SARASOTA, Fla. - Nick Markakis stood at his locker this morning, held a bat and took a couple of swings. He didn't have an ice pack on his neck.
So far, so good.
Markakis, cleared yesterday to begin baseball activities, will hit off a tee and do some light throwing as part of a three- or four-day progression.
"That's what I was hoping for," he said. "I don't know exactly what I'm going to do today, but I'll do a little bit and get reevaluated tomorrow and go from there."
Markakis...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Let's see if Steve Johnson can counterpunch Jake Arrieta's outing last night.
Arrieta didn't allow a run in six innings last night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out nine batters. He hasn't been scored upon in his last 14 2/3 innings. He's struck out 16.
Johnson will try to stay in the fifth starter race today against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte. He figures to get their regular lineup.
Why should anything come easily to him?
Buck Showalter doesn't...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis has been cleared to begin baseball activities after consulting earlier today with spine specialist Dr. Lee Riley.
Markakis will hit off a tee and do some light throwing on Friday at the Ed Smith Stadium complex as part of a three- to four-day offensive progression that will lead to his first games since March 1.
Manager Buck Showalter figured that Markakis could play a week's worth of games in two days.
"Trust me, he is Twin Lakes...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta made another strong argument for being named the No. 5 starter.
Arrieta blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates on six hits over six innings tonight, walking two batters and striking out nine. He threw 88 pitches, 64 for strikes.
Arrieta hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts covering 14 2/3 innings. He's permitted 11 hits and fanned 16 batters.
Removing the Team Spain game, Arrieta has permitted three earned runs and 13 hits in 17 1/3...
SARASOTA, Fla. - So much for the Orioles not making any cuts tonight.
The club announced that infielder Danny Valencia has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, leaving 44 players in camp, including 12 non-roster invitees.
Valencia went 10-for-31 in 17 games this spring. His only home run came in the ninth inning of Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, breaking a 7-7 tie.
The Orioles purchased Valencia from the Red Sox on Nov. 28.
Valencia is expected to be the primary...
SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been a light news day at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.
Nobody is complaining.
Nolan Reimold is making another start in left field, and manager Buck Showalter remains optimistic that he will be on the 25-man roster on opening day.
Reimold had been shut down with soreness in his right shoulder and later was restricted to serving as the designated hitter.
"I feel good about it," Showalter said. "There's no givens. We'll see. I'm glad that he felt good taking...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts will play in his third consecutive game tonight, as the Orioles host the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Roberts fouled a ball off his right ankle in the sixth inning yesterday, but he feels fine and will start at second base.
Nolan Reimold is starting in left field. Adam Jones is in center and Lew Ford is in right.
For the Orioles:
Brian Roberts 2B
Manny Machado 3B
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
J.J. Hardy SS
Chris Davis 1B
Nolan Reimold LF
Russ Canzler...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Reliever Pedro Strop flew from San Francisco to Orlando last night, slept until around noon and raced to the Ed Smith Stadium complex.
"I wanted to be here so bad," he said with a big grin.
Strop tossed eight scoreless innings for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic and stranded two runners in the championship game. He was clutch.
"It was unbelievable," he said. "I don't even know how to describe this experience. An unbelievable feeling. That's the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis sat at his locker again today with an ice pack on the back of his neck and his T-shirt pulled over it, giving him a hunched look that is becoming quite familiar.
"I'm getting tired of icing," he said.
What's worse, the icing or having to talk to reporters every day?
"Talking to you guys," he deadpanned. "I'll take the ice any day."
Boom!
Markakis was waiting to speak over the phone with spine specialist Dr. Lee Riley this...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nick Markakis, sitting at his locker with another ice pack wrapped on the back of his neck, will speak with spine specialist Dr. Lee Riley later today and hopes to be cleared for baseball activities within the next day or two.
Markakis said he has full range of motion in his neck and no pain.
Reliever Pedro Strop is back in camp after helping the Dominican Republic win the World Baseball Classic. He flew into Florida last night, woke up a few hours ago and rushed to the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have another home game on the agenda, and it's going to be played under the lights
The Pittsburgh Pirates are traveling to Ed Smith Stadium, which means the lights will be bright. Go to their home ballpark and it's like each dugout is given a candle and a box of matches to illuminate the field.
