Hunter gets a longer look today

Hunter gets a longer look today
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are hitting the road again today, making their first trip to Fort Myers for a 1:05 p.m. game against the Minnesota Twins. Jair Jurrjens will make his second start of the spring. He went two innings Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, allowing one run and two hits and walking one batter. Jurrjens retired the first five batters and threw 19 of his 31 pitches for strikes before exiting the game. He was thrilled with his velocity, which dipped last...

Tillman reaches pitch limit in second inning (O's win 5-3)

Tillman reaches pitch limit in second inning (O's win 5-3)
SARASOTA, Fla. - In his first spring training start of 2013, Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman threw 43 pitches in 1 2/3 innings tonight and was replaced by Daniel Schlereth with a runner on first base. Tillman threw 22 of those pitches for strikes. His fastball topped out at 94 mph and hit 93 mph on multiple occasions. Jacoby Ellsbury took a called third strike to begin the game, but Dustin Pedroia singled with one out and Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked with two outs. Tillman threw 25 pitches...

Urrutia obtains work visa and arrives in Florida

Urrutia obtains work visa and arrives in Florida
SARASOTA, Fla. - The search for Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia has come to an end. Urrutia obtained his work visa and made it out of Haiti. I'm told that he's in Miami and will take his physical before reporting to the Orioles' minor league complex at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota. Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed tonight that Urrutia had arrived in Florida. "He needs to get in shape and we need to see how far along he is," Duquette said. "He needs to get the rust off....

A quick visit with Koji Uehara

A quick visit with Koji Uehara
SARASOTA, Fla. - Former Orioles reliever Koji Uehara is in the house. Uehara made the trip to Ed Smith Stadium for tonight's game, joining 10 other pitchers on the Boston Red Sox's travel roster. Uehara smiled broadly when he spotted two Baltimore reporters walking toward him as he sat on the top step of the visiting dugout. He called for his interpreter to join him for a short interview. "I think we have a really good mix of guys and I'm having a lot of fun," said Uehara, who signed a...

Reimold leading off again tonight (Wada quotes, Ripken note, Tampa final)

Reimold leading off again tonight (Wada quotes, Ripken note, Tampa final)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nolan Reimold is batting first again tonight, as the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox in a split-squad game. Brian Roberts is batting second, and Nick Markakis is starting in right field after serving as the designated hitter in two games. Nate McLouth drops to eighth against Red Sox left-hander Franklin Morales. For the Orioles: Nolan Reimold DH Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Chris Davis 1B J.J. Hardy SS Nate McLouth LF Wilson Betemit...

Valencia on playing first base, and other notes (Pearce update)

Valencia on playing first base, and other notes (Pearce update)
SARASOTA, Fla. - While still recovering from the news that Stone Temple Pilots has fired Scott Weiland. Again... Danny Valencia is making another start at first base today in Tampa, his second one in four spring training games. He was supposed to play third base yesterday in Bradenton before the cancellation due to rain. As I wrote a few days ago, Valencia has never played first base in the majors. He appeared in 18 games with rookie-league Elizabethton in 2006, two with Single-A Beloit in...

Orioles split-squad lineup against the Yankees (updated)

Orioles split-squad lineup against the Yankees (updated)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Jake Arrieta makes his second Grapefruit League start of 2013 today when the Orioles travel to Tampa for a split-squad game against the New York Yankees. In his debut, Arrieta walked one batter in a scoreless inning Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. Most of the regulars are staying back for the 7:05 p.m. game against the Boston Red Sox. Danny Valencia is making his second start at first base after being scheduled to play third base yesterday before rain washed away the...

Orioles keep making left turn

Orioles keep making left turn
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles were denied the chance to face a left-handed starter yesterday when their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates was rained out, but there's always another one right around the corner. They stepped into the box on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays' Mark Buerhle in Dunedin and on Monday against the New York Yankees' Vidal Nuno in Sarasota. They never saw the Pirates' Wandy Rodriguez yesterday, but they get the Yankees' Nik Turley and the Boston Red Sox's...

Britton will pitch in relief Wednesday night

Britton will pitch in relief Wednesday night
SARASOTA, Fla. - Rather than start Wednesday night's split-squad game against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium, left-hander Zach Britton will follow Chris Tillman to the mound and work in relief. Tillman was supposed to start today against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton before heavy rains caused a cancellation and a bit of a rotation shuffle. Dylan Bundy, also slated to pitch today, is currently scheduled to follow Jake Arrieta Wednesday afternoon against the New York Yankees in...

Looking ahead at the pitching schedule (game cancelled, one more update)

Looking ahead at the pitching schedule (game cancelled, one more update)
BRADENTON, Fla. - It's still raining at McKechnie Field and umpires will check back with the managers at 1 p.m. to decide whether to wait or cancel the game. The Orioles' pitching schedule will be affected if we have a cancellation. Otherwise, Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton will start the split-squad games on Wednesday and Jair Jurrjens will start Thursday against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Tommy Hunter is slated to go two or three innings on Thursday. Kevin Gausman will pitch two...

