Zimmerman and Suzuki on arrival of Nathan Karns

Zimmerman and Suzuki on arrival of Nathan Karns
The Nationals were desperate to get something out of the fifth starter slot this week following the news left-hander Ross Detwiler has been placed on the disabled list with a right oblique strain. The franchise has decided to reach into their system and select Baseball America's No. 5 Nationals prospect to get a shot in the bigs. Manager Davey Johnson revealed after Monday's game that the 2012 Nationals minor league Pitcher of the Year, right-hander Nathan Karns, will be called up from...

Lombardozzi and Moore heating up

Lombardozzi and Moore heating up
Bench depth was critical to the Nationals' success last season. This season, the bench got off to a slow start, in part because reserves were not getting enough starts, instead having to settle of occasional pinch-hit appearances or Sunday substitutes. But with injuries to Jayson Werth, Danny Espinosa and Bryce Harper, the bench spotlight is turned back on. Manager Davey Johnson said the bench will get more starts now. The need for them to excel is critical for the Nationals to stay in the...

Purke to make season debut Wednesday for Hagerstown

Purke to make season debut Wednesday for Hagerstown
Left-hander Matt Purke will make his season debut for the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns at Asheville on Wednesday night, according to Nationals director of player development Doug Harris. This is good news for the former Texas Christian star, who has not pitched in a professional game since early 2012. Purke, ranked by Baseball America as the Nationals' No. 9 prospect, has been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The procedure was to relieve bursitis in his left shoulder and remove...

Potomac's Michael Taylor making strides with focused approach at plate

Potomac's Michael Taylor making strides with focused approach at plate
Outfielder Michael Taylor crushed a batting practice home run in Frederick that hit high off of the left field video scoreboard. That was the start of something for Taylor. In that game, Taylor went 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double and an RBI. He has had four straight games of at least two hits. When I spoke to high Single-A Potomac Nationals hitting coach Mark Harris prior to Taylor's hot streak, they were working on his approach and getting him to find the setup at the plate that would...

Haren strike outs out 10, but two homers are what he remembers against Phillies

Haren strike outs out 10, but two homers are what he remembers against Phillies
As a starting pitcher, when you have a season-high strikeout total and allow just four hits, you have a good chance of winning a game. Unfortunately for the Nationals, Saturday night was not one of those games. Nationals starter Dan Haren struck out 10 batters, but two of the four hits he allowed were back-to-back-homers in the second inning that set the tone for the Phillies. Haren did manage to keep his team in the game. The Nationals were able to come back and tie the game, 3-3, but...

Purke and Giolito updates from Florida

Purke and Giolito updates from Florida
With the return of Sammy Solis last Tuesday, focus continues on another pair of talented prospects rehabbing in Florida: left-hander Matt Purke and right-hander Lucas Giolito. Purke, a third round selection in 2011, is closer to returning from left shoulder surgery. Doug Harris, the Nationals' director of player development, watched Purke throw last week in Florida at the extended spring training facility. "(Purke) is a tick behind Sammy (Solis)," said Harris, in regards to the...

Kobernus excited to use his speed and bat to impact Nats

Kobernus excited to use his speed and bat to impact Nats
With an injury to Danny Espinosa and the bench depleted, the Nationals selected the contract of second baseman Jeff Kobernus from Triple-A Syracuse Saturday, and he arrived in D.C. to see his locker adorned with home white jersey No. 26. It had been a pretty exciting 24 hours already for Kobernus, especially the moment where he got to share the news with his parents, Jeff and Margie. "Yeah, I called my dad first and then my mom," Kobernus said. "My dad, he was crying, which was kind of one...

Zimmermann stuck his neck out for another Nats win

Zimmermann stuck his neck out for another Nats win
Jordan Zimmermann wanted to keep it quiet. On the day he was supposed to pitch, the right-hander woke up in some pain. His neck wasn't feeling so good, but he didn't want to make a big deal about it with a big game against the Phillies just hours away. Manager Davey Johnson knew something was up when he saw Zimmermann in the clubhouse. "Zimm woke up with a stiff neck today," Johnson said. "He kind of hid it from me. I knew he had it. Nothing is ever hidden from the manager. "After...

Harrisburg notes: Rendon out with dental procedure; Souza returns from DL

Harrisburg notes: Rendon out with dental procedure; Souza returns from DL
Right fielder Steven Souza Jr., returned to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators lineup Friday. It will be his first game since April 13. He has been recovering from a shoulder injury. Souza was batting an impressive .370 in his first nine games, with two doubles, two homers and four RBIs. He has a 1.194 OPS and a .528 on-base percentage. Third baseman Anthony Rendon was out of the lineup to have his wisdom teeth pulled, according to the tweet below from Geoff Morrow of The Patriot-News and...

Updates on Detwiler, Werth, Ramos and Mattheus

Updates on Detwiler, Werth, Ramos and Mattheus
Manager Davey Johnson said he will make a decision on the status of left-hander Ross Detwiler for Tuesday's start depending on how his bullpen session goes on Saturday. Johnson said Detwiler, who missed his last start with a slight oblique strain, was a little tight but was all right following his most recent throwing session. "I think the big time is how he does in his pen tomorrow," Johnson said. "Everything so far has gone according to plan. He threw yesterday and didn't have any...

