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Walker optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to play left field

First baseman Christian Walker was never expected to make the Opening Day Roster, but a productive spring and a position change may have put him in better position to help the Orioles in 2016. On Saturday, Walker was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk where he will play left field every day for the Tides. The 2014 Orioles minor league player of the year turns 25 on Monday and will be playing the outfield for the first time in his minor-league career after seeing some time there in the Grapefruit League. The position change figures to be Walker’s best chance to stick in the majors with Baltimore since Chris Davis is now under contract through the 2022 season and Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez are also options at first base for the 2016 season. Left field remains an uncertainty for the Orioles with Korean newcomer Hyun Soo Kim and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard battling for playing time to begin the season, but Walker could make himself an attractive option if he can hold up at his new defensive spot. In 44 spring at bats, Walker hit .227 with four home runs, 14 RBIs, four doubles, a triple, two walks, and an

Former Ravens linebacker Upshaw agrees to deal with Atlanta

Veteran outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw became the latest Ravens free agent to depart as he agreed to a deal with Atlanta on Friday evening. The 26-year-old visited with the Falcons on Thursday after previously meeting with the New York Jets and reportedly drawing interest from San Francisco and New England. Head coach John Harbaugh suggested earlier this week that Upshaw was still on the radar of general manager Ozzie Newsome, but the Ravens never indicated that they were seriously interested in keeping him. Making 51 starts and having never missed a game in his four seasons, the 6-foot-2, 272-pound Upshaw served as a dependable edge-setting linebacker against the run, but he never developed into a serious pass-rushing threat and collected just five career sacks in Baltimore. “If we can bring back our full team from last year, we would. But we just don’t know,” said Newsome when asked about Upshaw’s future at last month’s scouting combine in Indianapolis. “History will say we’ll get some signed and some will go to other clubs. When that happens, I wish them well.” The Ravens have made it clear that they want to add an edge rusher or two this offseason, and second-year outside

Ravens-related thoughts from league meetings

Even with an active start to free agency in which they’ve addressed the safety, wide receiver, and tight end positions, the Ravens still have plenty of work to do if they want to bounce back from last year’s 5-11 campaign. While pass rusher, cornerback, and left tackle have been discussed at great length, an inside linebacker spot is wide open next to C.J. Mosley with the recently-released Daryl Smith signing with Tampa Bay, ending any thought about his potential return. John Harbaugh mentioned the predictable candidates — Zach Orr, Arthur Brown, and Albert McClellan — to replace the veteran Smith, but the head coach discussed another interesting option when speaking to reporters at the league meetings earlier this week. “We could move a safety down in there,” Harbaugh said. “A lot of teams are doing that now, and one of those guys might move in there. We have the draft still in front of us, so there’s going to be competition. That’s how we like it.” Harbaugh didn’t mention any names when discussing the possibility of a safety shifting to linebacker, but other safeties such as Mark Barron of Los Angeles and Arizona’s Deone Bucannon have successfully made that transition

Spring bringing little optimism from Orioles starting rotation

Hope springs eternal for the Orioles starting rotation. Three former All-Star selections are projected members of this year’s rotation. Three starters remain from the group that thrived in the second half of 2014 and contributed to the Orioles running away with the American League East title. Baltimore may have lost its most consistent starting pitcher from the last four years — Wei-Yin Chen — but his replacement, Yovani Gallardo, sports a 3.66 career ERA. Then you actually take a look at what’s transpired this spring and wonder how a club that increased its payroll to roughly $150 million can be living under such a black cloud with its starting pitching entering the 2016 season. Miguel Gonzalez, one of the great stories of the Orioles’ resurgence beginning in 2012, has been nothing short of disastrous in the Grapefruit League after posting a 6.14 ERA in the second half last season. In 14 1/3 innings this spring, the 31-year-old has allowed 20 earned runs, 28 hits, six walks, and five home runs while striking out just four. Against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Gonzalez continually missed up in the strike zone and threw fastballs sitting in the upper 80s as he allowed four earned

Ravens playing "good cop, bad cop" with Monroe?

