Rays pitching change and updates on Britton, Matusz and Casilla (game called)

Rays pitching change and updates on Britton, Matusz and Casilla (game called)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter still hasn't posted his lineup for today's 1:05 p.m. game against the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium. Tampa Bay left-hander David Price has been scratched from his start here and will throw a simulated game back in Port Charlotte. The threat of rain has caused manager Joe Maddon to adjust the pitching schedule. Left-hander Braulio Lara will start for the Rays if the game isn't cancelled. For the Rays David DeJesus LF Wil Myers RF James Loney...

Huntzinger in hunt for bullpen job

Huntzinger in hunt for bullpen job
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are beginning a stretch today of four straight home games, and they're getting a second look at the Rays. Miguel Gonzalez is starting for the Orioles, while the Rays are countering with left-hander David Price. Brock Huntzinger is 6-for-6 this spring, which is impressive for a hitter or a pitcher. Huntzinger, a non-roster reliever, has retired all six batters that he's faced. He set down three Red Sox hitters Sunday in Fort Myers and struck out the side Tuesday...

No X-rays for Britton

No X-rays for Britton
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said pitcher Zach Britton is fine after taking a comebacker off the bottom portion of his glove hand. Britton may have a bruise, but he won't need X-rays. "It got mostly glove," Showalter said following the Orioles' 11-5 win over the Twins. "It scared the (heck) out of him, but he seems to be all right. Richie (Bancells) said he thought he was fine. "A little early anxiety. I think he was kind of sitting there going, 'Holy (crap), I'm...

Monell homers in five-run third (Orioles win 11-5)

Monell homers in five-run third (Orioles win 11-5)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 11, Twins 5 Recap: The Orioles entered the top of the third inning down 3-0 and left it leading 5-3. The last three runs scored on catcher Johnny Monell's long home run to right field. Monell went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Chris Tillman allowed three runs in the second, but only one was earned. Need to know: Zach Britton was hit on the bottom of his glove hand by a Josh Willingham comebacker in the fifth inning. He picked up the ball and made the throw to...

Notes before tonight's Orioles-Twins game (updated)

Notes before tonight's Orioles-Twins game (updated)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - About 30 Orioles, including manager Buck Showalter, are leaving Friday afternoon's game against the Phillies at 3 p.m. and taking a charter to the Virginia area to attend a memorial service for Monica Pence Barlow, who passed away Friday morning after a long battle with Stage IV lung cancer. The group will return to Sarasota later that night. Bench coach John Russell will manage the rest of the game in Showalter's absence. Players attending the service include Adam Jones,...

Orioles lineup and Casilla note (and Twins lineup)

Orioles lineup and Casilla note (and Twins lineup)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Ryan Flaherty is moving around the infield again tonight, starting at third base against the Twins in Fort Myers. Flaherty started at shortstop last night and also has played second base. Nolan Reimold is serving as the Orioles' designated hitter. For the Orioles Quintin Berry CF Jemile Weeks 2B Xavier Paul RF Steve Pearce 1B Johnny Monell C Nolan Reimold DH Ryan Flaherty 3B Alex Gonzalez SS Julio Borbon LF Chris Tillman RHP Other pitchers on the trip include Zach...

Johan Santana meets the press

Johan Santana meets the press
SARASOTA, Fla. - Johan Santana threw off flat ground today, lifted weights and walked over to his new locker with an ice pack on his left shoulder. He was introduced to each reporter who stood in front of him, then was challenged to go backward and recite the names. "It's going to take time," he said, smiling. Santana won't be rushed learning names or pitching in games. The Orioles signed the two-time Cy Young Award winner to a minor league deal yesterday and hope to get him back into...

Morning notes from camp (updated)

Morning notes from camp (updated)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander Johan Santana walked through the clubhouse this morning. He's got a locker set up and will talk to reporters following the workout. Approximate time is 12:30 p.m. Infielder Alexi Casilla will test his hamstring by hitting outdoors today. He's making slow progress. First baseman Chris Marrero, who's been sidelined with an oblique injury for most of camp, will take some dry swings today. He attempted to throw recently and still experienced discomfort on his...

Showalter speaks after 3-2 win

Showalter speaks after 3-2 win
TAMPA - Brock Huntzinger struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Orioles' bullpen seven scoreless innings in a 3-2 victory over the Yankees. David Lough and Ryan Flaherty each had two hits for the Orioles. Afterward, manager Buck Showalter commented on the pitchers used in tonight's game, starting with left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. "He was OK," Showalter said. "He wasn't as crisp. I thought he was pretty crisp last time out. He'll get better. That's why they call it...

Chen talks about outing (O's win 3-2)

Chen talks about outing (O's win 3-2)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 3, Yankees 2 Recap: Wei-Yin Chen allowed two runs and five hits in the second inning, including a solo homer by Francisco Cervelli, but four of the hits were soft singles. The Orioles took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on RBIs by Quintin Berry and Julio Borbon. Need to know: David Lough is a candidate to lead off, and he collected a single and triple in his first two at-bats while starting off an inning. He scored the Orioles' first run and is now...

