Checking on Orioles minor leaguers who became free agents

Checking on Orioles minor leaguers who became free agents
The current offseason for the Orioles may not seem typical with hires pending in the front office, no manager in place and promises to revamp the entire scouting operation. This isn't business as usual across the board. However, there are certain tasks that await the club and aren't influenced by other circumstances. Building up minor league depth is one of the priorities. Trying to find hidden and inexpensive gems. The Orioles also might try to keep a few of their own. The list of Orioles...

Latest winless road trip followed by Yankees clash, plus farm notes

Latest winless road trip followed by Yankees clash, plus farm notes
Well, as they are 2-17 in their past 19 home games, we can't necessarily say it will get better for the Orioles as they return home today. They host the New York Yankees this afternoon at 4:05 p.m. in a single-admission doubleheader. The last-place Orioles (24-65) are now 41 games under .500 and 37 games out of first as they begin an eight-game homestand today. They just endured their third 0-6 road trip of the season. They lost all six in April at Boston and Detroit. They did the same in May...

Gausman on his "battle scar" and start (Orioles lose 8-6)

Gausman on his "battle scar" and start (Orioles lose 8-6)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman never made it to a local hospital today, passing the concussion tests at the Ed Smith Stadium complex while sporting a cut above his left eyelid. He lost some blood but kept his sense of humor. Gausman expects to be back on the field in a few days after colliding with the Tigers' Jeimer Candelario while backing up home plate in the top of the second inning. Gausman stayed on the ground for several minutes and left the stadium on the back of a cart after head...

Hays stands out in intrasquad game

Hays stands out in intrasquad game
SARASOTA, Fla. - Austin Hays led off today's intrasquad game with a triple and scored on Cedric Mullins' liner to right field to account for all of the scoring in the Black Team's 1-0 four-inning win over the Orange Team before a bunch of club officials, players and media. Hays, the organization's minor league Player of the Year, went 2-for-3 with a run scored. David Hess worked two innings and allowed one run and one hit, with one walk and three strikeouts. He threw 10 of 11 pitches for...

Eddie Gamboa on his commitment to the knuckleball

Eddie Gamboa on his commitment to the knuckleball
SARASOTA, Fla. - Eddie Gamboa has a better grip on his pitching future. Gamboa has conceded after much prodding from the Orioles that he needs to go exclusively with his knuckleball. No more mixing it in 50 percent of the time. No more fastball first and then the secondary stuff. If Gamboa is going to get back to the majors after appearing in seven games with the Rays in 2016, his only exposure to the highest level, he's going to do it strictly as a knuckleball pitcher. "Absolutely, yeah,"...

Orioles sign Perez and Gamboa to minor league deals (updated)

Orioles sign Perez and Gamboa to minor league deals (updated)
With depth moves included on the offseason docket, the Orioles are returning catcher Audry Perez and pitcher Eddie Gamboa to the organization. Perez and Gamboa have signed minor league deals, the news coming via the club's Twitter account. The Orioles also announced the signings of infielder Anderson Féliz and outfielder D'Arby Myers that were reported earlier this month. Perez, 29, has spent the past three years in the organization, appearing in 78 and 84 games with Triple-A Norfolk in...

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.)...

Orioles select Paul Janish's contract from Norfolk

Orioles select Paul Janish's contract from Norfolk
KANSAS CITY - The Orioles selected the contract of shortstop Paul Janish from Triple-A Norfolk today and placed catcher Steve Clevenger on the paternity list. Clevenger is expected to rejoin the club Friday in Arlington. In the meantime, his wife Tiffany gave birth today to Peyton Lee Clevenger at 1:09 p.m. Peyton is 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 19.5 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. The Pride of Pigtown must be bursting with pride. The Orioles summoned Janish as shortstop insurance while...

Tonight's game and possible roster move

Tonight's game and possible roster move
MIAMI - Orioles manager Buck Showalter will celebrate his 59th birthday today by deciding whether Jimmy Paredes should remain in the lineup and how many right-handers to send out against Marlins starter Dan Haren. I'd prefer a bowling party. And cake. Haren is a right-hander with reverse splits in his career. Right-handers bat .267 against him and left-handers bat .240. However, left-handers are hitting .271 against him this season and right-handers are hitting only .186. Showalter, having...

At 13-16, is this just a slow start or glimpse into troubling future for Orioles?

At 13-16, is this just a slow start or glimpse into troubling future for Orioles?
On April 24, the Orioles fell to 7-10 and were three games under .500. Then they won five of six games, were 12-11 and won that series of home games that was moved on the road to St. Petersburg. It appeared the club had handled well the disruption to its schedule which even included an impressive win over Chicago's Jeff Samardzija in the no-attendance game. But now the Orioles are back at three games under .500 at 13-16 following a 1-5 stretch against the Mets and Yankees. Right now the team...

Notes and Yankees lineup

Notes and Yankees lineup
Reliever Wesley Wright, on the disabled list with a strained left trapezius muscle, had an MRI today at 1:30 p.m. and the Orioles are waiting for the results. Matt Wieters took coach's and live batting practice today in Sarasota, and he's scheduled to serve as the designated hitter Tuesday in an extended spring training game. "He was a little sore in the right places," said manager Buck Showalter. Dane De La Rosa, recovering from knee surgery, threw BP to Wieters and also will play in...