Members of the Ravens brass have presented a lukewarm attitude regarding incumbent left tackle Eugene Monroe throughout the offseason, but Steve Bisciotti took a different approach speaking at the league meetings on Tuesday. And while much could change between now and the start of the season, the Baltimore owner sure made it sound like the man who’s been limited to just 16 starts over the last two years will again be entrusted to protect Joe Flacco’s blind side this fall. Monroe is scheduled to enter the third season of a five-year, $37.5 million contract and would carry an $8.7 million salary cap figure for 2016. “He is our left tackle going into next year,” Bisciotti told The Sun in Boca Raton, Fla. on Tuesday. “It’s like [third-year wide receiver Michael] Campanaro. We think the world of him. But you have to know what you get out of the guy, and Eugene has been a pretty durable player these last couple years. But nobody works out harder than he does. “I just feel bad. I think a lot of the speculation about us moving on from him clearly comes down to the fact that he’s been hurt a lot, because he’s

Harbaugh updates health of Gillmore, Flacco, Perriman, Suggs

While speaking at length about the tragic death of cornerback Tray Walker as well as NFL rules changes and instant replay, Ravens coach John Harbaugh also provided health updates on several players at the league meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. on Tuesday morning. Tight end Crockett Gillmore continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery, but the Ravens learned recently that he would not need surgery for torn labrums in both shoulders as was previously thought. Gillmore’s uncertain status as well as the 10-game suspension of second-year tight end Nick Boyle prompted Baltimore to sign veteran Benjamin Watson two weeks ago, but their 2015 starting tight end appears to no longer be a question mark for the start of the coming season and could even be back on the practice field for organized team activities this spring. “It turned out that as time went on, the other shoulder didn’t need to be done,” Harbaugh said. “He’s had one shoulder done, and they say now that the other one does not need to be done. He’s going to be fine, probably for OTAs — certainly for training camp. That [information came] within the last two weeks, so that was great news for

Fourteen Orioles thoughts counting down to Opening Day

With Opening Day just 14 days away, I’ve offered 14 Orioles-related thoughts, each in 50 words or less: 1. Even if it proves to be minor, Kevin Gausman missing time due to shoulder tendinitis for the second straight year is concerning and once again makes you question the Orioles’ handling of their prized pitching prospect over the last few years. 2. J.J. Hardy hitting .370 and continuing to say his left shoulder feels good this spring are positive signs as the veteran shortstop attempts to rebound from the worst season of his career. 3. Speaking of Orioles middle infielders, Brian Roberts sounded like a natural as part of Sunday’s MASN telecast, and I look forward to hearing more from him this season. His in-game discussion with third base coach Bobby Dickerson about infield shifts was particularly enlightening. 4. Buck Showalter is the first to warn against being fooled by spring training, but it’s difficult not to be intrigued by Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard — and his .426 on-base percentage this spring — based on the Orioles manager’s positive comments about the 24-year-old outfielder. 5. I didn’t love the Pedro Alvarez signing because it shifted Mark Trumbo to right field,

Gausman receives cortisone shot for shoulder tendinitis

On the same day that Matt Wieters resumed throwing, the Orioles have another health concern with just two weeks remaining until Opening Day. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters in Sarasota that starting pitcher Kevin Gausman received a cortisone injection for tendinitis in his right shoulder on Sunday morning. The right-hander had been scheduled to make a minor-league start on Monday, but he won’t pick up a baseball for at least a couple days. “I don’t know if it’s a big concern,” Showalter said. “He’s had some inflammation in there, and we just want to get rid of that. We feel good about it structurally, [but it] hasn’t managed to go away completely. When we have some time here, try and clear it up before we break camp. Hopefully, that’s all it is. See where we are in two or three days.” Gausman spent time on the disabled list last year with a similar issue. With plenty of uncertainty in the starting rotation entering 2016, the Orioles are counting on the 25-year-old to take a major step forward in his first full season as a starter. The 2012 first-round pick pitched to a 4.22 ERA in his 17 starts last season

Walker's death takes on different meanings for Ravens

The Ravens have dealt with tragedy before in their 20-year existence, but never quite like this. The death of 23-year-old cornerback Tray Walker takes on different meanings for various members of the organization, very little of it having to do with football. Fans were limited in their experiences watching the 2015 fourth-round pick as he played just eight defensive snaps as a rookie, but he left an impression with team executives, coaches, and teammates in his far-too-short time in Baltimore. We’ll never know what kind of football player Walker might have become, but that pales in comparison to such a loss of young life. It’s gut-wrenching to know a family that celebrated the start of his NFL career less than 11 months ago must now bury a young man whose adulthood was just getting started. “Tray was one of the most humble persons we brought in for a pre-draft visit,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “That was striking. After we drafted him, he and his family were so excited to receive the call that he was about to become a Raven. It was one of the calls I will always remember. There was such joy for Tray and his family.”

