A few pregame notes

A few pregame notes
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manny Machado will become the fourth Oriole to start on opening day at 20 or younger, joining Brook Robinson, Ron Hansen and Boog Powell. Robinson was 19 on April 15, 1957. Did anyone here attend that game? Hansen (1958) and Powell (1962) were 20. The last Oriole to play on opening day at 20 was pitcher Wally Bunker in 1965. Brian Roberts is making his ninth opening day start at second base, passing Rich Dauer for the most by an Oriole at the position. Adam Jones...

Roberts batting ninth again today

Roberts batting ninth again today
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is batting ninth again today against the New York Mets. Roberts will stay at the bottom of the lineup for Tuesday's opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Manager Buck Showalter hasn't settled on one leadoff hitter for the regular season. Today, it's Nate McLouth's turn. For the Orioles: Nate McLouth CF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Matt Wieters C Chris Davis 1B J.J. Hardy SS Nolan Reimold LF Steve Pearce DH...

A look at Roberts batting ninth, another prediction and more

A look at Roberts batting ninth, another prediction and more
I was asked often during radio show interviews the last few weeks if Brian Roberts should hit first in the Orioles' batting order. I said I thought he should. But, as usual, Buck Showalter makes perfect sense when he explains why Roberts will begin the season batting ninth. Buck knows best, I need to keep repeating that. He mentioned this may be the best way for Roberts to get back into full-time duty for the club and that they can always move him up in the order later if needed. Not to...

Most of the cuts are coming today, Showalter talks about Roberts (roster updates)

Most of the cuts are coming today, Showalter talks about Roberts (roster updates)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles most likely will have all of their roster cuts done today with the exception of one. This includes injured players going on the disabled list. Nick Markakis led off today's game with a single off Chris Tillman, and a sacrifice fly gave State College of Florida a 1-0 lead. Markakis walked leading off the second inning. Tillman has allowed one run and one hit, with two walks and two strikeouts in two innings. Russ Canzler had an RBI single in the bottom of the...

Roberts prepared to bat ninth on opening day

Roberts prepared to bat ninth on opening day
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts met with manager Buck Showalter before last night's game and learned that he's going to bat ninth on opening day against the Tampa Bay Rays' David Price. The first hint came when Roberts hit ninth last night against Price. Showalter didn't post the lineup until he clued in Roberts, who has batted leadoff in 1,120 games and ninth in 17 during his major league career. If Roberts is bothered by the news, he didn't show it this morning...

Is Roberts lined up to bat ninth?

Is Roberts lined up to bat ninth?
SARASOTA, Fla. - It's not completely safe to make assumptions about the opening day lineup when rosters don't have to be set until 3 p.m. on Sunday. There are... wait for it... a lot of moving parts as we near the end of spring training. Tonight's lineup created a bit of a buzz. First of all, we didn't receive it until less than an hour before first pitch, which never happens. Manager Buck Showalter named the starters at each position during batting practice, but we didn't have the...

Roberts remains in the lineup

Roberts remains in the lineup
SARASOTA, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts will play in his third consecutive game tonight, as the Orioles host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Roberts fouled a ball off his right ankle in the sixth inning yesterday, but he feels fine and will start at second base. Nolan Reimold is starting in left field. Adam Jones is in center and Lew Ford is in right. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Chris Davis 1B Nolan Reimold LF Russ Canzler...

Showalter on Roberts, Britton and McFarland

Showalter on Roberts, Britton and McFarland
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he already planned to remove Brian Roberts from today's game in the top of the seventh inning. It wasn't done after the second baseman fouled a ball off his right ankle. Roberts completed his at-bat before Yamaico Navarro replaced him in the field. "Everybody was getting their fourth at-bat," Showalter said. "We'll see. It was a pretty good one. I'm not going to say that was the best ball he hit today, because it wasn't the best...

Checking in with Roberts and Reimold after Orioles' win over Toronto

Checking in with Roberts and Reimold after Orioles' win over Toronto
SARASOTA, Fla. - After he doubled, walked and delivered an RBI single in his first three plate appearances today, Brian Roberts fouled a ball off his right ankle when batting in the last of the sixth. He went on to strike out and was replaced by Yamaico Navarro when the Orioles took the field for the seventh. But Roberts was slated to exit the game then anyway, and he told reporters after today's game he feels his ankle will be OK. "It's fine, it will be fine," Roberts said. "Just sore,...

Roberts fouls ball off ankle, Britton talks about outing (O's win 6-5)

Roberts fouls ball off ankle, Britton talks about outing (O's win 6-5)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts fouled a ball of his right ankle in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing head athletic trainer Richie Bancells and manager Buck Showalter out of the dugout. Roberts crouched down in obvious pain, then tried to walk it off. He stayed in the game and struck out, then was replaced by Yamaico Navarro in the top of the seventh. Showalter has removed most of his starters, so it may have been Roberts' turn to come out anyway. Darren O'Day went two...

