RHP Andrew Politi has cleared waivers and been returned to the Boston Red Sox.
The Orioles have selected the contract of LHP Danny Coulombe. He will wear No. 54.
In addition, they have designated RHP Andrew Politi for assignment.
The Orioles have made the following roster move:
Acquired LHP Danny Coulombe (KOO-lohm) from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations. He has not yet reported.
2019 World Series champion Gerardo Parra, who endeared himself to Nationals fans and baseball lovers across the globe with his “Baby Shark” walk-up music, will kick off 2023 Opening Day celebrations on Thursday, March 30, by leading the World-Famous Budweiser Clydesdales on a parade around Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood.
Parra, who currently serves as Special Assistant to the General Manager with the Nationals, will ride the hitch as the Clydesdales depart from Nationals Park at the corner of First St. and N St. SE at 10:45 a.m. He will greet fans and pass out giveaways, including autographed memorabilia, along the route, which makes its way east on N St. before heading north on Fourth St. and turning back west on M St. The hitch will then proceed down Half St., where it will stop at Nationals Park’s Center Field Gates at approximately 11:15 a.m. The Budweiser Clydesdales, which are currently celebrating their 90th anniversary, will be available for photos outside the ballpark until gates open at 11:30 a.m., with one Clydesdale available for additional photos inside the ballpark near the Budweiser Brew House from 12:00-12:30 p.m.
The Washington Nationals face the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 p.m. on Opening Day, Thursday, March 30. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to the neighborhood for pregame festivities and entertainment, including the Clydesdales parade, mascot appearances and more. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., and on-field pregame ceremonies begin at 12:20 p.m. Tickets are available at nats.com/OpeningDay.
Parade Route:
The Orioles have optioned RHP Grayson Rodriguez to Triple-A Norfolk and reassigned RHP Eduard Bazardo, OF Daz Cameron, RHP Reed Garrett, C Maverick Handley, INF Josh Lester, INF Ryan O'Hearn and INF Jordan Westburg to Triple-A Norfolk.
In addition, they have granted INF/OF Franchy Cordero and OF Nomar Mazara their releases.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- Optioned RHP Yennier Canó, LHP DL Hall, and RHP Spenser Watkins to minor league camp.
The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 41 players (31+10 NRI).
The Washington Nationals have made the following roster moves:
Optioned to Triple-A Rochester:
INF Jeter Downs
RHP Paolo Espino
The Orioles today announced plans for a series of “Countdown to Opening Day” events leading up to the start of the 2023 regular season. Beginning Wednesday, March 29, and continuing through the Home Opener, fans will have the opportunity to meet the Oriole Bird and some of their favorite Orioles Alumni – as well as the chance to win tickets and other prizes – at happy hours and watch parties throughout Baltimore. A complete list of events follows:
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29 – ORIOLE BIRD SCHOOL VISIT (PRIVATE EVENT)
The Oriole Bird will greet 450 Brooklyn Park Elementary students as they enter school in the morning. The Bird will give high-fives, take photos, and hand out Orioles t-shirts to students from pre-K to fifth grade.
- When: Wednesday, March 29 at 7:30 a.m.
- Where: Brooklyn Park Elementary School
THURSDAY, MARCH 30 – OPENING DAY WATCH PARTY, presented by Miller Lite
Orioles fans can celebrate the start of the 2023 regular season at the Opening Day Watch Party at MaGerk’s Pub & Grill in Federal Hill as the O’s take on the Red Sox at 2:10 p.m. at Fenway Park. The event will feature special appearances by the Oriole Bird, an autograph session and guest bartending by Orioles Alumni DAVE JOHNSON and JOE ORSULAK, $18 buckets of Miller Lite, games and prizes during commercial breaks, and Orioles giveaways. Additionally, fans in attendance can enter for a chance to win tickets to the Orioles’ Home Opener on Thursday, April 6, against the New York Yankees.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- Reassigned OF Colton Cowser and OF Heston Kjerstad to minor league camp.
The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 44 players (34+10 NRI).
