Fans are challenged to help the Orioles collect 10,000 pounds of food

The Baltimore Orioles, in collaboration with the Maryland Food Bank, today announced the return of the 37th annual Orioles Food & Funds Drive, driven by AAA Club Alliance Inc. This important event will take place at Oriole Park at Camden Yards during the weekend series against the New York Yankees from July 12-14.

Throughout the weekend, representatives from the Orioles, AAA, Giant Food, and the Maryland Food Bank will be stationed at multiple entrances of the ballpark, collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations from fans. Contributions will be accepted from the time the gates open until the end of the second inning.

“At AAA, the safety and well-being of the communities we serve is our top priority, whether at home or on the road,” says SCOTT LUGAR, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Membership, AAA Club Alliance. “We are honored to play a leading role in this important event and look forward to joining Orioles fans to make a difference in the lives of those in need.”

"Participation in the Food & Funds Drive is vital because it empowers us to work in partnership with corporations and our fans to create a powerful impact for those in our community who rely on these resources,” shared KERRY R. WATSON, JR., Orioles Executive Vice President of Public Affairs.

Washington Nationals top prospects outfielder James Wood, outfielder Dylan Crews and third baseman Brady House have been selected to represent the organization in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on July 13. Major League Baseball made the announcement Tuesday on MLB Network.” The 25^th All-Star Futures Game features the top Minor League prospects competing as part of All-Star Saturday.

Wood, 21, is the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com. He leads Washington’s Minor League system and ranks among all Minor League hitters in batting average (2^nd, .353), on-base percentage (2^nd, .463), OPS (2^nd, 1.058) and slugging percentage (9^th, .595). He hit .353 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 37 RBI, 40 walks, 10 stolen bases and 44 runs scored in 52 games for Triple-A Rochester this year. Wood made his Major League debut last night, going 1-for-4 with a walk.

The six-foot-seven, 234-pound left-handed hitting outfielder was named the International League Player of the Week on May 13 after going 10-for-22 (.455) with a double and five home runs. He later earned Player of the Month honors after slashing .394/.506/.746 with four doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 17 walks and 18 runs scored during the month of May.

Wood participated in the 2023 All-Star Futures Game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. He walked in two plate appearances.

Crews, 22, is the No. 5 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com. He ranks in Washington’s Minor League system in RBI (3^rd, 45), stolen bases (T3^rd, 18), triples (T3^rd, 3), OPS (4^th, .788), slugging percentage (4th, .442), extra-base hits (T5^th, 24), total bases (5^th, 106), batting average (7^th, .271), doubles (T7^th, 14), home runs (T8^th, 7), hits (T8^th, 65) and runs (T8^th, 37).

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Reinstated RHP Corbin Burnes from the Paternity List.
• Optioned LHP Matt Krook to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.

Washington Nationals top prospect, outfielder James Wood, is set to make his Major League debut tonight against the New York Mets, as the organization today announced the selection of his contract. In a corresponding move, Washington designated outfielder Eddie Rosario for assignment. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

The No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America, Wood leads Washington’s Minor League system and ranks among all Minor League hitters in batting average (2^nd, .353), on-base percentage (2^nd, .463), OPS (2^nd, 1.058) and slugging percentage (9^th, .595). He hit .353 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 37 RBI, 40 walks, 10 stolen bases and 44 runs scored in 52 games for Triple-A Rochester this year. According to Baseball America, he is the “Best Power Hitter” and the “Best Defensive Outfielder” in Washington’s Minor League system.

The 21-year-old reached base safely in 34 straight games from April 20 to June 27, the longest active streak in Minor League Baseball at the time and tied for the fourth-longest streak in the Minors this season. During the streak, Wood hit .367/.476/.625 with seven doubles, eight homers, 27 RBI, 26 walks, 24 strikeouts, five stolen bases and 26 runs scored. He also posted a 30-game on-base streak in 2023, making him the only player in Major or Minor League Baseball to reach safely in at least 30 straight games in both 2023 and 2024.

A native of Olney, Maryland, Wood was named the International League Player of the Week on May 13 after going 10-for-22 (.455) with a double and five home runs. He later earned Player of the Month honors after slashing .394/.506/.746 with four doubles, seven home runs, 22 RBI, 17 walks and 18 runs scored during the month of May.

The six-foot-seven, 234-pound left-handed hitting outfielder has recorded a career-high three multi-home run games this season after entering the year with just one in his professional career. On April 11 at Buffalo (TOR), he hit two home runs as a part of a season-high four-hit effort. Then, in the span of four days, he recorded two more multi-homer games, May 8 and May 11, at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (NYY).

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Agreed to terms on 2024 Minor League contracts with INF Niko Goodrum and RHP Burch Smith.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled LHP Matt Krook from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 66.
• Placed RHP Corbin Burnes on the Paternity List.
• INF/OF Nick Maton has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk following last night’s game.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

Agreed to terms on a 2024 Minor League contract with INF/OF Garrett Cooper.