Selik, Fischer make season debuts for Potomac

Selik, Fischer make season debuts for Potomac
It wasn't only Sammy Solis who was making his season debut Tuesday for high Single-A Potomac. Right-handers Cameron Selik and David Fischer also pitched for the P-Nats for the first time in 2013. Selik had a good amount of experience with the P-Nats and has been out since a lat injury slowed his play. Selik had 40 games of experience with the P-Nats over the past two seasons, and got into one game with Double-A Harrisburg last season. He had eight saves with 2-1 record and a 3.68 ERA with the...

Harrisburg places Bill Bray on disabled list with "shoulder issues"

Harrisburg places Bill Bray on disabled list with "shoulder issues"
The Nationals have been looking to fortify their left-handed depth in the bullpen, and the hope in spring training was that veteran Bill Bray would fill that role. Bray did not make the 25-man roster out of spring training, as he was left behind at extended spring training to work on a mechanical issue. In early May, Bray was called up to Double-A Harrisburg. He appeared in four games and did not allow a run over 4 1/3 innings. He gave up just two hits, struck out six and walked one. His last...

Potomac's Solis "excited to be back out there" in first game since Tommy John (updated)

Potomac's Solis "excited to be back out there" in first game since Tommy John (updated)
FREDERICK, Md. - Left-hander Sammy Solis got his work in and did well. It had to feel pretty good after almost two seasons of waiting. It was his first game since 2011, having recovered from March 2012 Tommy John surgery, and Solis pitched into the third inning of high Single-A Potomac's game at Frederick. He finished with two innings, three hits, two runs, one earned, one walk and one strikeout. Solis, who did not factor in the decision, was able to exhale after the game and said it was...

Sammy Solis to start Tuesday night for Potomac at Frederick

Sammy Solis to start Tuesday night for Potomac at Frederick
For the first time since 2011, left-hander Sammy Solis, rated as the No. 8 prospect in the Nationals system by Baseball America, will start for high Single-A Potomac on Tuesday night, according to Nationals director of player development Doug Harris. Solis, who has recovered from Tommy John surgery, has been throwing in games in extended spring training at the Nationals' training facility in Florida. The Nationals have scheduled Solis for three innings with Potomac as the P-Nats begin a...

Martinson working to stay consistent at the plate for Potomac

Martinson working to stay consistent at the plate for Potomac
High Single-A Potomac Nationals shortstop Jason Martinson got off to a hot start in Woodbridge, earning a pair of Carolina League Player of the Week honors in April. "I felt a lot more confident having been in this league already," he said. "Still a lot of work to get done but I'm doing everything I can to make that next jump. Martinson has already hit seven homers and has 26 RBIs for Potomac. He has cooled off a little bit since his April run. His average stands at .253 through May 19....

Zimmermann's in-game adjustments big reason for fast start

Zimmermann's in-game adjustments big reason for fast start
Saturday's loss at San Diego was tough all around for the Nationals. Any time a team falls 2-1, there are several moments in the game they would love to rewind and try again. But baseball can be a cruel game, and just like any sport, the opportunity was there. Starter Jordan Zimmermann was blaming himself afterward. One for a home run ball early and the other for his bad throw to check a runner hanging off of first base. But the Nationals would not have been in a tie ball game in the...

Friday's thrilling win in San Diego cannot be understated as Nats look to roll

Friday's thrilling win in San Diego cannot be understated as Nats look to roll
It is just one game in 162. That is what all the players say, right? Especially when things are not going well. But that game Friday in San Diego was one to remember and one for the record books. The Nationals beat the Padres 6-5 in 10 innings. It was the 10th inning that had a ton of twists and turns that Dan Brown would have been proud to pen. In the top of that extra-inning frame, Padres reliever Huston Street got the first two outs with relative ease. In walks pinch-hitter Chad Tracy,...

LaRoche's big bat making indelible mark on Nats' latest run

LaRoche's big bat making indelible mark on Nats' latest run
Ever since Adam LaRoche swung the bat in two former familiar homes, he has been locked in. And more recently to start the Nationals' 10-game road trip, he has hit four homers in his past three games, including in back-to-back at-bats in Friday's 6-5, 10-inning thriller at San Diego. The former Brave and Pirate got his groove back May 2 at Turner Field, continued it at PNC Park, and has not looked back well into the final weeks of May. Manager Davey Johnson spoke last week about hoping that...

LaRoche's two homers, Tracy's pinch-hit homer highlight 6-5 extra-inning win at San Diego

LaRoche's two homers, Tracy's pinch-hit homer highlight 6-5 extra-inning win at San Diego
Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez got behind hitters early, and San Diego was able to get two runs in the first inning. Gonzalez allowed two walks in the first and both came around and scored on a Kyle Blanks single and a two-base throwing error by right fielder Bryce Harper. San Diego led 2-0 after one inning. San Diego fireballer Burch Smith was elusive early with a difficult to catch up with mid-90s fastball. Smith struck out the side in the second inning. Gonzalez surrendered a hit and...

Werth has setback, Detwiler to have second MRI

Werth has setback, Detwiler to have second MRI
Outfielder Jayson Werth was expected to play in his second rehab game Thursday night in Potomac. Instead, the veteran right fielder has had a setback to his sore left hamstring. Werth will not be activated off of the 15-day disabled list Saturday, as was previously anticipated. On Wednesday night, Werth went 1-for-2, ran the bases and made a few defensive plays, showing no ill effects from his ailing hamstring. Afterwards, he said the hamstring felt "pretty good." But manager Davey Johnson...