Samuel Basallo is serving as the designated hitter this afternoon, as the Orioles make another Sunday trip to play the Phillies in Clearwater. Gary Sánchez is behind the plate. Ramón Laureano gets the start in center field and is batting leadoff, followed by second baseman Jackson Holliday. Colton Cowser is in right field and Heston Kjerstad is in

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – MacKenzie Gore entered spring training as the presumed Opening Day starter for the Nationals. Patrick Corbin is no longer here and Josiah Gray is going to miss at least the first half of the season due to injury. So the 26-year-old left-hander with electric, albeit inconsistent stuff is a likely choice to take the ball for t

SARASOTA, Fla. – The best season of Keegan Akin’s professional life came with one harsh outcome that he’s able to laugh about five months later. It took that long. Pitchers dread the slow walk back to the dugout after surrendering a game-winning run. Head bowed, the roar of the opposing crowd ringing in his ears, reporters seeking an explanation an

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After starting Grapefruit League play 3-0, the Nationals have now dropped four straight games. Not that spring training records mean anything, but you would like to get back in the win column sooner rather than later. Tonight’s game against the Marlins provides a perfect opportunity to do that. The Nationals dominated the Ma

JUPITER, Fla. – Michael Soroka hadn’t jogged out of his own dugout to start a game since May 12 with the White Sox. Over his last 16 appearances in 2024, he had to jog in from the bullpen as a reliever. On that day, he gave up five runs (four earned) in 5 ⅓ innings to start what would be a 7-0 loss to the Guardians, inflating his season ERA to 6.39

JUPITER, Fla. – The Nationals are now known for their speed. They made a point to take advantage of their youth and the new rules that encourage basestealing to swipe a major league-best 223 bags last year. But that young speed manifests itself defensively, too. The Nats’ projected starting outfield of James Wood in left, Jacob Young in center and

Tyler O'Neill would have been in today's Orioles lineup except he's dealing with an illness, according to manager Brandon Hyde, who met with the media in Sarasota for his daily pregame dugout session. O'Neill hit a ball Thursday against the Blue Jays that cleared the concourse in left field for a three-run homer. He didn't make the trip to Fort Mye

SARASOTA, Fla. - Dylan Beavers gets the start in left field this afternoon, as the Orioles host the Pirates again. Beavers hit the go-ahead two-run homer yesterday against the Twins and is 3-for-6. Cedric Mullins is leading off. Ramón Laureano is in right field. Adley Rutschman is behind the plate. Ramón Urías remains the third baseman. Nick Gordon

JUPITER, Fla. – It’s not really spring training until you play a split-squad doubleheader. Unfortunately for the Nationals staff (and your trusty beat reporter), today features a split split-squad doubleheader with an afternoon game against the Cardinals in Jupiter followed by a night game against the Marlins in West Palm Beach. This is March. Afte

Spring is the season of dart throws. The Orioles hit a bullseye last offseason when they signed Albert Suárez to a minor league deal. Suárez hadn’t toed rubber in the majors since 2017, but became a key piece of the 2024 Orioles. The righty boasted a 3.09 ERA in eight games as a reliever and a 3.76 ERA as a starter. “Big Al” may not have been a sig