Game update and latest from Roberts and Matusz (O's win 8-7)

Game update and latest from Roberts and Matusz (O's win 8-7)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Red Sox scored twice off Daniel Schlereth and had the bases loaded with one out when Adam Russell replaced him. Russell let all three inherited runners score, and Jackie Bradley Jr. singled to tie the game 7-7. Schlereth was charged with five runs. He's been scored upon in his last five appearances, allowing nine runs in five innings. Danny Valencia homered off Terry Doyle with two outs in the top of the ninth, his first of the spring, to give the Orioles an 8-7 lead....

Notes on Reimold, Jones, Roberts, Schoop and Wada (with quotes)

Notes on Reimold, Jones, Roberts, Schoop and Wada (with quotes)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter has made out his lineup for Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, and it includes Nolan Reimold in left field. Reimold is throwing to the bases today in a drill back in Sarasota. If his right shoulder is fine, he will finally get a start in left. Adam Jones, back from the World Baseball Classic, is listed as the center fielder. Showalter indicated that Jones instead could be used as the designated hitter, but it's more likely that he's on...

Roberts on the road (Tillman update and Red Sox lineup)

Roberts on the road (Tillman update and Red Sox lineup)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts will make his first road trip of the spring today when the Orioles travel to Fort Myers to play the Boston Red Sox. Nate McLouth and Chris Davis also are traveling. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Ryan Flaherty SS Nate McLouth CF Chris Davis 1B Wilson Betemit DH Manny Machado 3B Trayvon Robinson LF Taylor Teagarden C Jason Pridie RF Brian Matusz LHP Chris Dickerson, Travis Ishikawa, Russ Canzler, Luis Exposito, Lew Ford, Yamaico Navarro, Steve...

Brian Roberts passes another test with head-first slide

Brian Roberts passes another test with head-first slide
SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Roberts said it was by design that he was not trying to steal many bases in the early spring training games. But that changed today in the last of the first inning. After he singled off Boston's Clayton Mortensen, he stole his first base this spring. Not only did he steal second but he went into the bag sliding head first, just like the Orioles have seen him do many times before, but certainly not very much lately. "It was good," Roberts said. "It's something that...

More on Roberts and Britton (Flaherty homers for 3-3 tie)

More on Roberts and Britton (Flaherty homers for 3-3 tie)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Roberts was thrown out trying to steal second base after his RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning. He went into the bag feet-first. Let that be a lesson. Roberts' single tied the game, 1-1, and followed Bryce Brentz's home run off Luis Ayala that briefly gave Boston the lead. Ayala struck out one batter. Roberts is 2-for-3 today and 10-for-27 this spring. Nate McLouth, leading off today, has doubled, walked and stolen a base. T.J. McFarland got three...

Roberts takes a dive (Britton update)

Roberts takes a dive (Britton update)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Roberts doesn't think about how he's going to approach second base on a steal attempt. It just happens. Roberts dived into the bag in the bottom of the first inning, as he normally does, for his first stolen base of the spring. He had singled with one out, his ninth hit in 25 at-bats. The Orioles need to find out whether Roberts can withstand the pounding of playing second base and running the bases. The concussion symptoms returned in May 2011 after he dived into...

Showalter still undecided on leadoff hitter

Showalter still undecided on leadoff hitter
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nate McLouth is leading off and playing center field today, with Brian Roberts batting second. In other games, Roberts has hit first and McLouth has batted second or lower. Roberts has been the Orioles' leadoff hitter when healthy, but manager Buck Showalter claims that he hasn't made a decision for this season. It could be Roberts, McLouth or Nick Markakis. Nolan Reimold moved to the top of the order in April. There's no shortage of candidates. "I'm still looking at...

Roberts remains confident that he will play on opening day

Roberts remains confident that he will play on opening day
BRADENTON, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts remains convinced that he will be in the opening day lineup on April 2, his body holding up under every test this spring. "Everything's been great," he said this morning. "It's been nice to get out, play and just kind of be normal again and be like everybody else. We're having a good time and everybody seems to be playing well. We think that things are going in the right direction for everybody at this point." Roberts is the one under the...

Notes on tomorrow's intrasquad game and more (with quotes)

Notes on tomorrow's intrasquad game and more (with quotes)
BRADENTON, Fla. - Jason Hammel and Jair Jurrjens will be the starters for Tuesday morning's intrasquad game on the Camden Yards field at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. The game will last eight to 10 innings, weather permitting. Rain is in the forecast, which would force some pitchers to throw indoors. Nolan Reimold, Wilson Betemit and Taylor Teagarden will bat each inning. Betemit, who's 1-for-17 with a home run this spring, approached manager Buck Showalter with a request to play in the...

Roberts stays hot, Orioles hit back-to-back home runs (Tillman update)

Roberts stays hot, Orioles hit back-to-back home runs (Tillman update)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts followed his 3-for-3 game on Friday with a single today in the bottom of the first inning. That's four straight hits for Roberts, the latest being a line drive into right field off Philadelphia's Kyle Kendrick. Chris Davis also singled, and Matt Wieters launched an opposite-field three-run homer to left, the wind definitely providing an assist as the ball continued to carry. The Orioles weren't done. Conor Jackson followed with a long...