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of outfielder Harold Ramírez and optioned infielder Trey Lipscomb to Triple-A Rochester on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. 

Ramírez, 29, set career highs in hits (125), home runs (12), RBI (68), walks (22), runs (58), steals (5), batting average (.313), on base percentage (353), slugging percentage (.460) and OPS (.813) for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023.

Ramírez leads all of Major League Baseball with a .339 batting average against left-handed pitchers since 2020. In 2023, he led the American League and was second in Major League Baseball (min. 100 AB) with a .387 batting average against left-handed pitching. He also went 11-for-21 (.524) and led Major League Baseball with 10 RBI as a pinch hitter in 2023.

The Cartagena, Colombia, native signed with the Nationals as a Minor League free agent on June 15 and reported to Triple-A Rochester after having hit .268 with three doubles, a homer, 13 RBI, three walks, five stolen bases and 21 runs scored for Tampa Bay this season. In seven games for the Red Wings, Ramírez hit .375 (9-for-24) with a double, four RBI, six walks and a run scored. He had multi-hit performances in four of the seven games.

A veteran of six Major League seasons with Miami (2019-20), Cleveland (2021) and Tampa Bay (2022-24), Ramirez is a career .287 hitter with 87 doubles, six triples, 37 home runs, 231 RBI, 77 walks, 18 stolen bases and 214 runs scored in 511 games. 

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of INF/OF Nick Maton from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 63.
• Optioned OF Kyle Stowers to Triple-A Norfolk.
• Transferred RHP Tyler Wells to the 60-day Injured List (right elbow UCL surgery).

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Claimed RHP Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.
• Transferred LHP John Means to the 60-day Injured List (left elbow UCL surgery).

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

The Washington Nationals recalled infielder Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester and placed first baseman Joey Gallo on the 10-day Injured List with a left hamstring strain on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Lipscomb, 23, joins the Nationals for the third time this year, having hit .252 with a double, home run, nine RBI, 11 walks, 10 stolen bases and 16 runs scored in 33 Major League games this season. His 10 stolen bases still rank third among Major League rookies. Lipscomb has seen time at third base (29 G/27 GS), first base (4 G/2 GS) and second base (2 G/2 GS) with the Nationals earlier this season.

In 24 games with Triple-A Rochester, Lipscomb hit .247 with four doubles, eight RBI, four walks, two stolen bases and eight runs scored.

Lipscomb was Washington’s 2023 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year and the winner of the Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award for third basemen. In his first full professional season in 2023, he led Nationals Minor Leaguers with 139 hits and 29 doubles while ranking fourth in average (.272), and RBI (72) and tied for fourth in home runs (14).

A native of Frederick, Maryland, and graduate of Urbana High School, Lipscomb was selected in the third round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Tennessee.

As Baltimore keeps pace in battle for the AL East, Lottery winners are celebrating the home run tally

The Orioles return home this week, and despite a rigorous schedule against their American League East competitors, they’re not only a serious contender for the division title, they are leading the major leagues in home runs. To put it mildly, that’s great news for participants in the Maryland Lottery’s Home Run Riches Contestant of the Game Promotion.

The Orioles have many standout hitters, but none is shining more brightly this season than Gunnar Henderson, whose 21 home runs have kept the shortstop in a race for the major league lead.

Every time Henderson hits one out, circles the bases and then trots to the hydration station, his teammates are all smiles, and the Lottery’s Contestants of the Game are celebrating along with the Oriole dugout. Each Contestant is assigned to a game and receives $500 for being selected and another $500 for each home run the Orioles hit in that game. And if the O’s hit a grand slam – as they have four times this season – the Contestant of the Game lands a $5,000 prize. 

Those four grand slams – two by Adley Rutschman and one each by Anthony Santander and Henderson – are among 105 home runs the Orioles have sent out of the park so far this season, delivering a total of $103,500 in prizes for the Contestants of the Game.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled RHP Bryan Baker from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Reinstated INF/OF Jorge Mateo from the 7-day concussion Injured List.
• Placed LHP Danny Coulombe on the 15-day Injured List (left elbow inflammation), retroactive to June 9.
• Optioned INF/OF Connor Norby to Triple-A Norfolk.

Chad Cordero, the Washington Nationals career saves leader, has joined the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy as a full-time HUSTLE baseball and Nationals Nike RBI coach. In this role, Cordero will coach and mentor young Scholar Athletes through competitive game play to prepare them for the high school level and develop those looking to pursue their careers at the collegiate level and beyond. Celebrating 10 years of community involvement, the Youth Baseball Academy is the signature program of Nationals Philanthropies, the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals.

Affectionately known to fans as “Chief,” Cordero pitched for the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals from 2003-2008. He earned the National League Reliever of the Year Award in 2005 and holds the team record (2005-pres.) with 113 career saves. An organizational staple, he was involved in some of the team’s biggest moments, including making an appearance in the team’s first win, earning the team’s first save and earning the save in the team’s first home game, among many other accomplishments. Throughout his playing days and in his post-playing career as a coach, he has continued to advocate for expanding access to the game of baseball, especially among underrepresented groups. 