The Washington Nationals announced their Phil Rizzo Scout of the Year Award and the organization’s International Scout of the Year Award on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Vice President and Assistant General Manager of International Operations Johnny DiPuglia made the respective announcements.
The Phil Rizzo Scout of the Year Award is given annually to the Washington Nationals scout who represents the integrity, character and work ethic exemplified by Mike Rizzo’s late father, Phil Rizzo. Jeff Zona, Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations and General Manager and Director of Pitching Evaluation, is this year’s winner, announced by Mike Rizzo.
Zona enters his 17th season with Washington and fifth with the added title of Director of Pitching Evaluation. In his role, Zona evaluates First-Year Player Draft prospects with a focus on pitchers. From 2009-13, Zona served as the national crosschecker covering the Eastern region of the United States. He became the national crosschecker after spending the 2008 and 2009 campaigns as a Major League scout.
“Congratulations to Jeff on taking home this year’s very special award,” said Rizzo. “Jeff was one of my first hires in 2006 and he has been an invaluable member of our staff ever since. His knowledge, work ethic and preparation – especially as it relates to the Draft - is some of the best I’ve ever seen. He’s a trusted, loyal member of our scouting department, and I am incredibly proud to name him this year’s winner.”
“I’d like to thank Mike for selecting me as this year’s winner of the Phil Rizzo Scout of the Year Award,” said Zona. “Phil was a legend in the scouting community and was a person I looked up to in scouting and in life. I’m extremely honored to accept this award in his name.”
The Washington Nationals have made the following moves:
Optioned to Triple-A Rochester: OF Stone Garrett
LHP Jose Ferrer
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- Optioned LHP Nick Vespi and LHP Bruce Zimmermann to minor league camp.
- Reassigned INF Lewin Díaz, LHP Darwinzon Hernandez, and C Mark Kolozsvary to minor league camp.
The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 46 players (34+12 NRI).
Levy, the new hospitality partner of the Baltimore Orioles, will host a job fair at Oriole Park on Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Warehouse, and those interested in attending should enter through 333 W. Camden St. Complimentary parking will be provided in Lot C. All applicants must be 18 years or older.
The Orioles and Levy announced their partnership in January, which will kick off with the upcoming 2023 season. Levy, the market leader in creating unforgettable hospitality experiences at sports and entertainment venues, will welcome fans to Oriole Park with new signature offerings highlighting the iconic tastes of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay, upgraded technology to allow faster and frictionless check-out options, and new culinary training opportunities for up-and-coming hospitality talent.
Levy and the Orioles look forward to welcoming local talent to be part of the Camden Yards team.
During the third inning of our game against the New York Mets on Tuesday, right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli sustained a right elbow injury. An MRI has revealed that he has a grade three sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament which will require Tommy John surgery.
While Cade will not pitch in 2023, he continues to be a very important part of our franchise’s future and we look forward to having him back on the mound.
We will provide an update on his surgery when it is available.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- Optioned INF Joey Ortiz to minor league camp.
- Reassigned RHP Kyle Dowdy, SS Jackson Holliday, and INF Connor Norby to minor league camp.
The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 51 players (36+15 NRI).
The Orioles have made the following roster move:
- Optioned LHP Drew Rom to minor league camp.
The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 55 players (37+18 NRI).
This weekend, the Orioles hosted the sixth annual “Athletes & Artists Play for Kids” charity event weekend, for the largest ever crowd since its inception in 2015. The event, which combines song and sport to support creativity and music and arts education featured the return of “Nashville’s Music Row Comes to the Ballpark” VIP charity event, and was attended by Orioles players and personnel, as well as front office executives, and other community leaders from Baltimore, Sarasota, and Nashville including representatives from Intersection of Change and Girls Inc.
