And we’re back. After the Nationals finally got a win here yesterday to end their series against the Cardinals, they’re right back to play today’s makeup game against the Diamondbacks. What should have been the series finale between these two teams two weeks ago was postponed due to the poor air quality from the Canada wildfires to make this now a one-game series before both clubs head to the West Coast tonight.

Jake Irvin will make his ninth major league start this afternoon, seventh here at Nats Park. The rookie bounced back to pitch well on Saturday after having his spot in the rotation skipped the week before, tossing five innings of one-run ball against the Marlins. In his start against the D-backs two weeks ago, he gave up four runs (three earned), five hits and three walks in just four-plus innings.

In a rematch of that June 6 game against Irvin, Tommy Henry will start for the Diamondbacks. The 25-year-old left-hander was tagged for five runs over 4 ⅓ innings, including a grand slam by Stone Garrett in the second inning and a leadoff homer by Lane Thomas in the fifth. In his two starts since against the Phillies and Guardians, Henry gave up seven runs over 10 ⅔ innings for a 5.91 ERA.

While all day yesterday there was rain in the forecast for today, it now seems like we’ll be much drier this afternoon, with the rain supposedly not starting again until this evening.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 67 degrees, wind 8 mph in from left field

There have been some very bizarre circumstances and confusing statements surrounding Victor Robles’ back injury.

It all started on May 7 when the 26-year-old first hurt his back while sliding into second base during a game against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the following day with what the team then called “back spasms.”

After a while, the injury was suspected to be more serious. It took Robles three weeks to start running and doing agility work. Then a few days later, he started taking full rounds of batting practice.

That was finally a sign he was improving and ready to start working his way back to the team. He started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on June 9 and reached base in all four games with the Red Wings, going 4-for-7 (.571) with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, a walk and five runs scored in his final two outings.

The time came Friday for Robles to be reinstated from the IL, with Alex Call being optioned down to Rochester. After his first three games back over the weekend, the oddities surrounding Robles were on display Monday and Tuesday.

The situation surrounding this afternoon’s finale between the Nationals and Cardinals was a tricky one.

Rain was in the forecast all day today in the District of Columbia, with only a brief window right around the 4:05 p.m. scheduled start time. The Nationals have a makeup game against the Diamondbacks scheduled for 1 p.m. tomorrow (with more rain in the forecast), with both teams traveling back to the West Coast afterward. And the Cardinals have a transatlantic flight out of D.C. tonight for their two-game weekend series against the Cubs in London.

All of that made for a lot of uncertainty on South Capitol Street.

But as if both teams understood the assignment of playing fast, the Nats and Cards were able to complete this one in a swift 2 hours and 12 minutes, with the home team finally emerging victorious 3-0 in front of a damp 16,191 fans.

This one couldn’t have been scripted better when it came to the weather. A drizzle started in the top of the second inning and had turned into actual rainfall as the game moved into the third.

An odd Tuesday night has turned into a busy Wednesday afternoon here at Nationals Park.

After some misplays in the field, a confrontation with MacKenzie Gore in the dugout and questions about his health, Victor Robles was placed back on the 10-day injured list today with back spasms in the lumbar spine, with the Nationals selecting the contract of Derek Hill from Triple-A Rochester to take his spot on the active roster

It was a rough couple of days in the field since Robles was reinstated from the IL on Friday after he seemingly recovered the same back spasms that had him inactive since May 8. On Monday, he got a late break on a ball over his head that turned into an RBI triple after he crashed into the wall trying to get back to make the catch. Then last night, he let a ball land in front of him while slowly moving to his left, leading to the animated discussion with Gore. Later in the game, he only made it to first base on a line drive off the left field wall and then struggled to go first-to-third on CJ Abrams’ double to right-center.

Davey Martinez mentioned after the game that he was going to have a discussion with Robles to see how he felt.

“We made a move today. We put Victor on the IL,” Martinez said before this afternoon’s finale against the Cardinals. “As I said last night, I was gonna have a conversation with him. I talked to him last night. I had to really stress that he needed to be honest with me. And he said he was a bit sore and that it bothered him running. It doesn't bother him hitting, it bothers him running.

It doesn’t get any easier to say, but it remains true: The Nationals need a win. Ideally, they would win their next two games to end this homestand on a somewhat positive note. They’re 0-5 since returning to D.C. last week and have only won two of their last 15 games.

Trevor Williams gets the start this afternoon in the finale against the Cardinals. The right-hander is 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA and 1.414 WHIP in his first 14 starts. He was roughed up for five runs over 4 ⅓ innings Friday against the Marlins.

Miles Mikolas gets the ball for St. Louis. The 34-year-old right-hander is 4-4 with a 4.36 ERA and 1.362 WHIP over his first 14 starts this season. He too has been beat up by opposing lineups recently, giving up 11 runs over 12 innings for an 8.25 ERA over his last two starts against the Reds and Mets.

