FORT MYERS, Fla. - Dylan Bundy didn't approach today's start in a passive state. He wasn't going to nibble. Bundy attacked the strike zone and challenged the Twins to make solid contact.
C.J. Cron did it twice with his first-pitch opposite-field homer with two outs in the first inning and loud two-run shot in the third. The only runs surrendered by Bundy in three innings.
In his second spring appearance and working on three days' rest, Bundy allowed five hits, walked none and struck out...
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Orioles have reached the midway point of spring training and manager Brandon Hyde can't fathom the task of compiling a 25-man roster and settling the competitions that have spread through camp.
Much too soon.
"I think we're still really in the heart of the evaluation process," Hyde said during batting practice. "A lot of these guys have teens at-bats, between 10-20 at-bats. It's hard to evaluate a guy on that. There are still guys coming in the mix. (Jesús) Sucre...
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nate Karns will pitch in his second spring training game Tuesday while coming out of the bullpen against the Pirates in Sarasota.
Karns didn't experience any discomfort in his right arm following Saturday's bullpen session and will get back on the mound after Alex Cobb makes the start.
The Orioles backed off Karns, skipping him Friday night in Tampa in favor of left-hander John Means, after he felt that he didn't bounce back in normal fashion following last Monday's debut...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Trey Mancini has attempted one stolen base in his major league career, back in 2017. He's 1-for-1. But a successful swipe of second in his spring debut is costing him games.
Mancini remains day-to-day after jamming his left pinky finger, which he had wrapped this morning while standing at his locker.
The hand slammed into Blue Jays shortstop Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on Feb. 24 in Sarasota, and while Mancini continued to play the finger swelled and impacted him at the plate. To the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Hanser Alberto makes his Orioles debut today against the Twins in Fort Myers after returning to camp via another waiver claim.
Alberto is starting at second base, with Rule 5 pick Richie Martin at shortstop.
Chance Sisco is batting third. DJ Stewart is in right field, Cedric Mullins in center and Eric Young Jr. in left.
Dylan Bundy, working on three days' rest, is making his second spring start.
Left-hander Josh Osich will make his Orioles debut. Also on the trip are David...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Cody Carroll was handed the ball and a two-run lead yesterday and retired the side in order to close out a 7-5 win over the Tigers. All it took were three fly balls - from Kody Clemens, Héctor Sánchez and Wenceel Perez - to get the save.
Carroll struck out three batters in his previous outing on Thursday, also in the ninth inning, but a fly ball from the Phillies' Darick Hall carried over the right field fence for a game-tying two-run homer.
Saves come and go.
"You just...
SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been a bad weekend for pinkies.
Second baseman Jonathan Villar came out of today's game in the top of the fourth inning with some swelling in his right pinky finger, the result of a head-first slide into second base and an unfortunate collision with an infielder's spikes.
Christopher Bostick replaced Villar, who singled and stole second base in the first inning and drew a walk in the third.
"He had a little cleat in the finger and it just started to swell a little bit...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The second pitch thrown today by Andrew Cashner in his spring debut nailed Tigers leadoff hitter JaCoby Jones.
The fourth was lined into left field for a single.
The 12th disappeared over the right field fence for a three-run homer.
If Cashner is siphoning anything positive out of the start, he can cite his health, how he plowed through the Tigers split-squad lineup in the second and retired the first two batters in the third, and how he's been stretched out to three...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has made his first round of cuts today and they include pitcher Hunter Harvey.
With the Orioles setting the goal of keeping Harvey healthy through camp and setting him up for a full season, the former first-round pick has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk as the only member of the 40-man roster to be dismissed from the Ed Smith Stadium complex.
The club also announced that catcher Cael Brockmeyer, left-hander Chris Lee, right-handers Dean Kremer and...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nate Karns is close to getting back into the Orioles rotation after informing manager Brandon Hyde this morning that his arm responded favorably to yesterday's bullpen session.
Karns was scratched from Friday night's start in Tampa due to some arm soreness. Karns said he didn't bounce back at the usual rate after debuting Monday against the Twins in Fort Myers and lasting 1 2/3 innings, which raised some red flags based on the elbow injury last summer that cost him the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Andrew Cashner makes his spring debut today when the Orioles host the Tigers in a 3:05 p.m. game that airs on MASN.
