Mark Zuckerman

Kendrick placed on IL with left hamstring strain

September 09, 2020, 8:17am

The Nationals have placed Howie Kendrick on the 10-day injured with a left hamstring strain, a decision that seemed more and more likely in recent days as the veteran hitter struggled to get himself in the lineup. Kendrick did not play in either of the Nats' two wins over the Rays to begin the week after sitting out Sunday's series finale against the Braves. He missed a week in mid-August with what manager Davey Martinez described as "sore hamstrings," apparently debilitating enough that he...

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Doolittle tapping into former delivery to return to peak form

September 08, 2020, 9:44pm

Nationals

Doolittle tapping into former delivery to return to peak form

Step by step, Sean Doolittle is rediscovering the form that made him one of baseball's most effective relievers in recent seasons. And that's in part because of the near-step he's brought back to his delivery. After a summer of diminished velocity, gaudy stats and plenty of tinkering, Doolittle is finally starting to look like his old self again. He hasn't allowed an earned run in five appearances since returning from the injured list and a rehab stint at the Nationals' alternate training...

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Nats outplay Rays again for fourth win in five (updated)

September 08, 2020, 5:25pm

Nationals

Nats outplay Rays again for fourth win in five (updated)

These are not the 2019 Nationals. Not in name and not in style of play. Most likely, they won't finish the season like their 2019 version did, either. But for now, that's not worth stressing over. Instead, take a step back and just appreciate what this ever-changing 2020 Nationals club is now doing. They don't have the star power - or the offensive power - of their World Series champion predecessors. But over the last week, they're finally starting to play with some passion. They're...

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Injury updates on Soto, Kendrick, GarcÃa, Bacus

September 08, 2020, 11:21am

Nationals

Injury updates on Soto, Kendrick, GarcÃa, Bacus

Juan Soto is back in the Nationals lineup tonight, a welcome relief from a group that missed its best hitter for five games. But the club is still being cautious with Soto, who will be restricted to designated hitter duties tonight against the Rays while recovering from a sore left elbow. "We kind of want to keep him from throwing right now," manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "He swung yesterday. I told him: 'Just see if you can hit. We'll let you...

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Game 41 lineups: Nats vs. Rays

September 08, 2020, 10:59am

Nationals

The 2020 regular season, believe it or not, is now two-thirds complete. There are only 20 games left for the Nationals to try to climb their way back into the expanded postseason, and the odds remain awfully slim. At 15-25, they're currently five games behind the .500 Marlins and Giants for the eighth and final berth in the National League field. To get to .500, the Nats would need to go 15-5 the rest of the way. Maybe they'd get in a game or two under .500, but you get the idea. It's going...

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Despite taking a licking, Suzuki keeps on ticking

September 07, 2020, 6:23pm

Nationals

Despite taking a licking, Suzuki keeps on ticking

Kurt Suzuki has caught more than 1,400 games over 14 major league seasons, so he knows what he's getting himself into every time he squats behind the plate. It's going to be painful at times, and there's nothing he can do about that. But it does seem like the 2020 season has been exceptionally painful for the Nationals catcher, who on a nightly basis has been taking errant pitches and foul balls off every corner of his body, protected or unprotected. "I feel like as I've gotten older,...

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Scherzer, makeshift lineup come together to beat Rays (updated)

September 07, 2020, 4:46pm

Nationals

Scherzer, makeshift lineup come together to beat Rays (updated)

After a grueling, 11-game road trip that for all practical purposes quashed hopes of October baseball around here, the Nationals returned home this evening just needing to feel good about themselves for a change. A makeshift lineup that was missing four key regulars from recent weeks due to nagging injuries only made the task more challenging against a Rays club that came into the day with the American League's best record. But what that lineup lacked in name power made up for it with...

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Game 40 lineups: Nats vs. Rays (GarcÃa scratched)

September 07, 2020, 11:55am

Nationals

Game 40 lineups: Nats vs. Rays (GarcÃa scratched)

After what felt like the longest road trip ever - but in reality was only 10 days and 11 games - the Nationals return home tonight to open a five-game homestand. And they're facing stiff competition right out of the gate in the exceptional Rays. Owners of the American League's best record at 28-13, Tampa Bay has quietly put together an outstanding team, even if many of the names don't jump right out at you. The Rays don't hit for a ton of power, but they get on base and they score runs. So...

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Rizzo is latest unusual ejection for Nats in unusual year

September 07, 2020, 11:42am

Nationals

Rizzo is latest unusual ejection for Nats in unusual year

Twenty-four hours later, Nationals manager Davey Martinez still isn't entirely sure what happened between general manager Mike Rizzo and the umpiring crew during Sunday's series finale in Atlanta. "I'm actually still a little confused about the whole deal," Martinez said during his Zoom session with reporters before tonight's series opener against the Rays. "I didn't realize, honestly. I didn't realize he got thrown out." Rizzo did get thrown out by home plate Hunter Wendelstedt in...

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More on the Nationals' newsy Saturday

September 05, 2020, 9:38pm

Nationals

It turned into quite a newsy Saturday down in Atlanta. And that was before the Nationals went out and beat the Braves for the second night in a row, winning 10-4 despite the lack of Juan Soto in the lineup and a 3 2/3-inning start from Erick Fedde. Let's run back through some of the most important developments of the day ... * Mike Rizzo's contract extension There was nothing surprising about the announcement of Rizzo's new three-year deal that keeps him as the Nationals' president of...