The Nationals made a roster move this afternoon, placing Victor Robles back on the 10-day with back spasms in the lumbar spine and selected the contract of Derek Hill from Triple-A Rochester. Hill is immediately in the lineup, batting eighth and playing center field.

Unfortunately, there is rain in the forecast all day in the District. The Cardinals depart D.C. tonight for their two-game series against the Cubs in London this weekend, while the Nats have to bounce back for a makeup game against the Diamondbacks here tomorrow afternoon (which also has rain in the forecast) before they head to the West Coast for the fourth time.

After missing 33 games, Victor Robles finally returned to the Nationals lineup last night.

Before the series opener against the Marlins, a 6-5 loss, the Nationals returned Robles from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list while optioning Alex Call down to Triple-A Rochester. Robles had been on the IL since May 8 with what the team originally called back spasms.

But it turned out to be a slightly more serious back injury that kept him sidelined for over a month.

“When I first hit the injured list, the biggest thing I was very frustrated,” Robles said via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “Frustrated with the fact that I wasn't able to swing. I felt like my back was real tight and it made me immobile a little bit. But with the hard work of our trainers here, they've done a great job of trying to get me back on the field. And I still feel it a little bit running, but overall I feel good swinging the bat.”

He had no problem swinging the bat before the injury, hitting .292 with four doubles, a triple, eight RBIs, 10 walks, 13 runs and eight stolen bases in 31 games to start the season. And he picked up right where he left off when he was finally able to start a rehab assignment with Rochester, reaching base in all four games and going 4-for-7 (.571) with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, a walk and five runs scored in his final two outings with the Red Wings.

The Nationals came into this weekend’s three-game series against the Marlins needing to find some way to beat their divisional foes.

Entering tonight, the Nats were 4-18 with a -41 run differential against the Fish since the start of last season. They played tight but were ultimately swept out of Miami last month, losing all three games by a total of four runs.

The Marlins aren’t world-beaters. Although they began the night in second place in the National League East, they had a -30 run differential on the year.

That ever so slightly improved tonight as did their record against the Nats. Despite another hard-fought game, the Nationals dropped the series opener 6-5 in front of an announced crowd of 22,379 at Nats Park, with the Marlins improving to 18-5 in one-run games already this season.

“We were down. We got a good pitcher in there. We come back," manager Davey Martinez said after the loss. "Score some runs early and then the bats, we had a couple of opportunities to score again. We just couldn't capitalize. And then big moment, ball up the middle. I think that inning really started with the walk. We always talk about not walking guys because, especially early in innings, it's gonna bite you. But overall, I thought you know we did well, we played well, we came back, we kept coming back. We just couldn't score any runs at the end.”

Victor Robles walked into the Nationals clubhouse with a little more hop in his step than he had over the past month-plus. He wasn’t very mobile or flexible while dealing with a back injury that had him on the 10-day injured list since May 8.

Robles was back to his energetic self today because he was returned from his rehab assignment and reinstated to the active roster this afternoon, while Alex Call was optioned to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.

“We made a move today before the game,” manager Davey Martinez said to open his pregame media session ahead of tonight’s opener against the Marlins. “Victor is back with us. He checked all the boxes down there. He feels really good. So we optioned Call down. Look, I can't say enough about Alex. He played unbelievable defense for us. He was out there every day. He's an unbelievable competitor, a good teammate. We want to send him down and kind of get his swing straightened out a little bit. I don't think it'll be the last you've seen of Alex. But he was struggling a little bit with the bat. So we get Victor back. He was swinging the bat really well before he got hurt. So hopefully he'll jump-start us again.”

Robles was off to a good start to the season, hitting .292 with four doubles, a triple, eight RBIs, 10 walks, 13 runs and eight stolen bases in 31 games before he was placed on the IL. And he continued that success in his rehab in Rochester, reaching base in all four games and going 4-for-7 (.571) with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, a walk and five runs scored in his final two outings with the Red Wings.

The 26-year-old is back in center field and batting eighth tonight as the Nats face reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. But even as he’s thrust back into the starting lineup, the Nats will continue to monitor how his back is feeling.

After a 2-4 road trip, the Nationals have lost five straight series, all coming against tough opponents. And depending on how you view the Marlins, another one is on deck this weekend.

The Fish are 38-31 and in second place in the National League East, but have the second-worst run differential in the division at -30. Their bread and butter is one-run games in which they are a stunning 17-5, including two out of the three games they won against the Nats in May.

Of course, the Nats have struggled against the Marlins for a while. They are 4-18 against their division rivals since the start of last year.