“I am so excited to return to Washington, D.C., a truly special place that holds some of my fondest memories both on and off the field. It feels like coming home,” Cordero said. “It has been my continued mission to make an impact in the community and to grow the game in underserved areas, which Nationals Philanthropies has successfully done now for over a decade. I’m looking forward to coaching the incredible Scholar Athletes at the Academy and helping elevate their talents to the next level.”

The Youth Baseball Academy has delivered 10 years of holistic youth development, academic enrichment, wellness education and youth sports experiences to thousands of school-age children living east of the Anacostia River. Cordero will serve as a coach of the Academy’s HUSTLE and Nationals Nike RBI programs. The HUSTLE program uses competitive baseball and softball experiences to promote character development and an active lifestyle – instilling the values of leadership, accountability, teamwork and the pursuit of excellence. The Nationals Nike RBI charter, which the Academy took on earlier this year, provides a summer baseball experience for high school-aged players that includes training, competition, and community service. Both programs provide free travel baseball and softball experiences to athletes and their families in underserved areas, removing the typical pay-to-play barrier of competitive athletics. Select players from Academy programs and local RBI affiliates represent the Academy throughout a full summer season of competition including trips to MLB tournaments like the Commissioner’s Cup and RBI Regional Tournament.

To learn more about Nationals Philanthropies and the Youth Baseball Academy programming, please visit nats4good.org. 

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of LHP Cade Povich from Triple-A Norfolk. He will start today’s game against Toronto, which will be his Major League debut. He will wear No. 37.
• Optioned LHP Nick Vespi to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

The Washington Nationals recalled left-handed pitcher DJ Herz from Triple-A Rochester and placed right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to June 1) with a right flexor muscle strain on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Herz will start and make his Major League debut tonight against the New York Mets at Nationals Park.

Herz, 23, is 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA, 42 strikeouts and a .177 opponents’ batting average in nine starts for the Red Wings this season. Over his last four starts, Herz is 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA (5 ER/18.0 IP), 25 strikeouts and a .148 average against. In his last start on May 30 vs. St. Paul (MIN), he struck out 10 and allowed one run on two hits and one walk in 5.1 innings.

Herz leads all of Minor League Baseball with a .176 opponents’ batting average and is third with 13.09 strikeouts per 9.0 innings since the start of the 2021 season (min. 250.0 IP). In parts of five Minor League seasons, Herz is 13-16 with a 3.65 ERA with 455 strikeouts in 317.2 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .178 batting average.

Originally an eighth-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2019 from Sanford High School in Fayetteville, N.C., Herz was acquired by the Nationals on July 31, 2023, with Kevin Made in exchange for Jeimer Candelario. He is currently ranked as the Nationals No. 12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

Williams, 32, is 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA (14 ER / 56.2 IP), 47 strikeouts and 16 walks in 11 starts this season.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of INF/OF Connor Norby from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 12 and his first appearance will be his Major League debut.
• Recalled LHP Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Placed INF/OF Jorge Mateo on the 7-day concussion Injured List.
• Designated RHP Thyago Vieira for assignment.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 39 players.

The Washington Nationals recalled catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester and optioned catcher Riley Adams to Triple-A Rochester on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Millas, 26, joins the Nationals for the third time this season after hitting .308 with six doubles, five homers, 22 RBI, eight walks, five stolen bases and 11 runs scored in 30 games for the Red Wings. He hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 12-for-36 (.333) with a double and eight RBI during that stretch.

Millas appeared in two games with Washington in his first two stints of the season. He made his Major League debut in 2023 after his contract was selected on August 28. Millas hit safely in six of his first eight starts, including each of his first four. In 11 Major League games last year, Millas hit .286 (8-for-28) with two doubles, a home run, six RBI, four walks and a run scored.

Adams, 27, appeared in 25 games for the Nationals this season. He hit .215 with five doubles, two homers, six RBI, seven walks, one stolen base and six runs scored.

The Washington Nationals returned from rehabilitation assignment and reinstated outfielder Lane Thomas from the 10-day Injured List and designated Victor Robles for assignment on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Thomas, 28, hit .308 (4-for-13) with two doubles, two RBI, three walks, two stolen bases and two runs scored in four rehab games with Double-A Harrisburg.

Thomas returns to the active roster after missing 29 games with a left MCL sprain. Despite missing over a month, he still ranks ninth in the National League with his 11 stolen bases. Thomas hit .184 with two home runs, 10 RBI, eight walks, 11 stolen bases and six runs scored in 22 games for the Nationals prior to being placed on the Injured List on April 24.

Robles, 27, hit .120 with two RBI, five walks, four stolen bases and three runs scored in 14 games with Washington this season.

Please see the attached documents for the updated 26-man roster and 40-man roster.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Activated RHP Thyago Vieira. He will wear No. 40.
• Optioned LHP Nick Vespi to Triple-A Norfolk.