This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Orioles are starting Gabriel Ynoa tonight and faced with a decision on how to fill the opening on their 25-man roster after optioning reliever Dillon Tate to Triple-A Norfolk. They must have it figured out, but we're left to wonder if they want a fresh arm - especially with Miguel Castro sick - or a third bench player. If it's a bench player, do they bring up an outfielder? The Tides were rained out yesterday. Their lineup included DJ Stewart, Austin Hays and Rio Ruiz. Castro hasn't...

Hobgood taking a shot at hitting

Hobgood taking a shot at hitting
Unable to stay healthy and launch a promising career as a pitcher, former first-round pick Matt Hobgood is attempting to take a different route to the majors. Hobgood, 26, is trying to make a comeback as a hitter. He's currently working out in Arizona with former Orioles outfielder Larry Harlow, his hitting coach at Norco (Cal.) High School. It's going to be a process, of course, but Hobgood isn't ready to hang up his spikes. The Orioles made Hobgood the fifth-overall pick in the 2009 draft...

Matt Hobgood heads list of Orioles minor league free agents

Matt Hobgood heads list of Orioles minor league free agents
The list of minor league free agents includes 33 players from the Orioles farm system. Former first-round pick Matt Hobgood is included in the group, which Baseball America published earlier today. Hobgood, whose career has been derailed by injuries, underwent surgery on July 6 to remove a bone spur from his right shoulder. He was 1-1 with a 6.52 ERA in six games at Double-A Bowie and didn't pitch after June 17. The Orioles made Hobgood, 25, the fifth overall pick in 2009 out of Norco (Calif.)...

O's 2009 top draft pick Matt Hobgood to have season-ending shoulder surgery

O's 2009 top draft pick Matt Hobgood to have season-ending shoulder surgery
Right-hander Matt Hobgood, the Orioles' 2009 first-round draft pick, will have arthroscopic right shoulder surgery July 6 to remove a bone spur. The procedure will end his 2015 season. Hobgood is 1-1 with an ERA of 6.52 in six games this year at Double-A Bowie. He got off to a good start for the Baysox, throwing 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his first two games, but a DL stint soon followed, and on June 19 he went back on the disabled list for the second time. The recovery time for this surgery...

Updates on Dylan Bundy, Jonathan Schoop and Matt Hobgood in Bowie

Updates on Dylan Bundy, Jonathan Schoop and Matt Hobgood in Bowie
BOWIE, Md. - Right-hander Dylan Bundy, the Orioles' top pitching prospect, said after tonight's Double-A Bowie game that he had his scheduled follow-up MRI this morning. The initial reading showed infllammation only in his right shoulder, as the first one showed on May 27. That appears to be good news for Bundy, meaning there is no structural damage in the shoulder. Already coming back from Tommy John surgery in June 2013, Bundy was throwing well for the Baysox when he felt some discomfort in...

Bowie's Branden Kline to have PRP injection, plus other minor league updates

Bowie's Branden Kline to have PRP injection, plus other minor league updates
As of late this morning, there was no information available yet on Dylan Bundy's MRI today but the Orioles at this point are expecting the same news from yesterday - that the shoulder issue is on the minor side. Today's precautionary MRI was just to take a closer look, but if this does in fact turn out to be shoulder/rotater cuff tendinitis, it could set Bundy back at least a couple of weeks. He would likely need to take a week or so off from throwing. Then he would likely have to throw a few...

Minor league updates on Taylor, Harvey, Bundy, Sisco, Hart and more

Minor league updates on Taylor, Harvey, Bundy, Sisco, Hart and more
Single-A Frederick pitcher Matt Taylor, who was hospitalized in Salem, Va. on Thursday night after being hit in the head by a line drive, was released from the hospital today. "He is on his way back to Frederick with the strength coach. He will be under the doctor's care when he gets back to Fredeick. The diagnosis is a concussion. We just don't know how long he will be out," Orioles director of player development Brian Graham said this afternoon. Taylor will go on the Keys disabled list....

Pregame notes from Bowie on Hardy, Hobgood and Bundy

Pregame notes from Bowie on Hardy, Hobgood and Bundy
BOWIE, Md. - Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, on the disabled list with a left shoulder strain, has worked out at Prince George's Stadium the last two days, taking part in drills early in the day even before the Double-A Bowie Baysox took batting practice. "It's going great," Bowie manager Gary Kendall said. "Yesterday he took his groundballs, going through different plays and different moves to the ball. Today, he threw a bit more and turned some double plays. He feels pretty good. "He hit...

Everth Cabrera cleared for Canada trip, and other notes

Everth Cabrera cleared for Canada trip, and other notes
BOSTON - Orioles infielder Everth Cabrera has been granted permission to make the trip to Toronto for the three-game series that begins on Tuesday. Cabrera's past legal issues figured to pose a complication and the Orioles were making contingency plans to replace him on the 25-man roster. He was arrested in September for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana and charged two months later with resisting arrest. Shortstop J.J. Hardy took batting practice, fielded ground balls and...

O's game blog: Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound in road trip opener

O's game blog: Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound in road trip opener
Ubaldo Jimenez, who has a very poor career record against the Boston Red Sox, will try to turn that around tonight when the Orioles open a four-game series at Fenway Park. Jimenez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches against Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly (1-0, 1.29 ERA) in the series opener. In three starts against the Red Sox in 2014, Jimenez went 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA. Over 15 innings, he walked 12 and gave up four homers. In seven career starts, Jimenez is 1-3 with a 9.37 ERA versus the Red Sox with 23...

