Ward may have to alter delivery, Brzykcy has forearm strain
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Thaddeus Ward will remember his Nationals spring training debut for the scoreless inning he posted, for the changeup he misfired to the backstop and for the news he got afterward: He might need to change his delivery, because his current one might qualify as a balk. Ward, the top pick in December’s Rule 5 draft, pitched a sc
Hall cuts hair for a good cause
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
LAKELAND, Fla. – DL Hall caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and did a double-take, hardly able to recognize himself. Fifteen inches of hair are gone. The face is familiar, but nothing else. Noticed more in the past for an electric arm, Hall is getting lots of attention in Orioles camp for his buzz cut. Hall had his reasons. The club’s
Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Astros and Mets
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It’s day two of Grapefruit League play, and already the Nationals are pulling double duty. Yes, it’s the one and only split-squad day of the spring for the boys, with half the team staying here in West Palm Beach to face the Astros while the other half heads to Port St. Lucie to face Max Scherzer and the Mets. Davey Martinez
Orioles and Tigers lineups
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
LAKELAND, Fla. – Kyle Stowers is batting cleanup today against the Tigers and Colton Cowser is starting in left field. Connor Norby is the second baseman, Jordan Westburg is starting at shortstop, and Terrin Vavra is playing third base after his double and home run in yesterday’s exhibition opener. Ryan McKenna is the leadoff hitter and center fiel
Coby Mayo on getting to start the spring training opener
Steve Melewski
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – For young Orioles infield prospect Coby Mayo, it was not just another spring training game. It was his first chance to be in the starting lineup wearing an Orioles jersey. In an interview before yesterday’s spring training opener with the Twins, Mayo recalled he had gotten one previous spring at-bat against the Yankees and had play
On Abrams' big debut, De La Rosa's moment and Peralta's struggles
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals’ exhibition opener – a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals in Jupiter – was headlined by the debut of MacKenzie Gore and the debut of the pitch clock. There was a lot more going on over the course of 2 hours, 26 minutes of fast-paced baseball, though. Here’s a look at some other notable developments from the game …
Joey Ortiz Aberdeen helmet
Infield prospects drawing praise at Orioles camp
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles eventually will reach the stage of spring training when prospects are sent to the minor league side at Twin Lakes Park to get ready for their season. They received the necessary camp exposure. They got the full experience. The major league coaches became more familiar with them. Zero downside to it. In a spontaneous con
Kjerstad: "Definitely a good day"
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – Heston Kjerstad stood in the batter’s box and twisted his waist as if trying to guide his fly ball inside the left field foul pole. Two home runs were nice, but he wanted a third. He came so close. The ball hooked foul to keep Kjerstad at the plate in the eighth inning. No problem. He lined a single into right field to go 3-for-3 i
Gore shines in fast-paced Nationals debut
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
JUPITER, Fla. – The sun was shining, the pitch clock was ticking and MacKenzie Gore was pumping strikes against the meat of the Cardinals’ A lineup en route to a scoreless inning in his Nationals debut. “Not much more I can ask for after an outing like that,” catcher Riley Adams said. “I thought he was really dialed in.” The Nats’ 2023 exhibition o
Santander saddled with strike, Kjerstad slugs two home runs
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander led off the bottom of the fourth inning today by committing the Orioles’ first rules violation in their exhibition opener. Santander smiled about it later, in his usual manner, but didn’t agree with the call. Plate umpire Chad Fairfield ruled that Santander wasn’t ready to hit by the required eight seconds and hun