Hot-hitting Austin Hays is in left field today, the least familiar of the three outfield positions he's played.
Jonathan Villar is leading off and playing second base and veteran Alcides Escobar is at shortstop.
Joey Rickard is in center field, Yusniel Diaz is in right, Chris Davis is back in the lineup at first and Austin Wynns is catching.
Trey Mancini is...
SARASOTA, Fla. - On the Stevie Wilkerson bingo card, make sure to mark all of the positions he's played and hope they fall in a row.
Wilkerson started in right field yesterday against the Red Sox in Fort Myers and shifted to second base in the fourth inning. He's also played left field and first base in exhibition games.
The card doesn't allow for positions where he's worked out. Otherwise, a chip would be placed over shortstop, third base and center field.
The former eighth-round pick out...
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has been waiting for a day when he could boast about the club's pitching and defense. On the same day.
He found it this afternoon in Fort Myers, where the Orioles defeated the Red Sox 9-1.
Mike Wright shut out the Red Sox through the third inning. Yefry Ramirez allowed one run, on Xander Bogaerts' homer, and two hits over three innings. He didn't issue a walk and struck out two batters.
Paul Fry retired the side in order with two strikeouts in...
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Mike Wright took a sharp grounder off his right foot today with two outs in the third inning and the next batter poked a single up the middle. Another ball that didn't catch air.
Past starts might have crumbled for Wright, but he retired Jackie Bradley Jr. on a fly ball and headed for the clubhouse with three more scoreless innings on his ledger.
Making a push for a spot in the back end of the rotation, Wright blanked the Red Sox on three hits with one walk and two...
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde spent part of yesterday's postgame media session praising left-hander Josh Rogers for setting a rapid tempo rather than lulling everyone to sleep between pitches. Rogers isn't doing it by accident.
He retired all six Rays that he faced in the blink of an eye.
"I'm definitely conscious of it," he said. "It's something I feel like I use to my advantage. I don't think it's something you can just get up there and do. I've taught myself to do...
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nate Karns is scheduled to throw a bullpen session this morning in Sarasota and says that he anticipates getting "back in line" after skipping last night's start in Tampa.
Karns was scratched from his assignment against the Yankees due to some soreness in his right arm that he downplayed earlier today. He hadn't pitched since going 1 2/3 innings Monday against the Twins.
"It's just one of those things like early in camp, trying to get your feet under you as far as...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Stevie Wilkerson is in right field today, the latest position switch for the utility candidate.
The Orioles are going with a Rule 5 double play combination again today against the Red Sox, with Richie Martin at shortstop and Drew Jackson at second base.
Cedric Mullins is in center field and Trey Mancini is in left. Jace Peterson is playing first base.
For the Orioles Cedric Mullins CF Eric Young Jr. DH Trey Mancini LF Rio Ruiz 3B Richie Martin SS Jace Peterson 1B Drew Jackson...
SARASOTA, Fla. - In evaluating young left-hander Josh Rogers, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde can't afford to become distracted. Not for a second.
Divert your eyes and another batter is retired. Another inning is completed.
"I tell you what, if you go to get a drink with Josh Rogers on the mound, you better have your head up with your eyes on the field because you're going to miss about 10 pitches," Hyde said.
"The tempo is unbelievable. He gets the ball and goes, he gets on the rubber and...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Hunter Harvey didn't flash a 98 mph fastball today, keeping it in Fort Myers, but he tossed a scoreless fifth inning with two strikeouts in an impressive outing.
Harvey's heater was 95-97 mph and he used it to strike out Christian Arroyo and strand Kevin Kiermaier, who walked with one out and moved up on a wild pitch.
Former major league closer Bryan Harvey watched as his son also struck out Mike Zunino in the Orioles' 10-5 loss to the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium. Guillermo...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have brought back infielder Hanser Alberto, claiming him off waivers this afternoon from the Giants after designating him on Feb. 19 and losing him to a claim three days later.
Donnie Hart has been designated for assignment, leaving four left-hander relievers on the 40-man roster. Hart was scheduled to pitch today against the Rays in a split-squad game.
The Orioles designated Alberto to make room for left-hander Josh Osich on the 40-man and the Giants snagged him....