Rainy days and Tuesdays

Rainy days and Tuesdays
BRADENTON, Fla. - We have a tornado watch in Bradenton, rain is falling and the tarp is on the field at McKechnie Stadium. I can never remember which is worse, a watch or a warning. I posed the question on Twitter, and the best explanation came from @highaoa: "Watch" = CC Sabathia is pitching versus your team later today. "Warning" = he's in the 8th inning of a perfect game. Thanks for putting it in terms I can understand. No word on whether the game will be played, though people I've...

Orioles lineup against Pirates (note on Thursday's pitchers)

Orioles lineup against Pirates (note on Thursday's pitchers)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Danny Valencia moves back across the diamond to third base for today's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. Valencia started at first base Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin. Steve Pearce, who homered on Sunday, gets the start at first base today. Wilson Betemit is in the lineup as the designated hitter against another left-handed starter, Pittsburgh's Wandy Rodriguez. For the Orioles: Alexi Casilla SS Lew Ford LF Wilson Betemit DH Steve Pearce...

Tale of the tape

Tale of the tape
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will make their shortest trip on the exhibition schedule today with a 1:05 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. Chris Tillman gets the starting assignment, and he's expected to go two innings unless he runs up a high pitch count in the first. Todd Redmond, Steve Johnson and Dylan Bundy also will hop on the bus. Once the Orioles return home for Wednesday night's split-squad game against the Boston Red Sox, manager Buck Showalter and his...

Showalter talks about Matusz, Roberts, Robinson and more

Showalter talks about Matusz, Roberts, Robinson and more
SARASOTA, Fla. - Here are some highlights from Orioles manager Buck Showalter's postgame session with the media: On Brian Matusz: "Good. Aggressive, attacked the zone. Got a big double play ball. I thought he threw the ball well. All our guys pitched well." On Zach Clark: "I can see why people like Zach Clark so much. He's got an idea. He's a baseball player who happens to be a pitcher." On Brian Roberts getting two doubles: "He's done that before. He can do that. He's capable of...

Roberts update and comments from Matusz (O's win 5-1)

Roberts update and comments from Matusz (O's win 5-1)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Roberts is 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles today against the New York Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium. Roberts' second double was an opposite-field shot off the fence in left. He scored on Nick Markakis' single to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Roberts was 0-for-2 in Saturday's opener against the Minnesota Twins. Tommy Hunter gave up a single and a bunt hit in the third, but he escaped the jam with a strikeout and ground ball. Hunter...

Two scoreless innings for Matusz

Two scoreless innings for Matusz
SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Matusz escaped a jam in the first inning today and breezed through the second to shut out the New York Yankees in his first exhibition start of 2013. Matusz threw 19 pitches in the first inning, 13 for strikes. He threw 11 pitches, seven for strikes while retiring the side in order in the second. His fastball mostly ranged from 91-93 mph. Brett Gardner began the game by reaching on an infield hit despite first baseman Chris Davis making a diving stop. Jayson Nix...

Wada completes bullpen session without a hitch

Wada completes bullpen session without a hitch
SARASOTA, Fla. - Pitching coach Rick Adair confirmed that Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, Darren O'Day and Jim Johnson each will throw 20-25 pitches Tuesday morning in a simulated game on one of the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Position players won't be used, since it's more of a glorified bullpen session, minus the protective screen. "Just getting those guys acclimated to seeing hitters," Adair said. Spring training is longer this year with the World...

Upcoming pitching matchups and other notes

Upcoming pitching matchups and other notes
SARASOTA, Fla. - Tsuyoshi Wada will throw off a regular mound today at 11:15 a.m. Wada threw off a half-mound three times last week. He hasn't stood on a regular mound since pitching for Triple-A Norfolk on April 19, 2012, when he lasted 2 2/3 innings and allowed six runs and six hits, walked four and struck out one. The Orioles shut him down after that rehab start, and he underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow the following month. "I asked him, 'When's the last...

Reimold batting leadoff (Yankees lineup and notes)

Reimold batting leadoff (Yankees lineup and notes)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nolan Reimold is starting in left field and batting leadoff today against the New York Yankees. Reimold also played yesterday in Dunedin, going 0-for-3. Brian Roberts moves down to second in the order. Nick Markakis will be the designated hitter again, with Conor Jackson getting the start in right field. Manager Buck Showalter has plenty of outfield candidates, and he's using these early games to critique them. For the Orioles: Nolan Reimold LF Brian Roberts 2B Nick...

Redmond wants another chance in a major league rotation

Redmond wants another chance in a major league rotation
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are back home today to play the New York Yankees, who are short one outfielder after losing Curtis Granderson yesterday to a broken right forearm. Early projections have Granderson missing the next 10 weeks. The Orioles have enough outfielders in camp to stock a dozen teams, but they won't be offering any assistance. Left-hander Brian Matusz starts for the Orioles today, and you can watch every pitch on MASN beginning at 1:05 p.m. Tommy Hunter, left-hander Mark...