Matt Wieters

When he charges onto the infield grass, makes that barehanded pickup and throws a rocket to first, Manny Machado reminds Orioles fans of a superstar third baseman of yesteryear. When he breaks out of the batter's box on a liner into the gap and hits first base in full stride on his way to another double, Machado shows old-school hustle. And when he quietly strolls through clubhouse, proudly wearing his "Hakuna Machado" T-shirt while nodding to teammates, and, occasionally, breaking out an infectious smile, he flashes a necessary balance of confidence and respect.

When he charges onto the infield grass, makes that barehanded pickup and throws a rocket to first, Manny Machado reminds Orioles fans of a superstar third baseman of yesteryear. When he breaks out of the batter's box on a liner into the gap and hits first base in full stride on his way to another double, Machado shows old-school hustle. And when he quietly strolls through clubhouse, proudly wearing his "Hakuna Machado" T-shirt while nodding to teammates, and, occasionally, breaking out an infectious smile, he flashes a necessary balance of confidence and respect.

Congratulations to Maria and Matt Wieters on the birth of their new son, Maverick Luther, who arrived very early on Friday morning. It is customary in this day and age for a player to take a day or two off to be with his wife and new baby, so backup catcher Taylor Teagarden is in the lineup for tonight's series opener against the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards. Wieters is expected to be back in the lineup for tomorrow's game. Wieters has been the hardest-working catcher in the American League this year, so getting two consecutive days off (with the offday Thursday)

A 48-minute rain delay on Tuesday night might have cost the Orioles their late-inning lead, but it did nothing to their grit. Soon after the storms over Camden Yards faded, so did a two-run seventh-inning cushion. But that only set the stage for more late-inning heroics. Catcher Matt Wieters drove in three runs, including an eighth-inning RBI double that proved to be the difference in a 4-3 win over the upstart Kansas City Royals, rewarding those among the announced 12,921 who remained until the final out. “This team grinds it out,” said winning pitcher Tommy Hunter, who threw 1 1/3 perfect relief innings in a tied game.

Matt Wieters  and his wife, Maria, had their first child, a boy, this morning at 5:11. Maverick Luther Wieters was 8 pounds, 2 ounces. He cries from both sides of the crib. No word on how long Wieters will be away from the team - he can go on paternity leave for a few days - but knowing Matt it won't be long. Wieters' mom and dad were in town this week and on Wednesday I joked with his dad about what he was more excited about -- the pending birth of his grandson or the Orioles in a pennant race.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters says if there have been contract extension talks between the Orioles and his agent, Scott Boras, he doesn't know about them. And he won't unless Boras thinks things are getting close. “I told Scott that I am leaving that in the hands of my agent and right now I am focused on playing this year,” Wieters said. “And I told him to make me aware if it comes down to making a decision. Then I'll ask Scott's advice and go from there. But right now I am just focused on playing baseball and I'm going to let any negotiations stay behind the scenes.” CBSSports.com reported Wednesday that the Orioles have reached out to Boras about a Wieters' extension, which is at least five years in length.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, who was away from the team yesterday for the birth of his first child, Maverick Luther, is back with the team. He's in the starting lineup, batting cleanup and catching. Also back is Lew Ford, who had been dealing with a hip injury since Sunday. He will be the team's DH. Here's the Orioles lineup versus the Red Sox on Saturday: McLouth 7, Hardy 6, Jones 8, Wieters 2, Davis 3, Reynolds 3, Machado 5, Ford dh, Andino 4, Steve Johnson 1.

The Orioles hope to salve a win this afternoon against the A's and avoid a three-game sweep here at Camden Yards. After sitting out the past two games with tightness in his right biceps, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters is back in the starting lineup today. “It feels good,” Wieters said. “There's a little bit of soreness, but no more tightness or pain at all.” The switch-hitting Wieters, who is currently mired in a 1-for-30 slump, said two days ago he felt pain extending his left-handed swings.

In the carnage that was the Orioles' 12-3 loss to the Texas Rangerson Wednesday night, there was one moment that was particularly disconcerting. In the second inning, All-Star catcher Matt Wieters was struck in his right shoulder joint by a foul tip. Wieters said it hurt when it happened, but he stayed in the game. As the night progressed, he began to feel more discomfort. “It was in a tough spot in the shoulder,” Wieters said. “It got a little tired as the game went on. I'm pretty sure it is just a bruise.” Orioles manager Buck Showalter decided to remove Wieters for precautionary reasons in the seventh.

