Time change and other notes

Time change and other notes
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles announced a time change for their May 20 game against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. The game has been moved from 4:05 p.m. to 7:35 p.m. and will be broadcast live on MASN2. This is the same day as The Preakness. All fans in attendance will receive Orioles Maryland script replica jerseys featuring the state flag. Players and coaches also will wear Orioles Maryland flag script jerseys and caps, which will be autographed, authenticated, and auctioned for charity Vidal...

Notes on Janish, Johnson, Bourn, Tillman, Miley and more

Notes on Janish, Johnson, Bourn, Tillman, Miley and more
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Orioles will reassign infielder Paul Janish and reduce their camp roster to 36 players. He's in today's lineup at shortstop. Janish is 9-for-44 with two doubles and a home run. He's going to play shortstop at Triple-A Norfolk, though he also can move to third and second base. The Orioles could re-sign infielder Chris Johnson and outfielder Michael Bourn later this week to restructured contracts after releasing them yesterday. Johnson would play third base and...

More roster talk as Orioles near end of camp

More roster talk as Orioles near end of camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - Six more days until the Orioles begin their 2017 season against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Not that anyone is counting here. Asked yesterday what it's like for the players in the final days of camp, Orioles manager Buck Showalter replied, "I know what it's like for coaches and managers." It's making the final roster cuts and trying not to expand the injury list. The paranoia is understandable. "You just want everybody to get out of here healthy," Showalter said. "I...

Wrapping up an 11-9 loss

Wrapping up an 11-9 loss
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are down to 40 players in camp after reassigning catcher Chance Sisco. However, they may hold at that total today rather than make additional moves. Manager Buck Showalter said following today's 11-9 loss to the Red Sox - which came after Johnny Giavotella's leadoff home run in the ninth and catcher Dan Butler's throw to first base with two outs that picked off Robert Andino - that he's "trying" to pare down the roster, but there are multiple road...

Wilson stretched to four innings, O's down 10-6

Wilson stretched to four innings, O's down 10-6
SARASOTA, Fla. - Tyler Wilson appears to have gone from rotation to long relief candidate. Whatever his role, he needs to continuing pitching as he did today against the Red Sox. Wilson held his opponent to one run over four innings, striking out Brock Holt, Hanley Ramírez and Steve Selsky along the way. He allowed three hits and walked one batter. Orioles manager Buck Showalter stated earlier today that he viewed Wilson more as a reliever now, though an option to Triple-A Norfolk would...

Peña and Perez reassigned, wrapping up a 5-2 loss

Peña and Perez reassigned, wrapping up a 5-2 loss
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles reassigned catchers Francisco Peña and Audry Perez following today's 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays. The camp roster stands at 44, including 10 non-roster players. Peña was 1-for-12 and Perez went 1-for-11. Welington Castillo, Caleb Joseph and top prospect Chance Sisco are the only remaining catchers in camp. Castillo returns on Wednesday from the World Baseball Classic. More cuts are coming on Wednesday. Manager Buck Showalter indicated that Rule 5 picks Aneury...

Jiménez says today was "even better" than last outing (O's lose 5-2)

Jiménez says today was "even better" than last outing (O's lose 5-2)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2 Recap: Ubaldo Jiménez failed to get past the fourth inning, allowing four runs and throwing 76 pitches. He gave up five hits, walked three batters, struck out four and threw a wild pitch. ... Chris Davis led off the bottom of the fourth inning with his first home run, a shot to left-center field off Aaron Sanchez. ... Logan Verrett struck out three in two scoreless innings. ... The Jays scored an unearned run off Darren O'Day in the eighth...

Zach Britton on yesterday's inning at minor league camp

Zach Britton on yesterday's inning at minor league camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles closer Zach Britton remains convinced, along with everyone else in the organization, that he's going to be ready for opening day. Britton struck out the side on 12 pitches yesterday in a minor league game against the Rays at Twin Lakes Park. Britton said he was facing Tampa Bay's Triple-A team and he didn't know exactly which hitters were stepping up to the plate. They just couldn't touch him. "There really wasn't much action," he said after reluctantly telling...

A few thoughts on yesterday

A few thoughts on yesterday
SARASOTA, Fla. - We'll find out this morning whether Pedro Álvarez is getting another start in right field or serving as the designated hitter for the Orioles game against the Yankees in Tampa. It was impossible to truly judge Álvarez in yesterday's B game besides receiving confirmation that he possesses freakish strength and can make a really, really loud sound when bat meets ball. Álvarez didn't take a perfect route to the line drive in right-center field, but he wasn't likely to...

The bullpen shuttle: Orioles have a lot of optionable pitchers

The bullpen shuttle: Orioles have a lot of optionable pitchers
As opening day approaches, we know that the Orioles will be relying heavily on their bullpen during the 2017 season. The Orioles bullpen pitchers posted an ERA of 3.40 last year and that led the American League. For most games this season, the Orioles will feature a seven-man bullpen. And we know that five of those spots will likely be filled by Zach Britton, Darren O'Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens and Donnie Hart. We don't yet know which pitchers will claim the sixth and seventh spots. But...

