SARASOTA, Fla. - Derrek Lee will take batting practice off one of the coaches later this morning, after the Orioles hold another series of meetings that caused the clubhouse to close to the media 30 minutes earlier than usual. Lee has been hitting soft tosses in the indoor cage. He's also stepped to the plate during live batting practice with instructions to not swing the bat. You can tell it's been tough for him. He wants to take some hacks, but he's being cautious after having surgery in...

SARASOTA, Fla. - According to this report, Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon remains in police custody in the Dominican Republic after he was again denied bail today. Frank Robinson stood underneath his No. 20 that's mounted on Hall of Fame row in the clubhouse and addressed the team before today's workout. "He obviously can command a room," manager Buck Showalter said. "He's been in front of players for quite a while. You can tell he has a real affinity for the Orioles." "The guy's...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Before I dash across the street to pick up lunch, I wanted to pass along a few short items. Manager Buck Showalter described second baseman Brian Roberts as being 50 percent improved. Showalter seems fairly confident that Roberts will be back on the field tomorrow morning. "You could tell he felt a lot better today," Showalter said. Roberts wasn't going to play in Monday's exhibition opener in Bradenton. The original plan called for him to start Tuesday's game in...

SARASOTA, Fla. - With Brian Roberts unable to work out again today, Cesar Izturis and Brendan Harris took ground balls at second base. J.J. Hardy and Nick Green took turns at shortstop. Derrek Lee and Jake Fox played first base. Mark Reynolds stood alone at third. Robert Andino worked out at shortstop on another field. Reynolds had one bad sequence where he mishandled a chopper and bounced a throw after fielding the next ball cleanly. Otherwise, he was fine. Reynolds and Fox had a mild...

Delaware North Companies Sportservice and the Baltimore Orioles today announced that Joshua Distenfeld will serve as the executive chef for Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Baltimore native David Friendlich will serve as sous chef. Distenfeld is an American Culinary Federation (ACF) Certified Executive Chef with 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including managing large-scale culinary operations. Most notably, he has served as executive chef at Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel and...

Here is an update on the Frederick Keys and their lease situation. Last week, the city of Frederick released a request for proposals for use of Harry Grove Stadium for the 2012 season. Those proposals must be submitted to the city by April 15. The Keys, who have minor league territorial rights to Frederick and Montgomery counties, are the only affiliated team that can file a proposal to play there. But an independent league team could and it appears an Atlantic League team could file a...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Scene from the clubhouse this morning: Terry Crowley talking hitting while standing with Vladimir Guerrero and Felix Pie. Another scene: Mark Reynolds, Luke Scott and Nolan Reimold sitting at Brady Anderson's locker after the former Orioles outfielder finished working out. A scene that took place behind closed doors, so I didn't actually witness it: Hall of Famer Frank Robinson talking to the team before the workout. His retired number hangs on a wall. Brandon Snyder...

The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms on professional contracts with 16 international free agents, highlighted by catcher Raudy Read and outfielder Randy Novas. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Nationals Director of International Scouting Johnny DiPuglia made the joint announcement. Read was signed out of the Dominican Republic and has great instincts behind the plate, including exceptional hands, feet and arm strength. The...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Roberts said his neck is feeling better, but he'll get more treatments today and bypass the workout. Roberts is hoping to take the field again tomorrow or Saturday. X-rays taken on Roberts' neck yesterday were negative. "I'm just trying to get it calmed down," he said. Former Orioles David Segui and Paul Bako are in camp today. Vladimir Guerrero still has his goatee. It's been a slow morning, but at least the clubhouse was open to the media for an hour. It...

Major League Baseball® and Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world's largest breast cancer organization, recently launched the 2011 Honorary Bat Girl Contest, a campaign to recognize baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and have demonstrated a commitment to eradicating the disease. Washington Nationals fans ages 18 and older can go online at www.honorarybatgirl.com to share inspirational stories about themselves or loved ones who are...