A couple of weeks ago, the folks over at Baseball Prospectus said that Orioles catcher Matt Wieters would be the team's biggest disappointment in 2011 . Now they have labeled the 24-year-old former first-round pick as one of the " most disappointing prospects of all time . " Really. "As we were among the first to hop on the Wieters bandwagon, let us be among the first off of it," wrote Steven Goldman. "The backstop is heading into his age-25 season. Whatever his .343/.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The first five weeks of the Orioles' season has included more than its share of hotel rooms and plane rides, ending with a marathon 11-day, 11-game stretch to the West Coast. And while it's still early in the 2013 season, the Orioles' strong showing during a trip that took them through Oakland, Seattle and Anaheim undoubtedly made for an easier cross-country flight back to Baltimore. With their 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, the Orioles finished their trip with a 7-4 record going into Monday's highly anticipated off day. And they did so with the same lunch pail mentality that defined last year's team.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Orioles' 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night might have come at a greater price. The Orioles' top offensive weapon of the opening month of the season, first baseman Chris Davis, hobbled off the field in the fifth inning with a right knee injury. He is scheduled to get an MRI on Saturday morning. Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez was forced from the game after six innings after opening a blister on his right thumb, putting his next start in jeopardy.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - In this Southern California landscape full of highways, Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman grew up just about 15 miles away from Angel Stadium. As a kid, he rooted for the Angels. And despite having 56 major league starts under his belt over parts of five big league seasons, Thursday night's against the Angels was his first one in a long drive back home. It was worth the wait. In Tillman's homecoming, he turned in one of his most dominating starts of his big league career, allowing just three hits over eight scoreless innings to lead the Orioles to a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of this four-game series.

The Orioles' 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night gave them a 5-3 record eight games into this 11-game West Coast road trip. Perhaps even more important is that the win improved the Orioles' record to 9-3 when coming off a loss. That means that the Orioles have had back-to-back losses just three times this season. One of those times was this road trip, when they lost the final game against the Oakland Athletics and the first game against the Seattle Mariners. But the Orioles have avoided those consecutive loss slides that have foiled so many Orioles teams of the past.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Left fielder Nate McLouth is one of the Orioles' hottest hitters at the plate over the past two weeks, but it still hasn't been enough to earn everyday starts against left-handed pitching. Over his past 10 games entering Thursday, the left-handed hitting McLouth had recorded a .432/.523/.676 batting line. He's reached safely in 17 of the 20 games he's started this season. "When you see guys spitting on balls a couple inches off the plate….you can tell he's seeing the ball good and letting it travel," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

SEATTLE - The Orioles had a pretty good sense as to what they were going to see against former teammate Joe Saunders on Monday night. They had no idea what they could expect from their own starting pitcher. Lefty Zach Britton, making his first start of the season for the Orioles after a solid beginning in the minors, was hoping that his rediscovered sinker would translate to the big leagues. It was there at times, but on a cold night at Safeco Field, Britton averaged two baserunners per inning in the Orioles' 6-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Baseball Prospectus gave us an early look at their predictions for the 2011 season, and there was a lot to like about what they had to say unless your name is Matt Wieters. The highly-regarded statheads say the Orioles will finish 82-80 , giving Baltimore its first summer of winning baseball since the days when Hanson was considered to be good music. But based on PECOTA -- which stands for Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm -- Baseball Prospectus believes that catcher Matt Wieters is poised to be the Orioles' biggest disappointment in 2011.

My post on Baseball Prospectus labeling Orioles catcher Matt Wieters as one of the " most disappointing prospects of all time " was on fire yesterday and continued to simmer today. Most of you vehemently disagreed with those highly-regarded statheads making that assessment before Wieters' 25th birthday , though a few folks didn't think it was too premature. I haven't once thought about giving up on Wieters. Of course, he needs some work at the plate; He's 24 and hasn't even played two full major-league seasons.

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Orioles exorcised plenty of their demons in 2012 when they finally achieved a winning record and a playoff berth for the first time in 15 years. But not every lingering nightmare can be erased in one season - not after years of continual ineptitude. With a 7-3 victory Saturday afternoon against the Oakland Athletics, the Orioles can cross one more thing off their “We're back” bucket list. For the first time since 2007, the Orioles (15-9) have won a series at the O.co Coliseum.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Orioles rode eight strong innings from Wei-Yin Chen and a key hit from Steve Pearce to a 3-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night . Here's what some of the key figures had to say about the victory: Pearce on being able to contribute: “It was huge. Personally it feels great to do that, but when you can do something for yourself and help the club, it feels awesome.” Pearce on the tight contest: “It was a tough game. (A's starter Tommy Milone)