Ravens' Tray Walker dies from injuries sustained in Thursday crash

Ravens cornerback Tray Walker died Friday from injuries sustained in a motorbike accident in southeast Florida the previous night. He was 23 years old. A fourth-round pick out of Texas Southern in the 2015 draft, Walker was treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. According to WPLG-TV in Miami, he had been in “bad shape” due to head trauma and was in surgery after his bike collided with a sport utility vehicle around 8 p.m. on Thursday. Walker was wearing dark clothing without a helmet, and his dirt bike was not equipped with lights. Walker’s agent, Ron Butler, told ESPN earlier on Friday that he was unresponsive and “fighting for his life” after the accident and a full night in surgery. Head coach John Harbaugh sent a powerful letter to his players on Friday in response to Walker’s accident. Team officials were traveling to Miami to support Walker and his family before the start of the league meetings in nearby Boca Raton, Fla. on Sunday. Walker dedicated his rookie season to his father, who died of a heart attack in November 2014. “That’s all he wanted,” Walker said a week after being drafted by the Ravens. “He just wanted the

Ravens propose two rule changes to discuss at league meetings

The NFL announced Thursday an extensive list of proposed rule changes for the 2016 season that will be discussed at the league meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., and the Ravens offered two of their own. The Ravens were one of a few teams to propose changes to the instant replay challenge system as they would like to see coaches have three challenges instead of two and for the system to be expanded. Under Baltimore’s proposal, replay would cover all play situations except offensive or defensive holding, offensive or defensive pass interference, illegal contact, illegal use of hands, whether a forward passer has been forcibly contacted, whether a defenseless receiver has been forcibly contacted, whether a kicker has been forcibly contacted, and unsportsmanlike conduct. The second proposal is the silliest of the entire list of proposed rule changes on the docket and would require an offensive player to wear a jersey vest with a number appropriate to the position at which he’s lining up for a given play. In other words, instead of an offensive player with an ineligible number reporting as eligible to the referee — or one with an eligible number reporting as ineligible — the Ravens are suggesting

Former Ravens linebacker D. Smith joining Tampa Bay

On the same day that the Ravens retained two of their own free agents by re-signing receiver Marlon Brown and linebacker Chris Carter, veteran linebacker Daryl Smith found a new home. Released by Baltimore earlier this month, Smith agreed to a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, according to multiple reports. General manager Ozzie Newsome had left the door open for Smith to possibly return after giving him the opportunity “to see his market value” via free agency. Smith will return to the state of Florida where he spent the first nine years of his NFL career as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Entering the offseason as a restricted free agent, Brown was not tendered a contract last week, but the Ravens have a history of re-signing some of their restricted free agents to cheaper deals than the tender amount. The 6-foot-5 Brown once appeared to be the Ravens’ next great undrafted find after he caught 49 passes for 524 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 2013, but his production has declined rapidly in the last two years. In 2015, a back injury limited the University of Georgia product to 10 games in which

What happened to Weddle's beard?

For a guy who includes the word “beard” in his official Twitter handle, new Ravens safety Eric Weddle arrived in Owings Mills with a startling look on Wednesday. The longtime San Diego Charger shaved off his trademark facial hair last month, but he has been asked the question over and over. Why? “I’m regretting it by the second that I shaved it,” said Weddle, who is now sporting a much thinner beard. “It was a spur of the moment. I was working out one morning, and I got done, and it was just everywhere. There was sweat and water and who knows — probably bugs in there. I’m like, ‘What am I doing? I look ridiculous right now.’” His wife, Chanel, tried to convince the 31-year-old defensive back to wait and think of something creative, but Weddle instead used Twitter to let his fans know what was happening after nearly three years of growth and much notoriety. The beard could be making a comeback in his new city, however, and based on what we’ve seen in the past, he would be the favorite to unseat five-time Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda for the title of having the best beard on

Ravens' Monroe continues speaking in support of medical marijuana research

A week after encouraging the NFL to research the benefits of medical marijuana in an interview with CNN, Ravens left tackle Eugene Monroe discussed the topic at length using his official Twitter account on Tuesday morning. Citing Monday’s admission from NFL executive vice president of health and safety Jeff Miller that there is a link between playing football and developing degenerative brain disorders, Monroe wrote about the need for research to determine whether marijuana can “curb traumatic brain injury” and called for fellow players to “stand up” for this issue and provide funding. The 28-year-old says he is not advocating using the drug for recreational purposes. “It’s a shame that Roger Goodell would tell [our] fans there’s no medical vs. recreational distinction,” Monroe wrote. “If I’m a fan, I’m pissed at the time I wasted listening to Goodell lie to me at the Super Bowl. As a player, I sure am. Let’s do some research.” Monroe suffered a concussion on the Ravens’ first offensive series of the 2015 regular season and did not return until Week 5. Because of an assortment of injuries, he has started just 16 games since signing a five-year, $37.5 million contract before the 2014 season.

