Charlie Morton paced back and forth in the dugout, the frustration keeping the veteran starter on his feet.

Grayson Rodriguez did some long tossing in the outfield this afternoon and headed to the visiting bullpen for his second session since the Orioles put him on the injured list with inflammation in his right elbow/triceps area.

Jorge Mateo is in tonight’s Orioles lineup at shortstop, with Jackson Holliday moving to second base and Jordan Westburg to third.

If the Nationals had to pick only one player off the roster who most needs to get his season off to a positive start, Keibert Ruiz would reside at the top of almost every list.

Just one spot in the O’s Opening Day lineup felt “different.

The Orioles had one of those days in the opener that goes from successful to surreal.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:RHP Roansy Contreras has cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Whether anyone outside – or even inside – Washington believes it, the Nationals themselves believe they’re ready to take the next critical step in their long rebuild and compete head-to-head with the top three teams in perhaps baseball’s toughest division.