Outfielder Rick Ankiel has been activated from the disabled list. He fills the vacancy created when first baseman Adam LaRoche was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday by the Nationals with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. There had been some speculation about first baseman Chris Marrero, one of the up-and-coming infielders in the Nationals' system, potentially getting the call. Jason Benetti, play-by-play announcer for the Chiefs, said that manager Randy Knorr feels Marrero is...

Brandon Snyder is making another start at first base tonight, and Nolan Reimold is in left field. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B Adam Jones CF Nick Markakis RF Vladimir Guerrero DH Matt Wieters C Nolan Reimold LF Mark Reynolds 3B J.J. Hardy SS Brandon Snyder 1B Zach Britton LHP Josh Bell went 3-for-4 with his second home run in two games in Triple-A Norfolk's 8-7 loss to Louisville. He also drove in three runs while raising his average to .274. Nick Green hit his sixth homer and...

For his involvement in some of baseball's most memorable moments and his associations with some of the game's greats, ex-Orioles outfielder Jackie Brandt's career as a baseball journeyman was anything but ordinary. As a rookie in 1956, he lockered next to Stan Musial with the St. Louis Cardinals. As a San Francisco Giant, he played in the outfield alongside Willie Mays. In Baltimore, Brooks Robinson was a teammate. Ted Williams' fabled home run in his final career at-bat in 1960 sailed...

Jason Berken is making his first start today at Triple-A Norfolk, and he pulled off a great escape in the second inning. According to the play-by-play on minorleaguebaseball.com, Louisville loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning on consecutive singles into center field. One of the hits came from former major league outfielder Jeremy Hermida. Berken struck out the next two batters and induced a grounder that shortstop Blake Davis turned into a force at second base. Berken had...

Outfielder Kipp Schutz, who has put up amazing numbers this year for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, is moving to the Single-A Frederick Keys today and should join the team in time to be in the lineup tonight at Wilmington. The 23-year-old Schutz, a 19th-round pick in the 2009 draft, was batting a robust .381 for the Shorebirds with 13 doubles, two triples, four homers and 36 RBIs in 38 games. Schutz leads all Orioles minor leaguers in batting average and RBIs. He has an OPS of .997 and a...

It's been a frustrating past two seasons for Brian Roberts. For the most part, he's one the most prominent faces of the franchise and the longest-tenured Oriole on the roster. However, he's not played much due to back issues, concussions and various illnesses that have popped up. It's been a hard road for the second baseman and I'm sure Roberts must be far angrier by the state of his own affairs than even the most ardent Orioles fan. At the moment, he is on the seven-day disabled list...

Dear Ryan, I can't tell you how excited NatsTown and myself are at recently hearing the news you are on your way back to Viera, Fla., to take your rehab to "high gear with more baseball specific activities." You posted that on your Facebook page. I know. I liked you. Top-notch, old chum, top-notch! Florida is beautiful this time of year and having spent some time in The Sunshine State myself, I'm envious. I recommend the Shamrock & Thistle Irish bar in Titusville for drunken revelry and...

Baseball returns to Camden Yards tonight after yesterday's break. Get used to them. The Orioles have five open dates in June. Did you see that Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche went on the disabled list yesterday with a torn labrum in his left shoulder? LaRoche is batting .172 with three homers in 43 games. He's always been a slow starter, and playing all season with a torn labrum wasn't going to reverse that tendency. Derrek Lee's also on the disabled list. He's batting .231 with...

Right-handed pitcher Chorye Spoone, the Orioles eighth-round pick from the 2005 draft, and a member of the club's 40-man roster, will move from Triple-A Norfolk back to Double-A and start on the mound tomorrow night for the Bowie Baysox. The 25-year-old Spoone is 2-1 with an ERA of 5.50 in eight Triple-A starts and International League batters hit .293 off him. He struggled with his control with Norfolk and walked 26 over 34 1/3 innings. So, in an attempt to get better results and command,...

There will be an important decision coming soon that could impact the Orioles' minor leagues: whether the Single-A Frederick Keys will continue to play in Frederick and at Harry Grove Stadium beyond this season. The City of Frederick sought and received two requests for proposals that seek to be awarded the lease to play in that stadium in 2012. The Keys filed a request and so did the independent Atlantic League, through owner Peter Kirk. The city will pick one of the two that filed requests...