Wieters’ elbow “looked good structurally” after MRI

Two days after leaving a spring training game due to right elbow soreness, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters received good news from a magnetic resonance imaging exam. No structural concerns were discovered after the 29-year-old underwent an MRI on Monday, according to manager Buck Showalter. Wieters is 21 months removed from Tommy John surgery, and it remains unclear when he will return to action. “It looked good structurally,” Showalter told reporters in Sarasota. “I know Matt felt good about it today.” The Orioles had previously said Wieters would not have an MRI if swelling and soreness subsided — he reported improvement on Monday — but they decided to go ahead with the exam to be on the safe side. Expected to serve as the backup catcher this season, Caleb Joseph went 1-for-2 with an RBI double in the Orioles’ 8-7 win over Philadelphia on Monday.

Ravens agree to deal with three-time Pro Bowl safety Weddle

After failing to fill the void of future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed over the last three seasons, the Ravens finally decided to spend for a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Baltimore agreed to a four-year deal with longtime San Diego Chargers free safety Eric Weddle and will pay the 31-year-old a total of $9 million in 2016, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The deal is worth up to $29 million. He will arrive in Baltimore on Wednesday to take his physical and sign his contract. RAVEN BOUND!!!!!!!!!! — Eric Weddle (@weddlesbeard) March 14, 2016 Weddle had spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Chargers after being selected in the second round of the 2007 draft out of Utah. He has 19 career interceptions and will ideally bring strong pass coverage to the back end of the secondary, a place where the Ravens have struggled since Reed’s departure after the 2012 season. Though he missed three games with a groin issue in his final season with San Diego, Weddle has missed only seven contests in his nine-year career and has been a full-time starter since 2008. In 137 career games, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound safety has collected 850 tackles,

Free-agent receiver Wallace reportedly set to visit Ravens

Looking to add more speed to their passing game, the Ravens continue to look at free-agent wide receiver Mike Wallace. According to Sports Illustrated, the 29-year-old will visit the Ravens on Monday and remains an option at the right price. Wallace was cut by the Minnesota Vikings last week after the worst season of his seven-year career in which he caught just 39 passes for 473 yards and two touchdowns. Since leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2012 season, Wallace hasn’t been the same receiver who posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011, but he’s also played with quarterbacks in Miami’s Ryan Tannehill and Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater who lacked the arm strength to take full advantage of his speed. That wouldn’t figure to be an issue playing with the strong-armed Joe Flacco, who acknowledged at the end of last season that he wouldn’t mind seeing the Ravens copy Pittsburgh’s approach of having multiple vertical threats. The Ravens would like to add another speed receiver to go along with 2015 first-round pick Breshad Perriman, who missed his entire rookie season with a partially-torn posterior cruicate ligament in his right knee. Perriman had yet to be fully cleared as of last

Wieters leaves Saturday’s game due to elbow soreness

The Orioles won their first game of the spring on Saturday, but with the victory came concerning news about their starting catcher. Just 21 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Matt Wieters left the 8-1 win over Minnesota with what the club described as right elbow soreness. The 29-year-old felt discomfort attempting to throw out Eduardo Nunez trying to steal in the top of the first and was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the inning. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters in Sarasota that X-rays did not reveal any concerns, and Wieters will be reevaluated over the next couple days. “Doctors examined him and everything, and we’ll see,” Showalter said. “I think everybody gets alarmed because of, rightfully so, with the surgery there. Hopefully, it’ll manage and be OK.” For now, the Orioles remain hopeful that Wieters is merely experiencing soreness that many catchers do at this point in spring training. However, it’s worth noting that Wieters caught consecutive games for the first time this spring earlier in the week, and the three-time All-Star selection caught on consecutive days just five times last season after returning to action in early June. Though he was set to become

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