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Nats find unconventional formula to beat Braves again

September 05, 2020, 6:42pm

Nationals

Nats find unconventional formula to beat Braves again

At this point, it's clear the Nationals aren't going to win ballgames in 2020 in the manner we've all been accustomed to for the better part of the last decade. This current team can't win on the broad shoulders of an elite rotation, nor does it currently have the power bats to outslug a lineup like the Braves possess. Tonight, the Nats proved they can do it differently. They can overcome another short and disappointing start. They can score 10 runs without benefit of a homer. And they can...

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Kieboom returns to play every day, Difo dropped from roster

September 05, 2020, 2:01pm

Nationals

Kieboom returns to play every day, Difo dropped from roster

Their lineup ravaged by a recent spate of injuries, the Nationals recalled Carter Kieboom from their alternate training camp today, plugged their struggling prospect into tonight's lineup against the Braves and declared him their starting third baseman for the rest of this abridged season. Kieboom, who had been optioned to the camp in Fredericksburg on Aug. 26, was already in Atlanta as part of the club's traveling taxi squad for this weekend's series at Truist Park. Team officials liked the...

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Game 38 lineups: Nats at Braves (Kieboom recalled)

September 05, 2020, 12:49pm

Nationals

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Braves (Kieboom recalled)

Friday's doubleheader took a lot out of the Nationals, who over the course of 14 innings of baseball used eight pitchers, gave up 16 runs on 18 hits and eight walks, allowed seven homers and threw 259 pitches. So, what do they have left in the tank for tonight's game in Atlanta? Well, they've got Erick Fedde starting, and they've got to hope he can provide some quality innings so Davey Martinez can hold off on his bullpen as long as possible. Fedde was pretty good in his first five starts,...

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Rizzo gets three-year extension to remain GM through 2023

September 05, 2020, 12:20pm

Nationals

Rizzo gets three-year extension to remain GM through 2023

As always, the Lerner family made Mike Rizzo wait. And as always, the Nationals owners ultimately kept their commitment to the man who built their baseball organization from laughingstock to World Series champion. The Nationals announced a contract extension with Rizzo today, locking up their president of baseball operations and general manager only a month before his current deal was set to expire. Terms were not publicly disclosed, but a source confirmed it is for three years, keeping Rizzo...

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Another Voth start, another loss for reeling Nats (updated)

September 04, 2020, 2:41pm

Nationals

Another Voth start, another loss for reeling Nats (updated)

Major League Baseball games are not supposed to be quite so predictable. But when you put Austin Voth on the mound against a tough Braves lineup, in the opener of a doubleheader in Atlanta 24 hours after the bullpen was burned up in an extra-inning game in Philadelphia, and then pull Juan Soto out of a Nationals lineup that simply can't afford to lose its best hitter right now, what could Davey Martinez reasonably have expected? The ensuing result at Truist Park - a 7-1 loss to kick off this...

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First step toward better outfield defense: Better first steps

September 04, 2020, 10:44am

Nationals

First step toward better outfield defense: Better first steps

Defensive metrics always must be taken with a grain of salt, especially when using them to evaluate only 35 games. But even in small doses, they can shed some insight into a player and a team's performance in the field. The numbers right now say the Nationals have the worst defensive outfield in the majors, and it's across the board. Adam Eaton, with -4 Defensive Runs Saved, is tied for last among all right fielders. Victor Robles (-6) is tied for last among center fielders. And Juan Soto...

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Game 36 lineups: Nats at Braves (Soto scratched)

September 04, 2020, 9:04am

Nationals

Game 36 lineups: Nats at Braves (Soto scratched)

If you thought the first two legs of the Nationals' road trip were tough, look at what they still must contend with now to wrap up this long and painful trek up and down the East Coast. After losing two of three in Boston and all four in Philadelphia, they now have four games in three days in Atlanta, starting with today's doubleheader at Truist Park. After needing 6 2/3 innings out of six relievers in Thursday's heartbreaking loss, Davey Martinez would love to be sending two starters to the...

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Rehashing a painful top of the 10th in Nats' latest loss

September 03, 2020, 8:29pm

Nationals

Rehashing a painful top of the 10th in Nats' latest loss

There's a lot to unpack from the Thursday's 6-5 loss in Philadelphia, and hopefully I touched on a lot of it in the game story. Byron Kerr also has much more on a mostly lights-out performance by the Nationals bullpen that somehow still included a blown save and a loss. But this morning I wanted to go back and re-examine the top of the 10th, because what happened during that half-inning said a whole lot about the current state of the team and raised some more questions about what exactly...

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Nats falter late, lose in extras to get swept in Philly (updated)

September 03, 2020, 4:04pm

Nationals

Nats falter late, lose in extras to get swept in Philly (updated)

A lot of things have to go right for the Nationals to win a ballgame right now. They need quality starting pitching and some timely hitting. And if they can't get the former, they need more of the latter. And then even if they do all that and take a lead into the late innings, they still need their bullpen to finish it off. That bullpen may be this team's biggest strength in this unusual season, but it's not perfect. And on a day when manager Davey Martinez got elite work out of the three...

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Voth, Crowe to start Friday's doubleheader in Atlanta

September 03, 2020, 10:48am

Nationals

Voth, Crowe to start Friday's doubleheader in Atlanta

With a doubleheader on tap Friday in Atlanta and limited pitching options at his disposal, Nationals manager Davey Martinez plans to give Austin Voth another start. Voth will take the mound for the 4:05 p.m. opener of Friday's doubleheader against the Braves, said Martinez, who added right-hander Wil Crowe will be called up from the club's alternate training site in Fredericksburg to start the nightcap as the designated 29th man for the twinbill. With both games limited to seven scheduled...