do you want him to do, strike out?...

As a "thank you" to fans for their support throughout the 2011 season, the Orioles will hold their annual Fan Appreciation Celebration during their last series of the season when they host the Boston Red Sox for three games, Monday, Sept. 26 through Wednesday, Sept. 28 at Oriole Park . The three day celebration includes opportunities for fans to be randomly chosen to win prizes by "liking" the Orioles on Facebook or visiting www.orioles.com and then entering the Orioles Fan Appreciation...

Adam Jones is back in center field tonight for the series opener against the Angels. For the Orioles: Matt Angle LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Vladimir Guerrero DH Matt Wieters C Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 3B Mark Reynolds 1B Robert Andino 2B Tommy Hunter RHP

The Nationals' instructional league team reports today in Viera, Fla., with the first official workout schedule for Saturday. The 14-game schedule commences Sept. 23 against the Braves and runs through Oct. 12. It also includes international matchups against teams from China and Italy. We have previews of the pitchers and catchers reporting and today we will focus on the Nationals' talented roster of infielders invited to the camp. Anthony Rendon, the team's first-round selection out of...

Is there a more aggravating player than Matt Wieters on the Orioles right now? He is so good, and it appears that he is on the verge of breaking his season, and career, open at any second, but he never seems to take that final step. As of this morning Wieters' slash-line looks like this: .262 /.323 /.449 /.772 That .772 OPS is good enough for third in the American League among catchers. Detroit's Alex Avila is having a ridiculous season, but Wieters has hit more homers and has struck out 30...

During another losing Orioles season, there have been a few positive developments. The improvement of catcher Matt Wieters might rank at the top of that list. At a time when some players are wearing down, Wieters seems to be just getting cranked up. His bat is heating up and he is hitting homers at a greater rate than he ever has in the majors. From July 18-Aug. 14, Wieters went 21 games without a homer. But now he has homered in three straight games. He has hit seven homers over his last 16...

You've watched this team all season. You've seen players on the opening day roster, you've seen players recalled from the minors and you've seen the Orioles purchase the contracts of other players in the system. Manager Buck Showalter is looking for nuggets, and not the breaded and processed kind. No dipping sauce. Matt Wieters is a nugget, though some publications prefer the word "bust." He's a keeper. He's a guy you bring along while moving forward. He's a Gold Glove catcher -...

A three-hour rain delay couldn't keep the Single-A Frederick Keys from winning last night and the six-hour overnight bus ride to North Carolina that followed didn't stop them tonight. Manny Machdo drove in the go-ahead run as Frederick won 7-3 at Kinston's Grainger Stadium tonight to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Carolina League championship series. The Keys are now one win from their fourth Mills Cup championship and have two chances to get it. Kinston took a 2-0 lead, scoring...