The Orioles' top two draft picks are at Camden Yards today. They've already been officially signed and have already spent a few days working out in Sarasota, Fla. And this afternoon, outfielder Colton Cowser, the No. 5 overall pick in round one from Sam Houston State, and infielder Connor Norby, taken No. 41 overall in round two from East Carolina, were presented jerseys in a brief on-field ceremony with O's executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. Their families joined them...

The Orioles reinstated third baseman Maikel Franco from the injured list this afternoon and he's in the lineup for the series opener against the Nationals at Camden Yards. Roster space for Franco was cleared yesterday with infielder Kelvin Gutiérrez optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Franco hasn't played for the Orioles since spraining his right ankle June 30 in Houston following back-to-back three-hit games. He's batting .221/.265/.376 with 18 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBIs in 309 plate...

The painful blow delivered to the Orioles yesterday with a walk-off loss to the Rays concluded a trip that made them settle for .500 and kept them busy with roster activity. The Orioles dropped their 11th series in a row at Tropicana Field dating back to July 24-26, 2017. They're 2-14 in their last 16 games against the Rays. Their 29 losses in day games lead the majors. And then there's the roster activity. They had to put pitcher Keegan Akin and outfielder Anthony Santander on the COVID-19...

Even though the Orioles had several scouts see Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser play in person several times, when they brought him to their home park at Camden Yards for a pre-draft workout, the kid made one strong final impression on club officials that may have cemented he would be their pick at No. 5 in round one. It was on a steamy afternoon on Thursday, July 8 - just three days before the beginning of the First-Year Player Draft - that the O's had Cowser work out and hit on...

For an Orioles team that had given up nine runs on Friday night and allowed 27 runs in three games against the Chicago White Sox before the break, Sunday was needed and a very nice change. Right-hander Matt Harvey had pitched to an ERA of 11.20 over his previous 11 starts with an OPS against of 1.035 in that span, but he and four relievers teamed on a shutout. The 5-0 win over Kansas City lifted the O's record to 30-62 and they ended this series with 13 consecutive scoreless innings. It was...

The Orioles signed outfielder Colton Cowser, their first-round selection in the draft out of Sam Houston State. Cowser received a $4.9 million bonus. The slot value with the fifth pick is $6,180,700. Cowser was in the Baltimore area for his physical, with an announcement of his signing expected over the weekend. He joins infielder Connor Norby, the second-rounder out of East Carolina University, as Orioles draft selections under contract in the last two days. With Cowser and Norby signing...

The Orioles reinstated right-hander Jorge López from the bereavement list and he's starting tonight against the Royals in Kansas City. The active roster is full again. A player on the bereavement list must be away from the team for a minimum of three days, not three games. López is eligible to come back today. López has returned to Kauffman Stadium, where he's 1-6 with a 7.93 ERA and 1.672 WHIP in 21 games (11 starts). He pitched for the Royals from 2018-20, when the Orioles claimed...

Talk about a balancing act for the Orioles. Look at their starting rotation. They expect to get left-hander John Means back for their next series, and maybe Bruce Zimmermann not long after that. But that rotation began play last night ranked last in the league in both team ERA (6.11) and in fewest innings pitched by starters (400 1/3 innings). And then those numbers got worse as Keegan Akin allowed eight hits and six runs over three innings in a 9-2 loss at Kansas City. So how do they try to...

Ryan Mountcastle stays in the Orioles lineup tonight as the first baseman in Kansas City after being drilled on the left elbow Sunday and leaving the game in the top of the second inning. Austin Hays is in left field and Anthony Santander is in right. Kelvin Gutierrez is the third baseman and Pat Valaika is playing second. The Orioles haven't revealed their starters for the Royals series beyond rookie left-hander Keegan Akin tonight. Akin gets his eighth start of the season and his 13th...

The major league draft is down to its final day and 10 picks. Emotions won't run quite as high with the final announcements. Fans don't typically vent over the 20th selection. The first? Yeah, it gets pretty loud. The Orioles passed on three high school shortstops Sunday who remained on the board as their turn came, the mocks blown up immediately with the Pirates taking Louisville catcher Henry Davis at No. 1. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias also shunned Vanderbilt pitcher...

As the Orioles proceeded through the second day of the draft, selecting a fourth outfielder among their first five picks, they also learned that their current center fielder has entered the starting lineup for the American League in Tuesday night's All-Star Game in Denver. Cedric Mullins has been chosen to replace the Angels' Mike Trout, who's on the 60-day injured list. Mullins is batting ninth, the opposite end from his usual spot with the Orioles. As the lone Orioles representative,...

Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser said that when the Orioles invited him to Baltimore for a pre-draft workout, he knew they were serious about potentially making him the No. 5 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft. "It's a dream come true," he said late Sunday night in a Zoom interview. "I've dreamed about this and my family's invested a lot into me. You know they've sacrificed all the time. Just to be able to spend it with friends and family means the world to me." For...

The 2021 First-Year Player Draft is defined by the number of high school shortstops residing near or at the top of boards across the industry. The Orioles helped to steer it in a different direction tonight. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias used the fifth-overall selection on Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser. This is the second year in a row that the Orioles chose an outfielder with their first pick, following the University of Arkansas' Heston Kjerstad, who still...