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Lough activated from DL, Gamboa optioned back to Norfolk

BALTIMORE — After dealing with a crowded bullpen, an injury, and pitching struggles over the first week of the season, Orioles manager Buck Showalter finally has his four-man bench. Prior to the series opener against the New York Yankees, outfielder David Lough (left hamstring) was activated from the 15-day disabled list while right-handed pitcher Eddie Gamboa was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk in time to make his start for the Tides Monday night. The Orioles had began the season with 13 pitchers, but the left trapezius injury suffered by lefty reliever Wesley Wright officially sent him to the DL on Saturday. The club summoned Gamboa to the majors after Bud Norris lasted just three innings in the 12-5 loss in the home opener to Toronto on Friday, but he did not appear in a game. Lough will bring speed and strong defense to the outfield picture, adding more versatility that Showalter appreciates in the late innings. On Sunday, the Orioles had Delmon Young, Caleb Joseph, and a less-than-100-percent Jonathan Schoop on the bench, which provided few options in the latter stages of a close game. “You don’t want to have to make two moves to make one move with a

Orioles place left-handed reliever Wright on DL

BALTIMORE — Faced with a crowded bullpen to begin the 2015 season, the Orioles will now have that problem alleviated in a way they didn’t anticipate. Left-handed pitcher Wesley Wright has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left trapezius strain. The reliever disclosed the injury after pitching 1 1/3 innings in Friday’s 12-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. “After we see the [doctor], we’ll know what the next step will be,” said Wright, who revealed Friday that he’s been dealing with the issue for a few days. “I’m hoping that it’s something that can get taken care of kind of quickly and hopefully I can be back on the field soon. It wasn’t worse, so I’ll take that aspect of it. I knew the way I felt yesterday, it was going to take something dramatic for me to feel a lot better this morning. When I woke up, I felt basically the same.” In two appearances, Wright has allowed one earned run and two hits in 1 2/3 innings with his new club. It remains unclear how long Wright will be sidelined, but the Orioles recalled pitcher Eddie Gamboa from Triple-A Norfolk to take his place

Former Baltimore Colts tight end Mutscheller dies at 85

Photo courtesy of BaltimoreRavens.com The man who caught the pass to set up Alan Ameche’s iconic game-winning touchdown in the 1958 NFL championship game has died. Former Baltimore Colts tight end Jim Mutscheller passed away Friday morning due to kidney failure, according to The Sun. The Lutherville resident was 85. Mutscheller played eight seasons and served as a reliable target and strong blocker for Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas. The pair connected for a 6-yard pass play to the New York Giants’ 1-yard line in overtime of the famous 1958 title game before Mutscheller helped open a huge hole for Ameche to clinch the Colts’ first NFL championship. After playing his college football at Notre Dame, Mutscheller served two years in the military before joining the Colts in 1954. He retired from the NFL in 1961 after catching 220 passes for 3,684 yards and 40 touchdowns while helping Baltimore to two league championships. His contributions on the field as well as his presence in the community made Mutscheller a beloved name in Baltimore football history.

Orioles trade Webb, minor-league catcher Ward to Dodgers

After designating right-handed pitcher Ryan Webb for assignment hours before the start of the 2015 season, the Orioles have sent the reliever to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade also involving three minor-league players. Baltimore is sending Webb, catcher Brian Ward, and its competitive-balance draft pick (74th overall) to the Dodgers in exchange for catcher Chris O’Brien and right-handed pitcher Ben Rowen. Both newcomers will report to the minor leagues with O’Brien going to Double-A Bowie and Rowen reporting to Triple-A Norfolk. The good news for the Orioles is that Los Angeles will assume all responsibility for Webb’s $2.75 million salary for 2015. The 29-year-old cleared waivers last week as the Orioles were trying to make space in a crowded bullpen that already has eight pitchers to begin the season. Rowen posted a 3.45 ERA in 47 innings with Triple-A Round Rock last season. The 26-year-old right-hander pitched in eight games for Texas last season, finishing with a 4.15 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old O’Brien, son of former major league catcher Charlie O’Brien, batted .266 with seven home runs and a career-high 53 RBIs in his first full year with Double-A Chattanooga in 2014. He has thrown