Proceeds from the weekend’s events benefited the Intersection of Change’s Jubilee Arts Program in Baltimore and Girls Inc in Sarasota. Jubilee Arts provides comprehensive arts programs to children and adults, using art as a catalyst for social change, a tool for empowerment, and an alternative to drugs and violence in the community. Girls Inc. is focused on the development of the whole girl, using long-lasting mentoring relationships, a pro-girl environment, and research-based programming to equip girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers. The “Athletes & Artists” series has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities through the Orioles Charitable Foundation’s Music & Arts Education Scholarship, which was created in 2019 to support deserving students and programs in Baltimore, Sarasota, and Nashville.
The event featured SiriusXM “Highway Find” and “CMT Next Women of Country” KALIE SHORR, lead guitarist of Matchbox Twenty KYLE COOK, and New York City-based singer-songwriter QUEEN V. More information about each performer can be found at Orioles.com/AthletesAndArtists.
The weekend-long series of events began on Friday, March 10, when Maryland Governor WES MOORE threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Orioles taking on the Minnesota Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. “Athletes & Artists Play for Kids” weekend concluded on Sunday, March 12, when the Orioles hosted the Boston Red Sox.
The annual “Athletes & Artists Play for Kids” weekend fundraiser began in 2015 with the first “Nashville Comes to the Ballpark” charity event and has steadily grown to include more programming, including in 2019 when the ballpark hosted an on-field concert by country music rising superstar and 11-time No. 1 singer-songwriter COLE SWINDELL, to support selected charitable efforts. The Orioles also welcomed Billboard chart-topping and Platinum-certified country artist RAELYNN in 2020. In 2019, proceeds from the mid-summer “Athletes & Artists Play for Kids” fundraiser, held the evening before the historic BILLY JOEL concert at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, were used to fund community grants from the Orioles Charitable Foundation to JUBILEE ARTS and BALTIMORE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS. Past beneficiaries include the MUSIC HEALTH ALLIANCE, SARASOTA YMCA, LIBRARY FOUNDATION FOR SARASOTA COUNTY, and GIRLS, INC.
Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the passing of minor league pitcher Luis Andrés Ortiz Soriano. We will miss his passion and love for the game of baseball, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family.
Luis was an inspiration to all who knew him, especially as he courageously battled cancer. We hope that the cherished and treasured memories of Luis will be a comfort for his family and friends during this devastating time.
The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on an eight-year contract – including two club options – with catcher Keibert Ruiz on Saturday. The contract begins in 2023 and runs through the 2030 season with club options for the 2031 and 2032 seasons. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Ruiz, 24, is entering his fourth Major League season and his third season as a member of the Washington Nationals. He was Washington’s top prospect and the No. 11 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America entering the 2022 season. As a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, Ruiz ranked as their top prospect in 2021 and 2019, according to Baseball America.
Despite having his 2022 season end on Sept. 8, Ruiz ranked among National League catchers in pickoffs (T1st, 4), catcher caught stealing (2nd, 18), games (2nd, 112), doubles (5th, 22), hits (5th, 99) and extra-base hits (T6th, 29) last season. His 18 catcher caught stealings ranked second in Major League Baseball behind Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto (27). Additionally, Ruiz picked off four runners at first base, tied for the most in Major League Baseball.
Ruiz opened the 2022 season in strong fashion, hitting .281/.340/.381 from Opening Day through the end of May. He closed the season hitting safely in 14 of his final 19 games, going 18-for-60 (.300) with four doubles, one homer, six RBI, six walks, one stolen base and seven runs scored during this stretch. He struck out just one time in his last 43 plate appearances (2.3%) to end the season.
Since joining the Nationals at the 2021 Trade Deadline, Ruiz has hit .257 with 25 doubles, nine homers, 50 RBI, 36 walks, six stolen bases and 42 runs scored in 135 games. He’s posted a .319 on-base percentage and a .366 slugging percentage along the way. Over the last two seasons, Ruiz ranks eighth in Major League Baseball (min. 500 PA) with an 11.2% strikeout rate.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- Optioned RHP Noah Denoyer and RHP Seth Johnson to minor league camp.
- Reassigned LHP Cade Povich to minor league camp.
The Orioles’ Spring Training roster currently has 56 players (38+18 NRI).
