Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar went 2-for-3 and hit his first homer as the Orioles edged the Pirates 7-6 on Monday.
The 23-year-old Almanzar is 5-for-19 with five RBI in his long shot bid to make the Orioles. It's hard to imagine the team keeping him, even more so with the news today that Buck Showalter is considering carrying 13 pitchers initially. A more likely possibility is that the Orioles send the Red Sox a prospect in return for his rights. Mar. 10 - 4:52 pm et

Jon Lester pitched three scoreless innings and struck out four Monday as the Red Sox topped the Rays 6-2.
It was Lester's spring debut after some earlier work on the side. Expectations were that he might only pitch two innings, but he was impressive and efficient enough that he got to throw three. Mar. 10 - 4:32 pm et

Will Middlebrooks doubled, singles and drove in two runs Monday against the Rays.
Middlebrooks could have been 3-for-3 today: his hardest hit ball was snared by left fielder Brandon Guyer with a very nice running grab. He's 4-for-6 with a homer in his last two appearances after opening the spring 2-for-13. Mar. 10 - 4:27 pm et

Shane Victorino will bat exclusively right-handed in games for now.
Victorino hasn't made an official decision about whether to give up switch-hitting, as he'll continue to practice hitting lefty. He has hit better from the right side during his career and enjoyed success in righty-on-righty scenarios in a small sample last year, so he'll deserve a boost in fantasy leagues if he finally scraps it.
Source: Matthew Pouliot on Twitter Mar. 10 - 1:21 pm et

Clay Buchholz currently projects to start the fifth game of the regular season.
Red Sox manager John Farrell wants to give Buchholz a bit of rest at the start of the season and also likes the matchup against other No. 5 starters early on. Jon Lester, John Lackey, Felix Doubront, and Jake Peavy line up for the first four games.
Source: Rob Bradford on Twitter Mar. 10 - 10:15 am et

Shane Victorino will make his spring debut in Monday's Grapefruit League game.
Victorino has been brought along slowly this spring following offseason thumb surgery. He has also been working on strengthening his groin muscles, which gave him some trouble last season. It's worth noting that Grady Sizemore is batting leadoff Monday, not Victorino or Daniel Nava, but this could just be a way to get him as many at-bats as possible. On the other hand, it could be a sneak preview of what John Farrell has in mind for a potential lineup.
Source: Mike Silverman on Twitter Mar. 10 - 8:13 am et

Clay Buchholz pitched three hitless innings Sunday as the Red Sox topped a Pirates split-squad 4-1.
The Red Sox took a no-hitter into the seventh before Rubby De La Rosa gave up four hits and the lone run. Buchholz was shaky in his debut last Tuesday, but he looked strong today, throwing 89-91 mph with movement and pretty good command. It was the kind of performance that should make fantasy leaguers feel better about drafting him. Mar. 9 - 3:59 pm et

Francisco Cordero notches his second save of the spring with a hitless ninth Sunday against the Pirates.
Cordero is still a long shot to crack the Red Sox roster, but he's helped his chances by striking out six in four scoreless innings this spring. Realistically, he's probably going to need to spend April in Triple-A working to regain arm strength. Mar. 9 - 3:57 pm et

Mike Carp went 2-for-3 with his second homer of the spring Sunday versus the Pirates.
Both homers for Carp have come against a Pirates team that's looking for a lefty swinging first baseman. The Red Sox like him, but they'd have more flexibility with their roster if they traded him to a team that would allow him to start. Mar. 9 - 3:54 pm et

Matt Barnes (shoulder) will not appear in Grapefruit League action this week.
Barnes has already been shut down for nearly a week due to shoulder inflammation. The Red Sox aren't overly concerned, but there's no reason to push the top prospect. He'll begin the year at Triple-A.
Source: Pete Abraham on Twitter Mar. 9 - 10:48 am et