Gausman goes three innings, Mancini fine in right field (updated)

Gausman goes three innings, Mancini fine in right field (updated)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman didn't break the three-inning barrier today against the Phillies, with Logan Verrett replacing him to start the fourth. However, Gausman got his pitch count up to 62 and was charged with one earned run. Chris Coghlan poked a leadoff double past first base on an 0-2 count, took third on a fly ball and scored on Howie Kendrick's grounder to shortstop J.J. Hardy. Catcher Caleb Joseph dropped Hardy's throw for an error. The ball easily beat Kendrick to the...

More thoughts on Tillman's shoulder and how Orioles handle it

More thoughts on Tillman's shoulder and how Orioles handle it
SARASOTA, Fla. - Competition is a good thing until it builds because your ace is injured. The Orioles aren't saying that Chris Tillman definitely won't be one of the five starters coming out of camp, but that's the likely result after his bullpen session yesterday was bagged due to more shoulder soreness. He didn't make it to the mound. Pain on flat ground seems to have flat-lined his hopes of pitching on April 15. In the most perfect of baseball worlds, someone already in camp would step...

Taking another look at the Orioles' rotation depth

Taking another look at the Orioles' rotation depth
The news on right-hander Chris Tillman from Sunday was concerning. He never even made it to his planned bullpen session, shut down after about 10 long-toss throws before he was planning to take the mound. So Tillman, who was on the disabled list from Aug. 24 to Sept. 11 last season with right shoulder bursitis, continues to have shoulder discomfort. He got a platelet-rich plasma injection in December and now Sunday's setback, detailed here and here. Tillman returned from that issue last year...

Game update and Gausman on his start (Orioles walk off 5-4)

Game update and Gausman on his start (Orioles walk off 5-4)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 5, Dominican Republic 4 Recap: Kevin Gausman retired nine of 10 batters over three innings, walking José Bautista to lead off the second. ... Manny Machado grounded to third against Gausman and went 0-for-2 with a walk before coming out for a pinch-runner. ... Brad Brach walked four batters in the sixth inning and was charged with a second run on Zach Stewart's wild pitch. ... Logan Verrett tossed two scoreless innings. ... Sean Coyle scored go-ahead run...

Gausman with three scoreless vs. Dominican Republic

Gausman with three scoreless vs. Dominican Republic
SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman retired nine of the 10 Dominican Republic batters that he faced this afternoon, the only glitch a five-pitch walk to José Bautista leading off the top of the second inning. Add him to the list of Orioles pitchers who have completed three innings. He's the first to do it against such a formidable lineup. Manny Machado grounded to third baseman Ryan Flaherty in the first inning and Welington Castillo flied to right fielder Seth Smith in the third. Gausman's...

Wade Miley on today's outing (O's win 8-3)

Wade Miley on today's outing (O's win 8-3)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 8, Pirates 3 Recap: Adam Jones hit the Orioles' first Grapefruit League home run by launching the first pitch he saw from Jameson Taillon in the first inning. ... Manny Machado lined a home run to right field. ... Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavárez broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh with an RBI single and stole two bases. ... Wade Miley allowed one run, on Eric Wood's home run, in two innings. He gave up two hits, hit a batter and struck out one. Need to know: Miley...

Orioles release McFarland (plus game update)

Orioles release McFarland (plus game update)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander T.J. McFarland has cleared outright and release waivers and is a free agent after the Orioles released him this afternoon. He can sign with any team. The Orioles would like to re-sign McFarland to a minor league deal and start him at Triple-A Norfolk. McFarland would have made $685,000 after avoiding arbitration. The Orioles designated him for assignment last Sunday after trading for Vidal Nuño and got him through release waivers in order to negotiate a new...

Wilson retires all six batters he faces in debut (O's win 2-0)

Wilson retires all six batters he faces in debut (O's win 2-0)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 2, Tigers 0 Recap: Tyler Wilson retired all six batters he faced, striking out one and throwing 14 of 21 pitches for strikes. ... Johnny Giavotella singled in all three of his at-bats. ... Ryan Flaherty drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Need to know: Jayson Aquino struck out two batters in two scoreless innings. ... Right fielder Chris Dickerson recorded three putouts in the first two innings. He also had a walk and stolen base...

After the starting five, how does the depth look for the Orioles?

After the starting five, how does the depth look for the Orioles?
As the new season approaches for the Orioles, the starting rotation looks set for 2017. It is expected to be - in some order - Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jiménez. But we do know the Orioles are very unlikely to get through 162 games with just five starting pitchers. They used eight to make starts in both 2014 and 2015 and used 10 in 2016. So the depth, as always, will be necessary. Who is next up on the list after the starting five for the Orioles? The...

Joseph offers scouting report on Liranzo

Joseph offers scouting report on Liranzo
SARASOTA, Fla. - Caleb Joseph raised his mitt during a recent bullpen session, awaiting the pitch from 21-year-old Jesús Liranzo, never expecting it to arrive so quickly. The ball almost startled Joseph, who was catching Liranzo for the first time. It definitely impressed him. "I'm not going to say his windup lulls you to sleep. I don't want to say that. But it's not a very violent windup," Joseph said. "You don't expect the ball to be on you as fast as it is. That was what I was...