David Lough activated from disabled list

David Lough activated from disabled list
Manager Buck Showalter has his four-man bench for tonight's series opener against the Yankees The Orioles activated outfielder David Lough from the 15-day disabled list today and optioned pitcher Eddie Gamboa to Triple-A Norfolk. Lough played in one rehab game at Single-A Frederick, receiving three plate appearances yesterday and going 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly. His hamstring is fine. Gamboa was called up to the majors for the first time in his career and sat in the bullpen for two games...

Tillman struggling early, note on Gamboa (updated)

Tillman struggling early, note on Gamboa (updated)
Chris Tillman thought he gave up a single and double to the first two Toronto batters this afternoon. It was actually worse than that, with umpires reversing the call on Dalton Pompey's fly ball to right field and awarding him a two-run homer. The crew chief review lasted 2 minutes, 2 seconds. The scoreless tie didn't make it that long. Tillman threw 32 pitches in the first and allowed two runs and four hits. Jose Reyes, Edwin Encarnacion and Dioner Navarro singled. Pompey slammed a ball off...

More notes before today's game

More notes before today's game
Ubaldo Jimenez was among five pitchers last night who threw at least seven innings and gave up two hits or fewer, joining Boston's Joe Kelly, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels, Milwaukee's Jimmy Nelson and Tampa Bay's Chris Archer. According to Elias, it's the highest total since Sept. 23, 2000, when the list included Atlanta's Greg Maddux, Cleveland's Bartolo Colon, Oakland's Kevin Appier, the Dodgers' Kevin Brown and Pittsburgh's Dan Serafini. T.J. McFarland started for Triple-A Norfolk...

O's pregame notes and quotes with Ryan Lavarnway, Chris Davis and Eddie Gamboa

O's pregame notes and quotes with Ryan Lavarnway, Chris Davis and Eddie Gamboa
When Chris Tillman takes the mound today, he'll be throwing to catcher Ryan Lavarnway for the first time in a regular season game. I asked Lavarnway if he and Tillman can gain anything from last night as they attack the Blue Jays hitters today? They saw Ubaldo Jimenez hold Toronto to one hit and no runs over seven innings last night. Can they just take that game plan that Jimenez used into today's game or does Tillman have a different style of pitching? "I think there is a little bit of...

Schoop hits first career grand slam (O's win 7-1)

Schoop hits first career grand slam (O's win 7-1)
If the Blue Jays are going to keep loading the bases with no outs, bad things are going to happen to them. Adam Jones grounded into a double play in the third inning, but Jonathan Schoop hit his first career grand slam in the fifth to extend the Orioles' lead to 7-0. Schoop also homered last night, but not as dramatically. Todd Redmond threw Schoop a 79 mph slider, an 89 mph sinker and an 81 mph slider. That last one traveled far into the night. The last Orioles grand slam was delivery by J.J....

De Aza and Davis homer in first inning (O's lead 3-0)

De Aza and Davis homer in first inning (O's lead 3-0)
Alejandro De Aza celebrated his 31st birthday tonight with a leadoff home run. Some people prefer an ice cream cake. De Aza hit a frozen rope onto the flag court in right field. (See what I did there?) The Orioles' last leadoff home run came from Nick Markakis on Sept. 25, 2014 in New York. You may remember him. Spent a lot of years in an Orioles uniform. Left as a free agent. Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez, making his first major league start after 24 relief appearances last season,...

More notes and quotes before tonight's game

More notes and quotes before tonight's game
The Orioles won't announce their roster move today until making certain that knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa arrives in Baltimore. Gamboa would be making his major league debut if he gets into a game. The Orioles want left-hander T.J. McFarland to make at least a couple of starts at Triple-A Norfolk. He's on the mound tonight in Charlotte. Mike Wright wasn't available to replace reliever Wesley Wright on the 25-man roster because he would have been working on short rest. Gamboa was scheduled to...

Davis on his offense, Jones on AL East, Joseph on Jimenez

Davis on his offense, Jones on AL East, Joseph on Jimenez
After starting the season 0-for-6 with three strikeouts against Tampa Bay, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis picked up his first hit of the year against Toronto Friday. Then he got his second and was robbed of a third. It was a good day at the plate for Davis, who went 2-for-4 with a single and double, and hit another ball to the wall in left only to see Blue Jays left fielder Kevin Pillar crash into the wall and rob him of at least an extra-base hit. Did some things come together for Davis and...

Wesley Wright headed to DL (with Jays lineup)

Wesley Wright headed to DL (with Jays lineup)
The Orioles will place reliever Wesley Wright on the 15-day disabled list today due to pain behind his left shoulder and neck area that's believed to be related to his trapezius muscle. Wright informed the team last night that he's been experiencing pain for the past few days. Team orthopedist Dr. Michael Jacobs examined him this afternoon and recommended a stint on the disabled list. Wright has made two appearances, allowing one run and two hits in 1 2/3 innings. The Orioles will recall a...