Lee out with non-displaced fracture of left elbow

Lee out with non-displaced fracture of left elbow
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A little after 8 a.m., Nick Lee walked into the Nationals clubhouse at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, popped his backpack off his shoulder and onto the chair in front of his locker stall, and stored his keys in his lockbox. If not for the fact that his left arm was wrapped in a bandage and encased in a black sling, there was no hint that today was any different than any other in spring training. Lee is recovering from what manager Dusty Baker called a non-displaced...
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Starting lineups: Red Sox vs. Nats in West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Red Sox vs. Nats in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Right-hander Joe Ross makes his second start of the spring today when the Nationals host the Red Sox in a 1:05 p.m. game that will be aired live on MASN. You have to wonder who the Red Sox angered to draw three straight road games on the East Coast. Yesterday, they played at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches against the Astros. Tomorrow, they head up the coast to Port St. Lucie to face the Mets. Three straight roadies across the state from their spring headquarters in...
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What can be gleaned from spring training statistics?

What can be gleaned from spring training statistics?
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Now that we've reached the midpoint of spring training - which is about a week longer than usual due to the World Baseball Classic - it might be a good time to talk about spring training statistics and what can be learned from them. In a word, little. A wise baseball sage once cautioned me against putting too much stock into spring or September numbers. Simply put, statistics are like a pushover parent; with enough cajoling, batting of the eyes and pouty lips, you can...
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Orioles partner with Catholic Relief Services to host "10,000 Meal Challenge" in Sarasota

Orioles partner with Catholic Relief Services to host "10,000 Meal Challenge" in Sarasota
The Orioles and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Helping Hands invite the greater Sarasota community to join the 10,000 Meal Challenge - a fundraising project to send 10,000 meals to vulnerable people in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The challenge culminates in a fun-filled volunteer meal-packaging event at Ed Smith Stadium on Saturday, March 18, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Registered teams will have the opportunity to pack meals alongside Orioles Hall of Famer and MASN analyst Mike Bordick, MASN...
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"Orioles Classics" rewind: Oriole Park Classics Game No. 5

"Orioles Classics" rewind: Oriole Park Classics Game No. 5
We're down to the final five in MASN's countdown of the top 10 games in Camden Yards' 25-year history. The game ranked as No. 5 on our list airs tonight at 7 p.m. You want a hint? We've got one: This game features a comeback by a player making a comeback this season with the Orioles. Got it? We've also got a trio of "Orioles Classics" scheduled to air on MASN, with a pair of memorable moments from years past sandwiched around a comeback fueled by a couple of home runs by current...
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A baseball tradition falls victim to spate of online information

A baseball tradition falls victim to spate of online information
My earliest baseball memories involve rushing home from elementary school in first grade in 1966 to see the Orioles shock the Dodgers in the World Series. I remember seeing an airborne Brooks Robinson leap toward catcher Andy Etchebarren and pitcher Dave McNally celebrating a most improbable sweep on a tiny black-and-white television full of snow and static. A print of the iconic moment hangs on the stairway wall in my home. Yes, old memories are great memories. Some baseball memories are...
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Nationals face Astros in inaugural game at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches

Nationals face Astros in inaugural game at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches
The Washington Nationals and Houston Astros will celebrate the grand opening of their brand-new Spring Training ballpark on Tuesday, February 28 at 1:05 p.m. TICKETS Fans can still purchase tickets for the inaugural Opening Day at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Tickets start at just $20 and are available at ballparkpalmbeaches.com or in-person at the newly-opened Ballpark of the Palm Beaches box office. Fans should also note that the special promotion of 20% off select games at the ballpark...
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Relive "Nationals Classics": Openers and a Strasmas memory

Relive "Nationals Classics": Openers and a Strasmas memory
We're only two days away from the inaugural Nationals game at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The Nationals will host the Astros on MASN on Tuesday at 1 p.m., the first look at the new stadium for many in D.C., where springlike temperatures have only heightened the desire to see baseball again. But here at MASN, we have baseball all winter long, and this week's slate of "Nationals Classics" is perfect for satisfying your need for fastballs, strikeouts and, well, fastballs that become...
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Nashville-themed charity concert returns to Ed Smith Stadium on March 17

Nashville-themed charity concert returns to Ed Smith Stadium on March 17
Just call Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles' spring training home, Nashville South. For the second consecutive year, the Orioles will host "Nashville's Music Row Comes to the Ballpark" - an exclusive, on-field performance at Ed Smith Stadium - on Friday, March 17. Every dollar raised at the charity event will benefit the Library Foundation for Sarasota County's early childhood literacy programs and the Music Health Alliance. This year's event is presented by the Orioles in partnership with...
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Orioles announce 2017 spring training opening day plans

Orioles announce 2017 spring training opening day plans
The Orioles have announced plans for Opening Day of the 2017 Spring Training season on Sunday, February 26, when the Orioles host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium. All fans in attendance will receive a 2017 Spring Training schedule magnet, sponsored by Visit Sarasota. Additionally, the first 1,000 female fans in attendance will receive a Birds of Paradise flower, courtesy of Beneva Flowers. Athletic Director of Sarasota County Middle Schools Bethany King will throw out...
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Scherzer won't throw off mound until he's pain-free