Jake Arrieta, Luis Ayala, Tommy Hunter and Troy Patton will pitch for the Orioles tonight. Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez is starting for the Pirates.
Arrieta blanked the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he already planned to remove Brian Roberts from today's game in the top of the seventh inning. It wasn't done after the second baseman fouled a ball off his right ankle.
Roberts completed his at-bat before Yamaico Navarro replaced him in the field.
"Everybody was getting their fourth at-bat," Showalter said. "We'll see. It was a pretty good one. I'm not going to say that was the best ball he hit today, because it wasn't the best...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Second baseman Brian Roberts fouled a ball of his right ankle in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing head athletic trainer Richie Bancells and manager Buck Showalter out of the dugout.
Roberts crouched down in obvious pain, then tried to walk it off. He stayed in the game and struck out, then was replaced by Yamaico Navarro in the top of the seventh.
Showalter has removed most of his starters, so it may have been Roberts' turn to come out anyway.
Darren O'Day went two...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles wanted to stretch out left-hander Zach Britton to five or six innings today.
He didn't make it out of the second.
Britton allowed five runs and seven hits, including a homer by Emilio Bonifacio, in 1 2/3 innings. He walked two of the first three batters he faced and struck out one before manager Buck Showalter removed him from the game.
Britton threw 59 pitches, 36 for strikes, in his second-shortest outing of the spring. He went one inning in his debut on Feb....
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have optioned catcher Luis Exposito to Triple-A Norfolk and reassigned pitchers Daniel Schlereth and Adam Russell to minor league camp.
Exposito is on the 40-man roster, which is why he's been optioned rather than reassigned.
Exposito was 8-for-21 in 14 games, with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs. His work behind the plate was shaky, however, and included a catcher's interference call for using his mask to retrieve the ball.
The Orioles have plenty of...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter may allow infielder Jonathan Schoop to play today instead of waiting until later this week.
Showalter talked about giving Schoop the day off, but he could be persuaded to change his mind. Schoop told reporters this morning that he was ready to play after flying back to Florida early this morning from the World Baseball Classic.
"If he wants to play today, I'm going to play him," Showalter said. "I'm going to talk to him. We'll see. In that...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nate McLouth told me this morning that today's plan calls for him to move back and forth from right field to a fifth-infielder position.
Me: "Really??"
McLouth: "No."
Yeah, he got me.
McLouth and Trayvon Robinson switched places in left and center field yesterday through the first six innings of the Orioles' 8-7 win over the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers. Manager Buck Showalter came up with the idea as a way for both players to get more comfortable with the replica...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter expected Jonathan Schoop to arrive in camp at 8 a.m. this morning following the infielder's stint in the World Baseball Classic. Instead, Schoop arrived in a cab shortly before 7:30 a.m.
Slightly rested, and definitely ready.
Schoop said he slept on the plane - his flight arrived in Orlando early this morning - and could play today if the Orioles want to use him, but Showalter intends to give him the day off.
"I'm ready to go," he...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nolan Reimold has returned to left field and Adam Jones is in center for the Orioles' game against the Toronto Blue Jays today at Ed Smith Stadium.
Brian Roberts is playing in back-to-back games, and he's also scheduled to start on Thursday. J.J. Hardy is serving as the designated hitter.
The weather could be a factor. There's rain in the forecast.
For the Orioles:
Nate McLouth RF
Brian Roberts 2B
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Chris Davis 1B
J.J. Hardy DH
Nolan Reimold...
SARASOTA, Fla. The Orioles are home today to play the Toronto Blue Jays, and it's Zach Britton's latest chance to make a push for the last spot in the rotation.
Britton allowed only one hit in 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his last outing against the Boston Red Sox. Brian Matusz went five innings yesterday in Fort Myers. Jake Arrieta went 4 2/3 innings in Dunedin. Wei-Yin Chen went five innings at Twin Lakes Park.
This seems like a good time for Britton to pitch into the fifth.
Miguel...