PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – As the Mets kept fouling off everything MacKenzie Gore was throwing at them, driving up his pitch count and limiting him to only three innings in his spring training finale, you could only imagine the Nationals left-hander’s frustration mounting. Then mention it to Gore, inform him of the gargantuan foul ball tally (24 of the

BRADENTON, Fla. – Riley Cooper had no idea. A combined no-hitter was brewing today and it rested in Cooper’s left hand as the Orioles reliever selected for the bottom of the ninth inning. A 13th-round draft pick out of LSU in 2023. A low A-ball pitcher with 24 games of professional experience. The pressure he felt also was surprisingly low. “Pitchi

BRADENTON, Fla. – Zach Eflin was happy with his final exhibition start, but he didn’t smile during today’s media scrum until asked about Kyle Gibson. They were teammates with the Phillies in 2021-22 and are reunited in spring training after the Orioles signed Gibson last night to a one-year deal. “I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled,” Eflin said. “

BRADENTON, Fla. – A running joke developed between veteran pitcher Kyle Gibson and his agent as the winter months passed without a new contract. Free agency was dragging like an infield mat. It’s better to laugh about the situation than to stress. “The next guy that would sign,” Gibson said this morning, “I’d be like, ‘OK, well, I’ve got to be next

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Colin Poche has made the Nationals’ Opening Day bullpen, the club purchased the left-hander’s contract this morning to officially put him on the club. Poche signed a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp in early February, but given his track record, he always looked like a safe bet to make the team. The 31-

BRADENTON, Fla. – Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson’s streak of being out of the lineup stretches into this afternoon. He’s supposed to face live pitching on a back field in Sarasota, but he isn’t playing against the Pirates. Henderson’s last appearance was Feb. 27, when he strained his right intercostal while catching Bo Bichette’s line drive. Ja

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – It’s the penultimate day of spring training, which is really just an excuse to use the word penultimate. The Nationals finalized their Opening Day rotation and narrowed down the list of remaining candidates for backup catcher and 26th man on the bench Friday, but there are still a few more things to do. Chief among them: Fina

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles were on the brink of exploding, and in a good way. This wasn’t dissension. It was celebration. They won 101 games and the division in 2023, stomping the rebuild into submission. The champagne was on ice after the clincher and players were handed goggles in the clubhouse to protect their eyes. “You don’t need glasses,” v

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Everything was going swimmingly for Michael Soroka. He had bounced back from his first rough start of the spring, completing the first four innings of tonight’s start against the Marlins on a mere 48 pitches. And then came the top of the fifth, at which point the narrative took a sharp turn in the opposite direction. Unable

SARASOTA, Fla. – The quest for starter depth has caused the Orioles to circle back to Kyle Gibson. The club announced tonight that it signed Gibson to a one-year contract. A source confirmed that the deal guarantees $5.25 million. The Athletic also reported that Gibson can earn $1.525 million in performance bonuses. Gibson, 37, spent the 2023 seaso