Scherzer won't throw off mound until he's pain-free
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Until Max Scherzer can throw pain-free, he won't be throwing off a mound. The Nationals right-hander is slowly progressing in his recovery from a hairline facture of the knuckle on the ring finger of his throwing hand. So far in camp, he's been limited to long tossing on flat ground and participating in pitchers fielding practice to maintain his agility. Yesterday, he took part in a fielding drill that required him to throw toward the plate. But instead of whizzing a...
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Orioles acquire Nuño from Dodgers for Moseley

Orioles acquire Nuño from Dodgers for Moseley
The Orioles today announced that they have acquired left-hander Vidal Nuño from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for right-hander Ryan Moseley. To make room on the 40-man roster, LHP T.J. McFarland has been designated for assignment. Nuño, 29, went 1-1 with a 3.53 ERA (23 ER/58.2 IP) and a 4.64 strikeout/walk ratio (11 walks, 51 strikeouts) in 55 games (one start) with the Seattle Mariners last season. He has pitched to a 4.02 ERA (147 ER/329.1 IP) with a 3.18 strikeout/walk ratio (85...
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Glover leveraging first big league camp into a learning experience

Glover leveraging first big league camp into a learning experience
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Under normal circumstances, a rookie pitcher in his first major league spring training would be a fly on the wall. He'd say little, listen a lot and hope he lasted long enough in camp to glean something from the older veterans with something to offer him. But nothing about Nationals right-hander Koda Glover is ordinary. Not his imposing look on the mound. Not the way he fires bullets at a catcher's mitt. Not the fact that he jumped from high Single-A Potomac, through...
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Baker's message before first full-squad workout: "It's going to be tougher"

Baker's message before first full-squad workout: "It's going to be tougher"
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The first full-squad workout of spring training is old hat for Nationals manager Dusty Baker. Baker doesn't feel it's necessary to see every player each day. So if he missed Bryce Harper taking batting practice - or the barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat sent to him by the folks at "The Walking Dead" that the slugger toted to the practice field this morning - he will have plenty more days to watch Harper terrorize pitchers with more traditional lumber. Nor does Baker...
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Unfinished business motivates Werth in final year of deal

Unfinished business motivates Werth in final year of deal
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Last May 11, Jayson Werth was batting .196 and wondering whether his thrice-broken left wrist was ever going to be strong enough to help him power through his swing. Six years into the seven-year, $126 million contract he signed in December 2010, Werth often looked overmatched, and some wondered whether he'd ever be a regular contributor again. "After like the first six weeks, I was somewhat happy that Dusty (Baker) stuck with me," Werth recalled Sunday after the...
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Eaton craves opportunity to ignite offense for Nationals

Eaton craves opportunity to ignite offense for Nationals
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - He's yet to take part in an official spring training workout, and his first Grapefruit League game is still six days away, but new Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton is already feeling comfortable enough in his new surroundings to dream about what might me. From his stall at the end of veterans' row in the Nationals clubhouse, he peers to the right and sees some big sticks - first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, second baseman Daniel Murphy, right fielder Bryce Harper and...
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Kelley on Nats' search for a closer: "Everybody started somewhere"

Kelley on Nats' search for a closer: "Everybody started somewhere"
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Shawn Kelley understands the intense scrutiny Nationals manager Dusty Baker faces as he tries to come up with a plan for who will close games. But Kelley wishes the fans up in arms about the possibility of an inexperienced closer taking over the ninth inning would keep one thing in mind. "Everybody wants the big innings, but there's a lot of big innings in the game now," Kelley said. "Sometimes when you come in in the sixth or seventh when there's guys on after the...
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No lack of ideas for fixing Zimmerman's offensive woes

No lack of ideas for fixing Zimmerman's offensive woes
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Everyone seems to agree that Ryan Zimmerman has some work to do to rebound from the worst offensive year of his 12-year major league career. Teams need power from first base, and Zimmerman's .218/.272/.2370 slash line, 15 homers and 46 RBIs left something to be desired. Problem is, there are different thoughts as to what Zimmerman should do. Dusty Baker thinks the 32-year-old needs to be more aggressive instead of employing a selective approach. Last season, Baker...
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Baker on Harper: "I'm not worried about Bryce"

Baker on Harper: "I'm not worried about Bryce"
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - One of the reasons the Nationals selected Dusty Baker as their manager two offseasons ago was the veteran skipper's pedigree of successfully dealing with high-profile, young sluggers. For Baker, working with Bryce Harper on a daily basis is no different than his past relationships with Barry Bonds in San Francisco or Ken Griffey Jr. in Cincinnati. Maybe that's why Baker has a significant insight into whether Harper will rebound from a marked downturn last season after...
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Eager Harper committed to living in the moment

Eager Harper committed to living in the moment
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As a season's worth of whispers about what was wrong with Bryce Harper - whether he had an injured shoulder, a kink in his neck, whether his swing was irreparably broken - leaked into the offseason, the Nationals slugger couldn't care less. Instead of paying any attention to his critics or their omnipresent theories, Harper had a busy offseason of deadlifting 505 lbs. during weight training sessions, sporting new swag from Las Vegas' new National Hockey League team,...
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