Numbers behind Orioles’ 6-5 win over Tampa Bay

A 6-0 lead through two innings typically leads to a relaxing night of baseball, but it was anything but that for the Orioles Tuesday as they held on for dear life in an eventual 6-5 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite being staked to the early lead, starter Wei-Yin Chen struggled his way through 4 1/3 innings as his fastball velocity was down and he lacked his normal crispness with his off-speed pitches. Kevin Gausman worked 2 1/3 innings in relief to earn the victory, but the right-hander allowed a two-run shot off the bat of Kevin Kiermaier in the sixth to make it a one-run game. Instead of a night in cruise control for the Orioles, the pitching staff consistently found deep counts and needed a whopping 176 pitches to secure the victory, including a combined 42 from Darren O’Day and Zach Britton. With O’Day (24 combined pitches) and Britton (42 total pitches) having pitched in each of the first two games and potentially unavailable for the series finale, the Orioles will need a strong outing from No. 3 starter Miguel Gonzalez. Fortunately, Baltimore will receive a day off to rest up before the home opener at Oriole

Maryland receiving all-too-early hype as top 5 team in 2015-16

Even as the final tones of “One Shining Moment” were ringing in your head early Tuesday morning, the college basketball world was wasting no time looking ahead to next year. And if the “all-too-early” looks at the 2015-16 season are any indication, the Maryland Terrapins could be entering territory they haven’t seen in more than a decade. With the confirmation that point guard Melo Trimble will return for his sophomore year and the arrival of five-star center Diamond Stone, the Terps are on track to be a consensus top 5 preseason pick in the minds of several experts. The Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy envisions Maryland as the No. 3 team in the nation, citing less dependence on perimeter shots with Stone and Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter manning the frontcourt next season. CBS Sports projects the Terps at No. 4 behind two old ACC foes — No. 1 Virginia and No. 2 North Carolina — in the “ridiculously early” preseason top 25. Gary Parrish sees a “Final Four-caliber roster” for head coach Mark Turgeon. Not to be outdone, ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan likes Maryland as his No. 5 squad and the preseason Big Ten favorite “by a wide margin” because of

Ravens set dates for offseason workouts, organized team activities

Months away from their 20th season in Baltimore, the Ravens will officially return to work later this month to begin preparations for the 2015 season. Head coach John Harbaugh and his staff, which includes new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman and several other newcomers and changes, will begin the first phase of the workout program on April 20. This portion is limited to two weeks of conditioning and strength training as well as physical rehabilitation. Many notable players and young players alike have been present on the first day in past offseasons. The second phase of the offseason schedule spans the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts that include individual player instruction and drills as well as team practices conducted on a “separate” basis are permitted, but no live contact or team offense against team defense drills are allowed. The final phase of the offseason program consists of the next four weeks. During this period, teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or OTAs. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed. Nearly all workouts are considered “voluntary” by definition, but it’s privately expected that players attend regularly.

Orioles’ Rule 5 pick Verrett claimed off waivers by Texas

Feeling the roster crunch of having too many pitchers for few available roster spots, the Orioles saw Rule 5 selection Logan Verrett claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The 24-year-old right-hander pitched well this spring, posting a 1.93 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 14 innings of work. He was one of two Rule 5 pitchers in major league camp this spring, joining right-hander Jason Garcia. Previously with the New York Mets organization, Verrett was the more polished of the two Rule 5 pitchers, but Garcia is considered to have more upside and could still be an option in the bullpen. In 2014, Verrett went 11-5 with a 4.33 ERA for Triple-A Las Vegas. There had been some discussion that the Orioles might attempt to work out a trade with the Mets to keep Verrett in the organization while allowing them to option him to the minors, but he needed to pass through waivers in order for that to happen and the Rangers have been desperate for pitching help all spring. With a crowded bullpen that will feature Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter, Brad Brach, and Wesley Wright, the Orioles are still figuring out what to do

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