Joseph on catching Gamboa and the knuckler

Joseph on catching Gamboa and the knuckler
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles like the nightlife. I'm not sure whether they boogie. It's back-to-back night games on the road. What could be better? Chris Tillman gets the start against the Twins in Fort Myers, and he could be pushed to three innings after working two in his debut Friday against the Rays. Zach Britton and Steve Johnson also will pitch. The clubhouse opens to the media at 9:45 a.m. Johan Santana will be made available to reporters before or after his workout. Eddie Gamboa...

Brian Roberts: "I'm just trying to move on" (game update)

Brian Roberts: "I'm just trying to move on" (game update)
TAMPA - The Yankees observed a moment of silence tonight for Monica Pence Barlow, just as the Red Sox did Sunday in Fort Myers. I would expect the Twins to do the same Wednesday night at their facility in Fort Myers. The Orioles began the game with back-to-back singles by David Lough and Jemile Weeks, but former Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts fielded Delmon Young's grounder and started a 4-6-3 double play. Earlier today, Roberts met with the Baltimore media in the Yankees dugout and...

Showalter on injuries, Johan Santana and Brian Roberts

Showalter on injuries, Johan Santana and Brian Roberts
TAMPA - Orioles manager Buck Showalter expects outfielder Henry Urrutia to be available in a couple of days. Urrutia has been bothered by inflammation in his right shoulder, but told reporters today that he felt much better. Showalter estimated that reliever Edgmer Escalona will be shut down for three weeks due to inflammation in his right shoulder. Escalona had an MRI after Saturday's game in Port Charlotte, when he allowed five runs in one inning. "He saw two different doctors,"...

Yankees lineup versus Orioles and upcoming pitching matchups

Yankees lineup versus Orioles and upcoming pitching matchups
TAMPA - Two former Orioles are in the Yankees' lineup tonight for their 7:05 p.m. game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Brian Roberts is starting at second base and batting cleanup against Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. Russ Canzler is playing first base and batting eighth. For the Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury CF Derek Jeter DH Carlos Beltran RF Brian Roberts 2B Eduardo Nunez 3B Francisco Cervelli C Brendan Ryan SS Russ Canzler 1B Yangervis Solarte LF David Phelps RHP Chris Tillman, Zach...

Orioles lineup and more on Santana contract (with Duquette quotes)

Orioles lineup and more on Santana contract (with Duquette quotes)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette stated today that June 1 is a "reasonable timeframe" for left-hander Johan Santana to be ready to pitch for the major league club. Santana has signed a minor league deal with a base salary of $3 million and another $5.05 million in bonuses based on games started and days spent on the major league roster. He has a May 30 opt-out date, which fits into Duquette's projected timeframe. Santana will report to camp Wednesday...

Orioles sign Johan Santana to minor league deal

Orioles sign Johan Santana to minor league deal
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles made the Johan Santana deal official today. The left-hander agreed to terms on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Santana, who turns 35 later this month, will be available to the media at his locker Wednesday morning and will work out at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is recovering from a second surgery to repair his left shoulder capsule. He's 139-78 with a 3.20 ERA in 12 major league seasons. Most...

Updates on J. Santana, Escalona, Urrutia, Casilla and Reimold

Updates on J. Santana, Escalona, Urrutia, Casilla and Reimold
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will sign left-hander Johan Santana to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, the announcement most likely coming later today. Santana will work out at the Ed Smith Stadium complex instead of being sent to Twin Lakes Park. The Orioles want to monitor his recovery from a second shoulder surgery and keep him with Chris Correnti, the club's assistant athletic trainer who has a relationship with Santana dating back to their years with the...

Orioles working on their night moves, more on Santana and Santana

Orioles working on their night moves, more on Santana and Santana
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will play under the lights tonight for the first time this spring, busing to Tampa for a 7:05 p.m. game against the Yankees. It's possible that Brian Roberts will draw a crowd of Baltimore reporters, and seeing him in a Yankees uniform will be a shock to the system. In case you missed it, here's my interview with him that I posted on Jan. 27. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen starts for the Orioles tonight, while the Yankees counter with right-hander David Phelps. The...

Orioles re-sign Chris Jones (with postgame Showalter)

Orioles re-sign Chris Jones (with postgame Showalter)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have signed left-hander Chris Jones to a Triple-A contract. The team announced the signing shortly before the end of a 9-2 loss to the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. The Orioles designated Jones for assignment to make room for Nelson Cruz on the 40-man roster. He cleared waivers and the club released him. The Orioles worked out a new deal with Jones, who is expected to report to the minor league complex at Twin Lakes Park. The Orioles originally acquired the...

Gausman, Norris and game update (O's lose 9-2)

Gausman, Norris and game update (O's lose 9-2)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Twins 9, Orioles 2 Recap: Chris Davis broke a 1-1 tie with a long home run in the sixth inning, the ball hitting more than halfway up the video board in center field. Mike Wright gave up the tying run in the eighth and Tim Alderson was charged with five runs in the ninth without retiring a batter. Need to know: Jonathan Schoop homered in both intrasquad games and he came off the bench again today to double and single, making him 4-for-6 with two doubles and three...