FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Orioles have reached the midway point of spring training and manager Brandon Hyde can't fathom the task of compiling a 25-man roster and settling the competitions that have spread through camp. Much too soon. "I think we're still really in the heart of the evaluation process," Hyde said during batting practice. "A lot of these guys have teens at-bats, between 10-20 at-bats. It's hard to evaluate a guy on that. There are still guys coming in the mix. (Jesús) Sucre...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Dylan Bundy can joke about his poor spring debuts. With his new manager, Brandon Hyde, and anyone else within earshot. He didn't add to his legacy today, allowing one run over two innings against the Phillies at Spectrum Field. Bundy surrendered four hits, but the damage was minimal. The Phillies loaded the bases with no outs in the second and settled for the one run on Austin Listi's sacrifice fly. "You don't want that to happen during the season, so yeah, get them out...

The week began with me still convinced that the Orioles would sign or trade for a veteran starter before opening day to occupy a spot in the middle or back end of the rotation. And because of this, I've been hesitant to go all-in while discussing camp competitions and ranking the favorites. News broke on Thursday that the Orioles signed right-hander Nate Karns to a one-year deal guaranteeing $800,000. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias stated at FanFest that pitching was...

The top three starters in the Orioles rotation will report to spring training without the physical ailments that interrupted or ended their 2018 seasons. Dylan Bundy's sprained left ankle has healed. Alex Cobb isn't bothered by the blisters that surfaced on his right index and middle fingers. Andrew Cashner no longer has bursitis in his left knee. A cortisone injection administered in September didn't provide the necessary relief for Cashner and he was done after his start on Sept. 12. He...

A new year carries with it the same tasks placed in front of executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, assistant Sig Mejdal and manager Brandon Hyde. No one has been hired to replace director of player development Brian Graham and director of scouting Gary Rajsich. Only two coaches are known to have joined the staff, with a third offered a job in the bullpen, per sources. And how's that analytics department coming along? Openings remain for a manager at Triple-A Norfolk, a...

BOSTON - The Orioles squeezed a combined 3 2/3 innings out of their starters in today's doubleheader, with Jimmy Yacabonis doing the heavy lifting. Yacabonis worked into the fourth inning in the nightcap, leaving with runners on the corners and one out in a tie game. Manager Buck Showalter would have to mobilize his relievers again while still keeping an eye on the next two games with rookie starters. So much juggling going on, so many balls in the air, so many reasons for players to wonder...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles rotation for the rest of the weekend series against the Rays could undergo major changes. Rookie David Hess was hit in the eye today while trying to catch a football during batting practice and was sent to a local specialist for an examination. Hess is supposed to start on Saturday, but may have to be skipped. Candidates to replace him include Yefry Ramírez, Jimmy Yacabonis and Luis Ortiz, though manager Buck Showalter prefers to use the latter out of the...

NEW YORK - The Orioles found another fresh arm for their bullpen today, recalling left-hander Tanner Scott from Triple-A Norfolk and optioning pitcher Jimmy Yacabonis to the Tides before today's series finale against the Yankees. Yacabonis was recalled yesterday and allowed three runs in the seventh inning. Scott worked two scoreless innings on Friday, which eliminated him from consideration yesterday. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two in Norfolk's season-opening game against...

While the extended forecast calls for snow possible later this week and temperatures so low that they can turn your thoughts to ice, the highs in Sarasota are stuck in the 50s until Sunday. Until the Orioles begin trickling into the Ed Smith Stadium complex for their annual three-day minicamp. Temperatures are supposed to climb back into the 70s by Monday's first workout with only a 10 percent chance of rain before everyone returns home. The guys living up north may leave kicking and...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Through four innings of tonight's game against the Rays, Orioles left-hander Wade Miley had struck out six batters and also issued five walks. He kept missing bats and the strike zone. He kept playing good pitcher, bad pitcher, but in a solo act. Miley was making his final start in 2017 and quite possibly his last with the Orioles, who hold a $12 million option for next season. Are they ready to walk away from Miley? Evan Longoria led off the fifth with a home run, Logan...