Their 60-game season nearly halfway complete, the Nationals decided to pull the plug (at least temporarily) on Plan A for replacing Anthony Rendon at third base. The Nats optioned struggling rookie Carter Kieboom to their alternate training site in Fredericksburg this afternoon, an unexpected transaction that also saw reliever Sean Doolittle activated off the 10-day injured list. Though Kieboom had been struggling at the plate - he was batting .200 (10-for-50) with zero extra-base hits, 11...

Hunter Harvey doesn't know when he's going to be activated from the injured list and jump into a bullpen that's been missing him through the first half of the season. However, he's on the current road trip for a reason. He's getting close. "I'm feeling great right now," Harvey said today in a Zoom conference call with the media. "I've been feeling good for the last few weeks and hopefully here soon I'll be able to get back out there and start pitching in some big league games. So...

After a 4-2 loss in the series opener at Tropicana Field last night, the Orioles will play in St. Petersburg against Tampa Bay again this evening. It's the second of a three-game series and seven-game road trip. The Orioles are 8-2 on the road and began Tuesday night with the best road record in the majors. They also had won eight in a row on the road since losing opening night at Boston. So they went longer than 30 days between road losses. Even after that game, they still own MLB's best...

The Nationals need a good start tonight from Patrick Corbin. It's that simple. With their own lineup ailing and ace Aaron Nola on the mound for the Phillies, it's probably too much to count on a big night at the plate. So it's up to Corbin to provide quality innings, hold the Philly lineup down and allow Davey Martinez to use only a couple of his best relievers late instead of asking them to provide the kind of length that has been required more often than not this season. The left-hander...

Manager Davey Martinez is still awaiting news regarding Stephen Strasburg, who underwent right hand surgery in Baltimore today to relieve his carpal tunnel neuritis. Martinez will meet with director of athletic training Paul Lessard postgame to go over the results. Strasburg is out for the season. "Waiting to hear from Paul to see how it went," Martinez said. "I haven't talked to him yet. I'll get some more information after the game here. Hopefully, it went well." Left-hander Seth Romero...

Pedro Severino remains on the bench tonight with discomfort in his right hip, leaving Bryan Holaday behind the plate as the Orioles continue their series against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Severino is day-to-day after leaving Sunday's game. Chance Sisco is the designated hitter. Hanser Alberto is batting second, followed by Anthony Santander. Ryan Mountcastle returns to left field after serving last night as the designated hitter. Pat Valaika is the shortstop after committing two throwing...

Erick Fedde did a nice job of keeping the Nationals in the game Tuesday night, coming within one pitch of getting out of a major jam in the third. In the end, though, the Phillies beat the Nats 8-3. Fedde was saddled with his second loss in six appearances this season. But in the third, with the game tied at 1-1 and two men on and two outs, Fedde had a shot to get out of the frame with just one more pitch. J.T. Realmuto drove that next pitch, a 93.7 mph four-seam fastball, to deep right field....

With the feeling that players helping other players can produce positive results in addition to camaraderie and chemistry, the Orioles now have a player leadership group on the farm. Some of the players doing the leading in this group include Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Brett Cumberland, Isaac Mattson and Brian Gonzalez. The O's highest draft pick in 2014, taken No. 90 overall in round three, Gonzalez has seen his chance to make the majors get closer recently. The club added the...

Rarely do we think of D.C.'s summer weather as an advantage for the Nationals, who lament the heat, humidity and evening thunderstorms as much as any commuter from Fairfax or Silver Spring. But when a storm rolled through South Capitol Street at the end of the fifth inning tonight, it felt appropriate to wonder if the Nats might actually benefit from the situation. When play resumed, the Phillies were probably going to have to pull starter Jake Arrieta, even though he had cruised through five...

Pat Valaika sailed his second throw last night, again pulling first baseman Renato Núñez off the bag, and tried hard to exhibit better control of his emotions than he did of the baseball. Valaika removed his cap, exposing the thick blonde hair, and held it in his teeth while staring across the infield. He didn't bite through it, but only because of his restraint. Maybe it kept him from screaming. The frustration was evident. Two throwing errors that impacted Tommy Milone's start and led...