JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals are back after a day off, and a whole bunch of regulars are making the short drive from West Palm Beach to face the Marlins. There is one notable exception, however: Max Scherzer, who will not make this start. There's nothing wrong with Scherzer. Davey Martinez gave him the option of making his regularly scheduled start or throwing a couple of bullpen sessions over multiple days instead and then rejoining the rotation the next time around. Stephen Strasburg and...

SARASOTA, Fla. - After Monday's off day, the Orioles resume spring training games tonight when they host Atlanta at 6:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium. They have played 17 games, going 8-6-3, and they have 16 left in Florida, plus the exhibition game at the Naval Academy against the New York Mets on March 24. Opening day is March 26 in Baltimore versus the New York Yankees. At this point, several non-roster players are posting good stats and making solid impressions. They are pushing for roster...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Only 12 days from now, the Nationals will pack up and head north for good, officially set to begin their title defense. Time flies when you're having fun, huh? Most of the folks down here can't wait. They're itching to get this thing started. Manager Davey Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo might be a little less eager to break camp, at least until they're as confident as they can be this roster is ready to take on the rest of the National League. It's been a...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are down to five catchers in spring training after the latest round of cuts. The group that held a realistic chance of making the team. None who have been waiting for the inevitable reassignment to minor league camp. Adley Rutschman and Martin Cervenka weren't jogging down the orange carpet on opening day and they knew it. Pedro Severino still appears to be a lock, but the backup job is up for grabs, with Chance Sisco holding favorite status upon reporting to the...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Sean Doolittle first reached the big leagues in June 2012, and over the next 26 months he managed to make 168 relief appearances without suffering an injury that cost him anything more than a couple of days. Then, one day in August 2014, he strained his right intercostal muscle and thus began a long streak of annual trips to the injured list. A six-year streak, as a matter of fact. Each of the last six seasons, Doolittle has spent at least two weeks on the IL. He's had...

SARASOTA, Fla. - At 35, left-hander Wade LeBlanc is the oldest player in Orioles camp. But just like some pitchers much younger, he is simply just trying to make the team. There is a track record and resume there. One that saw him pitch to an ERA of 3.91 over a three-year run from 2016 through 2018. But in 26 games last season with Seattle, he went 6-7 with a 5.71 ERA. He's pitched well in his first two spring games as he tries to win a rotation spot. Over five innings, he has allowed two hits...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Today's much-needed and celebrated break in the exhibition schedule should have provided a little more clarity to the 26-man roster for opening day. It doesn't always work out that way. Trey Mancini could begin the season on the injured list, which creates an unexpected vacancy in right field. Manager Brandon Hyde didn't want to talk about possible alternatives yesterday while meeting with the media. He doesn't know and he doesn't want to be disrespectful to Mancini,...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Circumstances may have left Erick Fedde in a tough spot to force his way onto the Nationals' opening day pitching staff, but the right-hander is nonetheless going to do whatever he can to make a positive impression as long as he remains in the running this spring. Outings like the one he authored today can only help. Fedde was sharp through three innings against a Tigers lineup featuring plenty of regulars before fading as his pitch count got too high in the fourth,...

SARASOTA, Fla - The Orioles are bringing a relief candidate into camp and filling a vacancy on their 40-man roster. Right-hander Hector Velázquez was claimed off waivers today from the Red Sox to increase the camp roster to 55 players and the 40-man to 39. Velázquez, 31, was designated for assignment on Thursday. He's gone 11-7 with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.428 WHIP in 89 games (19 starts) over the past three seasons. The Orioles like the length that Velázquez can provide and view him more...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals made their first round of cuts of the spring this morning, demoting seven players to the minors, including catching prospect Raudy Read. Read, the only player cut today who is on the 40-man roster, was optioned to Triple-A Fresno. The six others who were cut, all non-roster players, were reassigned to minor league camp: right-handers Jhonatan German, Derek Self and Paulo Espino, catcher Jakson Reetz, infielder Drew Ward and outfielder Mac...