Trevor Williams gets the start in tonight’s opener. The right-hander is 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA and 1.355 WHIP in his first 13 starts. He has set season highs with six strikeouts in back-to-back outings and turned in a quality start against the Marlins the last time these two teams met.

Sandy Alcantara gets the call for the Fish. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has not put up the kind of numbers we’re used to seeing from the right-hander, going only 2-5 with a 4.75 ERA on the year. But he did hold the White Sox to one run over seven innings in his last start.

When it comes to the Nationals’ farm, a lot of attention turns to James Wood and Robert Hassell III. And rightfully so as they are the top two prospects in the organization and two of the five that came back in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade.

But there are other top prospects making moves in the minor league system who were here even before that trade.

Brady House and Trey Lipscomb can both be found on top 30 Nats prospects rankings by many outlets. And both played well enough to start the season to rise the ranks of the minor leagues.

Less than two weeks after Wood earned a promotion to Double-A Harrisburg, House was promoted to High-A Wilmington and Lipscomb to Harrisburg, the first tastes of those levels for both prospects.

“Two of our young prospects,” Nats manager Davey Martinez said Friday of the promotions. “Brady has been swinging the bat really well, so he gets promoted up to Wilmington. And then Lipscomb, who I really liked in spring training, can play the field and swing the bat as well. He gets the opportunity to go to Double-A and see what he can do in Double-A.”

When the Nationals constructed their lineup over the offseason, they were relying on two new signings and a 31-year-old second-year player to carry much of the offense.

Jeimer Candelario and Dominic Smith were brought in to help Joey Meneses supply some power to Davey Martinez’s lineup.

Candelario led the major leagues with 42 doubles in 2021. Smith had a .993 OPS in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. And Meneses caught the sport’s attention with an impressive two months to end last season, his first taste of the majors.

Not a bad plan. But through 65 games, it’s had some mixed results.

Most of the struggles have come from Smith, who has just two home runs, 16 RBIs, a .263 average and .654 OPS through his first 62 games. But a big two-run homer that traveled 444 feet (the longest of his career) in the sixth inning of Sunday’s win over the Braves hopefully will kickstart Smith’s offensive production.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

It’s hard not to as the Nationals make their first visit to Houston since winning the 2019 World Series in Game 7 at Minute Maid Park. And I don’t really like reminiscing too much about something that happened four years ago.

There have been three different World Series champions since the Nats won it all. And in that time, the Nats have had three straight last-place finishes in the National League East.

The team looks completely different now, too. There is only one player from that 2019 roster currently on the Nats’ active 26-man roster: Patrick Corbin, who coincidentally was credited as the winning pitcher in Game 7 after three shutout innings of relief and will start tonight’s series opener. There are only three other players from that team on this 40-man roster: Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Rainey and Victor Robles, all recovering from injuries.

There are a couple of guys still with the organization. Sean Doolittle and Matt Adams are on minor league deals, trying to work their way back to the majors. But a lot of the big-name players are now gone.

It was only a matter of time before James Wood made a big splash at Double-A Harrisburg.

After getting the promotion for High-A Wilmington on May 28, he only collected one hit over his first three Double-A games.

He’s been on a tear ever since.

Since the start of June, the Nats’ top prospect is 11-for-37 with four doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs and a walk with the Senators.

This past weekend proved to be Wood’s biggest yet.

ATLANTA – It was raining heavily here this morning. There was a point when the forecast didn’t look conducive to playing baseball.

But the rain cleared out, the tarp was removed from the infield and this afternoon’s finale between the Nationals and Braves went off without a hitch.

And as the clouds cleared out for sunny skies, so did the clouds that have been hovering over this Nationals team this last week.

The Nats snapped their six-game losing streak, and in the process also snapped the Braves’ seven-game winning streak, with a 6-2 victory in front of 36,744 fans at Truist Park.

Just as I wrote this morning that the Nats were in search of more power, they found it.

ATLANTA – The Nationals are going to use these couple of off-days over this week to give one of their young starters some extra rest.

Jake Irvin will have his next start skipped in the rotation, with the Nats listing Patrick Corbin, Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore as the probable starters for the upcoming three-game series against the Astros.

Thursday’s postponement due to poor air quality in D.C. and tomorrow’s scheduled off-day as the team travels to Houston mean the Nats have two off-days over a five-day span.

“We have an opportunity to do some different things, and to give him a break was nice,” manager Davey Martinez said of the decision to skip Irvin before today’s series finale against the Braves. “We're gonna eventually have to do that with all of our young guys here soon. We had these days off coming up, so we thought we'd give Jake a breather. But you know, he can be available out of the bullpen as well. We just want to not have him start and then he'll get back in the rotation next time around.”