Orioles minor league pitcher Jesse Beal is having Tommy John surgery (plus other notes)

Orioles minor league pitcher Jesse Beal is having Tommy John surgery (plus other notes)
Orioles minor league right-hander Jesse Beal is undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery today in Baltimore. The procedure is being performed by Dr. Derrick Papp, one of the O's team physicians.A 14th-round draft pick by the Orioles in 2008 out of South County (Va.) High School, Beal went 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 41 1/3 innings last summer at Single-A Frederick. He was a minor league free agent after the year but the O's re-signed him.Beal began this year healthy and pitched in some...

Minor league notes on extended spring training and more

Minor league notes on extended spring training and more
While the Orioles have been playing games and their minor league affiliates have been doing the same, games have also been played by O's young players under the hot Florida sun. We don't see any standings or stats from these games - they are not kept or reported, at least publicly. But important learning and development has been going on at the Orioles extended spring training program. The players face teams from other organizations in games and also play simulated games to get needed reps...

Notes on Schoop's glove, Wieters' elbow and more

Notes on Schoop's glove, Wieters' elbow and more
PITTSBURGH - The Orioles won't be facing Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Camden Yards. Tomlin is pitching in relief today in the 11th inning. The Indians bullpen is being chewed to bits. The Orioles sent left-hander Wei-Yin Chen to Baltimore today ahead of the team. He left the clubhouse a little while ago in preparation for Thursday night's start. Single-A Frederick right-hander Matt Hobgood has been reinstated from the seven-day...

O's game blog: Miguel Gonzalez on the mound at Pittsburgh

O's game blog: Miguel Gonzalez on the mound at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's PNC Park is the latest stop where the Orioles will try to get their offense going with some consistency. The Orioles scored 12 runs in a four-game series split at Kansas City and have scored three or fewer in 12 of the last 21 games. The Orioles scored 11 runs on 21 hits with three homers in a doubleheader sweep of the Pirates on May 1 at Camden Yards. In fact, the Orioles have won five in a row against Pittsburgh, scoring a total of 38 runs. But you have to go back to 2012 for...

Chris Davis plays in Bowie for the second time tonight

Chris Davis plays in Bowie for the second time tonight
BOWIE, Md. - The last time Chris Davis played in Double-A Bowie, he batted third and played third base. It was Sept. 5, 2011. Davis had been in the Orioles organization for just weeks and the Orioles were still weeks away from ruining Boston's season on the final day of the year. So, yeah, it's been a while. Tonight's Baysox lineup is out and, as expected, Davis will bat second and play at first base. He is wearing No. 24. The last time he played at Bowie, Davis was on the major league...

Updating Matt Hobgood and other minor league notes

Updating Matt Hobgood and other minor league notes
Single-A Frederick right-hander Matt Hobgood is seeing a doctor today after leaving his relief outing last night with shoulder tightness and stiffness. The Orioles' 2009 first-round draft pick came on to pitch in the sixth inning against Winston-Salem, gave up a single and then got a strikeout before leaving the game. After pitching at a velocity between 92 and 95 mph most of this season, his fastball was only touching as high as 88 mph last night. "He just felt some stiffness in his shoulder...

Pen power: After solid 2013, Matt Hobgood to pitch out of bullpen again this season

Pen power: After solid 2013, Matt Hobgood to pitch out of bullpen again this season
After pitching out of the bullpen last season, Orioles 2009 first-round pick Matt Hobgood, will return to a 'pen role in 2014. O's director of player development Brian Graham confirmed that during an interview Sunday night. Not only that, but he said the 23-year-old right-hander has a chance to begin this year pitching at the Double-A level for the first time as a pro. After Hobgood underwent shoulder surgery in early 2012 and missed all of that season, the 2009 fifth overall pick returned...

Minor league pitching notes on Harvey, Hobgood and Wilson

Minor league pitching notes on Harvey, Hobgood and Wilson
The Orioles' 2013 first-round pick, right-hander Hunter Harvey, made his second pro appearance today in the O's Gulf Coast League game against Tampa Bay. Harvey gave up three hits and two runs in the first inning of his outing today. He pitched a scoreless second inning. Harvey's line today: 2 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 0 walks, 1 strikeout. Harvey started and pitched a scoreless inning in his pro debut a week ago today. The Orioles want Harvey to throw two bullpen sessions...

McLouth with a steal, Urrutia with a strikeout (Jones homers, Davis hurting)

McLouth with a steal, Urrutia with a strikeout (Jones homers, Davis hurting)
Orioles left fielder Nate McLouth singled and stole second base tonight. It might not seem like a big deal, but it's noteworthy. McLouth hadn't swiped a base since June 19. He attempted only one since that night, getting thrown out in a June 22 game against Toronto. Pitchers have been quicker to the plate with McLouth on first base, and he's been extremely patient. McLouth scored tonight on Adam Jones' single, and Nick Markakis scored on Chris Davis' single for 2-0 lead. Davis was...

Tyler Wilson moves into Bowie's rotation and other minor league notes

Tyler Wilson moves into Bowie's rotation and other minor league notes
Right-handed pitcher Tyler Wilson, recently promoted from Single-A Frederick to Double-A Bowie, is going to enter the Bowie rotation and move into Zach Clark's rotation spot. Clark will continue to work on his new pitch, the knuckleball, in side sessions. Clark was 1-4 with an ERA of 8.59 in five starts since starting to throw a knuckleball. Wilson, the club's 10th-round pick in 2011 out of the University of Virginia, went 1-1 with a 4.48 ERA over 11 starts with Frederick. In 62 1/3...