Orioles announce updated 2021 home game times
Orioles announce updated 2021 home game times
Pete Kerzel
Orioles
The Orioles today announced updated home game times for the 2021 season. All home games in April, May, and September which were originally scheduled to begin at 6:35 p.m. will now begin at 7:05 p.m. ET. Home games impacted by the change include April 12-14 against the Seattle Mariners, April 26-28 against the New York Yankees, May 10 against the Boston Red Sox, May 18-19 against the Tampa Bay Rays, September 7-9 against the Kansas City Royals, September 14-15 against the Yankees, September 23...
Tweaks in his setup show Strasburg's maturation as a pitcher
Tweaks in his setup show Strasburg's maturation as a pitcher
Pete Kerzel
Nationals
As he enters his 12th major league season, right-hander Stephen Strasburg is definitely more of a pitcher than a thrower. And even as he approaches the twilight of his career, Strasburg is still learning. Think back to the beanpole-thin 21-year-old who took the game by storm in 2010 and you'll see a gangly fireballer. All arms and legs, Strasburg sometimes had to rein his body in as he delivered a pitch. This often worked in his favor, since hitters had trouble picking up the ball amid flying...
Alan Mills eager to manage again
Alan Mills eager to manage again
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Alan Mills is ready to manage again. The former Orioles reliever didn't leave baseball. It sort of left him. Hurricane Dorian washed away the end of the Gulf Coast League's regular season and playoffs in 2019, making the Orioles owners of the best record at 38-15 and Mills the choice as Manager of the Year. The minors were canceled last summer due to COVID-19. Mills stayed home in Lakeland, Fla., with no offer to serve as an instructor at the alternate camp site in Bowie or in the fall...
García's confidence has never been in doubt
García's confidence has never been in doubt
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
There is a word Luis García keeps using when talking about himself: confidence. He uses it not as some means of bragging about his immense talent and reputation at the ripe age of 20, but rather to explain how he managed to hold up during his first season in the major leagues and, at times, even thrive. "At every level I've played at, I've always told myself: 'It's the same baseball,' " the Nationals infielder said last week via interpreter Octavio Martinez, during a Zoom session with...
Corbin labors, Kieboom presses, Bell homers again
Corbin labors, Kieboom presses, Bell homers again
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Patrick Corbin has made three starts this spring. And he has faced the Marlins three times this spring. That's not what anyone would consider an ideal scenario, but there's not much the Nationals can do about it in this modified Grapefruit League schedule that includes only four opponents who train close to West Palm Beach, Fla. Corbin's first start (two innings, one run allowed on March 6) went perfectly fine. His second (three scoreless innings on March 11) went much better. His third...
How the latest news jumbles the roster analysis
How the latest news jumbles the roster analysis
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Make opening day roster plans and duck the wrenches thrown at them. The Orioles intended to carry first baseman Chris Davis, but he hasn't played since Feb. 28 due to a lower back injury. The result is likely a trip to the injured list, whether 10 or 60 days. Hunter Harvey was a candidate to serve as closer, or at least a high-leverage reliever, but he's on the 60-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Félix Hernández was signed to a minor league deal and penciled into the...
Notes on reliever innings and more with Mike Elias
Notes on reliever innings and more with Mike Elias
Steve Melewski
Orioles
When bullpen lefty Paul Fry struggled on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies, it was a rare outing this spring for an Orioles reliever. Not in the results, but in the fact Fry pitched 1 2/3 innings. Most of the relief outings this year by pitchers who are not being stretched out have been one inning. Fernando Abad has four outings of an inning or less each, Shawn Armstrong has two of those among three games. Eric Hanhold, whose good spring got wrecked yesterday, has thrown five outings of...
Hernández leaves game with elbow discomfort
Hernández leaves game with elbow discomfort
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Veteran starter Félix Hernández left today's start against the Rays with discomfort in his right elbow. He's undergoing an examination and the Orioles should have more information in the morning. Hernández retired the side in order with two strikeouts, but manager Brandon Hyde sensed that there was an issue. "I thought the velo was the same," Hyde said following a 7-1 seven-inning loss in Port Charlotte. "He was getting outs, he had a good slider. I just thought the body language...
Lester to debut Thursday, Strasburg still testing calf
Lester to debut Thursday, Strasburg still testing calf
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Jon Lester is ready to make his Nationals debut. And that could help give Stephen Strasburg a couple extra days to let his strained calf heal without disrupting the team's rotation plans to begin the season. Lester has cleared all hurdles since rejoining camp following March 5 surgery to remove one of his parathyroid glands and is slated to start Thursday against the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla., according to manager Davey Martinez. It'll be the left-hander's long-awaited Nationals debut...
Lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach
Lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals have a date this evening with the Marlins, and Patrick Corbin is once again the main attraction. Corbin, who tossed three scoreless innings against this same club in Jupiter, Fla., five days ago, now faces Miami at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, where he'll look to build up his pitch count to about 60 and attempt to complete four innings for the first time this spring. The Nationals have all regulars playing behind Corbin in the field tonight, with a few differences in the...