Irvin, the Nats’ No. 19 prospect per MLB Pipeline, impressed over his first two major league starts. He allowed just one run in 4 ⅓ innings in his debut against the Cubs and then shut out the Giants over 6 ⅓ innings in his second outing.

ATLANTA – The Nationals need a stopper and they need one badly. Or do they need more offense and need that badly?

They could use both as they try to snap this six-game losing streak and escape Atlanta with at least one win today.

Trevor Williams will attempt to be the stopper. The right-hander is 2-4 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.335 WHIP in his first 12 starts. He has completed five innings in all but two of his outings, with one being cut short due the rain-prompted suspension of the Nats' May 13 game against the Mets.

This is his first time facing the Braves in 2023, but he is 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.150 WHIP in eight career appearances (four starts) against Atlanta.

The offense has a tough task in trying to get going against Bryce Elder. The 24-year-old right-hander leads the National League with a 2.26 ERA, while posting a 4-0 record and 1.144 WHIP over his first 12 starts.

ATLANTA – However close the first two games between the Nationals and Braves this weekend were, one thing has been abundantly clear: One team has power in full supply and one is seriously lacking.

You can probably guess which team is which.

The Nationals were doomed by this stark difference yesterday. The Braves hit two home runs, both two-run shots. The Nationals hit one, a leadoff homer by Stone Garrett in the top of the ninth in what ended up being a 6-4 loss.

Digging a little deeper shows the power difference is more than just home runs.

The Braves barreled four balls from Nationals pitching: Two doubles and the two homers. The Nationals barreled just one: Luis García’s deep fly ball in the first inning that was a sacrifice fly instead of a two-run homer.

ATLANTA – A major difference between the Nationals and Braves is power at the plate. The Braves have it. The Nationals do not.

The Nats have hit the second-fewest homers in the majors and fewest in the National League. Meanwhile, the Braves have hit the third-most in the majors and second-most in the NL.

That difference was pretty glaring in today’s 6-4 loss in front of 40,799 at Truist Park.

When the offense doesn’t have a lot of pop, you need pitching that also keeps the ball in the field of play and doesn’t give up a lot of free baserunners so that those one-run shots don’t turn into multiple runs.

MacKenzie Gore has done a much better job of limiting walks recently. After giving up multiple in nine of his first 10 starts, he had given up just one over his last two starts coming into today’s rematch with the Braves.

ATLANTA – After last night’s tough 3-2 loss in the series opener, the Nationals are making some significant changes to their lineup for this afternoon’s second game against the Braves.

Against rookie left-hander Jared Shuster, who the Nats knocked around for four runs on six hits and five walks in their first meeting on April 2, lefty bats Dominic Smith and CJ Abrams and switching-hitter Keibert Ruiz are all out of today’s starting lineup.

In their places: Michael Chavis is starting at first base and batting seventh, Ildemaro Vargas is playing shortstop and batting eighth and Riley Adams is catching and batting ninth. And as has been typical against a lefty starter, Stone Garrett is starting in left field instead of Corey Dickerson, batting fifth.

“It was just the plan coming into the series,” manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame meeting with the media. “I'm trying to keep everybody involved. Get some guys days off. We're getting to a point where it's starting to warm out there. It's tough to play 162 games, so I want to keep these guys fresh and get these other guys in and get them some at-bats. So we'll see how they do. Riley has been playing well. I wanted to get Chavy in there and Vargas has been playing well as well. And Garrett, he platoons with Corey in the outfield, so he gets a chance to play today.”

It’s Smith’s first day off since April 27 against the Mets in New York, when Joey Meneses started at first and Garrett was the designated hitter. The veteran first baseman has struggled to the tune of a .265/.347/.301 slash line, .648 OPS, five doubles, one home run and 14 RBIs in 59 games. And while he has played strong defense for the majority of the season, he was unable to make a run-saving play on a chopper last night, which allowed the tying run to score in the eighth inning.

ATLANTA – Sixty-two games down, 100 to go.

The Nationals will try to bounce back from last night’s tough loss and end a couple of streaks today: Their own five-game losing streak and the Braves’ six-game winning streak.

For the third time in his young career, MacKenzie Gore will face the Braves, the team he made both his major league and Nationals debuts against. He delivered the Nats their first win of the season back on April 2, striking out six over 5 ⅓ innings of one-run ball in a 4-1 victory.

Gore has done a good job of getting deep into games and limiting walks in his last two starts. Against the Royals and Phillies, the young lefty completed 13 innings with 17 strikeouts to just one walk. He’ll aim to continue that trend against a tough Braves lineup.

In a repeat of that April 2 pitching matchup, lefty Jared Shuster will make his seventh major league start for the Braves. The 24-year-old is 2-2 with a 4.99 ERA and 1.337 WHIP to start the season. He gave up four runs on six hits and five walks while taking the loss his first time against the Nats.