Byron Kerr

Updates on Solis, Purke and other injuries

April 16, 2013, 3:51am

Here are the latest updates on pitching prospects Sammy Solis (Tommy John) and Matt Purke (shoulder). Each are continuing to rehab in Florida and are making their mound progressions. These are rough estimates, but the Nationals are hoping for a mid-May return for Solis and a late May return for Purke. These estimates can change, depending on how both progress this month, but this gives us a general idea. There also was a good number of adjustments on every level because of injuries in the...

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Updates on injuries to prospects Higley, Souza

April 14, 2013, 9:42pm

Nationals

Updates on injuries to prospects Higley, Souza

The low Single-A Hagerstown Suns placed outfielder J.R. Higley on the disabled list Sunday and Andruth Ramirez was activated. Higley fouled a ball of his foot. His injury is being evaluated further by the Nationals. Higley was hitting .273 in nine games, with two doubles, one triple and four RBIs. The Double-A Harrisburg Senators placed outfielder Steven Souza Jr., on the disabled list Sunday. Catcher Jeff Howell was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Catcher Kris Watts was activated from the...

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Strasburg details Braves' third inning and two-run shot by Gattis

April 13, 2013, 1:51pm

Nationals

Strasburg details Braves' third inning and two-run shot by Gattis

The Nationals' 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves was another quality battle between starting pitchers Tim Hudson and Stephen Strasburg. In the end, the Nationals right-hander gave up the more costly home run in a critical third inning. Evan Gattis' two-run shot was the big offensive play for the Braves, but it was set up by a Ryan Zimmerman throwing error that allowed Justin Upton to reach base. Upton then stole second base when Strasburg was just a moment late in his pickoff attempt to first...

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Walters making a name for himself in Syracuse

April 13, 2013, 12:57pm

Nationals

Walters making a name for himself in Syracuse

It was another snapshot moment in time for the Nationals organization. In a late February spring training game in Florida, the Nationals faced off against All-Star David Wright and the Mets. But as you looked out on the diamond, it wasn't Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper doing battle with New York. Instead, it was the best of the Nationals' prospects. Guys like Anthony Rendon, Nathan Karns, Matt Skole, Destin Hood, Eury Perez and others. And there at shortstop...

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Detwiler deserves better after second impressive start

April 12, 2013, 7:56pm

Nationals

Detwiler deserves better after second impressive start

It was all playing out early on for Ross Detwiler and the Nationals. Staked to a 4-0 lead, Detwiler went after the Braves and lasted seven innings, allowing only a Chris Johnson solo shot. So, it was a shock for the Nationals to lose that early advantage and allow six runs in four innings, ending in a 6-4, 10-inning setback to the Braves. "Det was great, challenging the guys, going right at them," said third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. "I think he threw like three off-speed pitches through the...

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Davey Johnson on Padres/Dodgers brawl; Storen knew Quentin from Stanford days

April 12, 2013, 2:28pm

Nationals

Davey Johnson on Padres/Dodgers brawl; Storen knew Quentin from Stanford days

There's been a lot of buzz around the clubhouse about the bench-clearing brawl in Thursday's Padres vs. Dodgers game at San Diego's Petco Park. Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin charged the mound and tackled Dodgers starter Zack Greinke after getting hit by a pitch. Greinke was injured during the melee, suffering a fractured left collarbone. Greinke is out until June. No suspensions have been announced. Manager Davey Johnson said hitting a batter was never a part of his direction, but he...

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Harper forging to lead early in Nationals offense

April 12, 2013, 1:34pm

Nationals

After nine games, left fielder Bryce Harper is the Nationals' most consistent hitter. He has become so well-known for his hitting that the White Sox decided to intentionally walk the 20-year-old to get to Ryan Zimmerman. But it isn't just about matchups and whether or not Harper has the hot bat. He also has been more selective at the plate to begin this season. Harper began his rookie season red-hot and then cooled off. This season, through nine games, Harper is leading the team in...

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Haren still not where he wants to be, but a win is a "few steps forward"

April 11, 2013, 7:34pm

Nationals

Haren still not where he wants to be, but a win is a "few steps forward"

Dan Haren has pitched for five different teams in the majors and has won 120 games. But after a 15-0 loss at Cincinnati last Friday, Haren desperately wanted to bounce back and make a good impression in front of the fans of his newest team. And just like a veteran pitcher, he found his way out of sticky situations Thursday. Scattering 10 hits over five innings, Haren held the Chicago White Sox to three runs and notched his first victory of the season, a 7-4 Nationals' win. "I think I...

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Nationals developing home-field advantage and opponents notice

April 11, 2013, 1:47pm

Nationals

First baseman Adam LaRoche talks about it all the time. When he would come in to play the Nationals while with the Diamondbacks, they knew they could beat the Nationals, and they expected to beat the Nationals. That is not the case anymore. The Nationals are 5-0 at Nationals Park to start this season and were 50-31 at home last season, second only to the Yankees (51-30). Since 2008, the Nats have steadily improved at home. In 2008, they were 34-46 at Nationals Park, 33-48 in 2009, 41-40 in...

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Hagerstown outfielder Wander Ramos placed on disabled list

April 11, 2013, 1:22pm

Nationals

Hagerstown outfielder Wander Ramos placed on disabled list

Low Single-A Hagerstown Suns outfielder Wander Ramos has been placed on the seven-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, according to a club source. The injury does not appear to be serious, and they will take a precautionary measure to rest the hamstring this early in the season. The 22-year-old Ramos (who turns 23 in two weeks) was hitting .200 (2-for-10) in four games, with two RBIs, a run scored and three walks. Outfielder Will Piwnica-Worms has been called up from extended spring...

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Desmond erasing memories of early-season errors with extra-base hits

April 10, 2013, 7:21pm

Nationals

Desmond erasing memories of early-season errors with extra-base hits

Shortstop Ian Desmond rolled to another big day at the plate in Wednesday's 5-2 Nationals win over the White Sox. Desmond went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, scoring two runs. On Tuesday, he also had a pair of hits, including his second homer of the season. He now has seven extra-base hits in eight games. Saturday was his first homer, which came after he had made two errors in a game the Nationals won 7-6 in 11 innings at Cincinnati. Desmond said he was itching for the opportunity...

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No delay is going to slow Zimmermann now

April 10, 2013, 6:59pm

Nationals

No delay is going to slow Zimmermann now

The Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann put together another quality start Wednesday night. A delay because the umpires were stuck in traffic was no distraction for the right-hander. He went seven innings and allowed just two runs in a 5-2 victory over the White Sox. Did the delay at the start of the game shake his preparation? "I had plenty enough time," Zimmermann confirmed. "They let me know pretty early. They told me to be prepared to sit around a little bit." So what did Zimmermann...

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Nationals rotating Rendon between three infield spots in Harrisburg

April 10, 2013, 1:33pm

Nationals

Double-A Harrisburg's Anthony Rendon played second base yesterday, and will play third base, his natural position, tonight. The switching of infield positions serves an intended purpose. According to a club source, the Nationals are playing Rendon each week in a "4-2-1" rotation, with four games at third base, two games at second base and one game at shortstop. The rotation is not "set in stone," according to the source, and is not considered permanent, but provides Rendon with some...

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Werth's bat shining in balanced Nationals lineup

April 09, 2013, 8:34pm

Nationals

First a home run by Jayson Werth. Then, another huge RBI base hit in the next at-bat. Three big RBIs that helped to decide an 8-7 win over the White Sox. The veteran right-fielder believes a move to the second spot in lineup allows him a bit more freedom to take some calculated chances at the plate. "I think I have been more aggressive this year," Werth said. "But usually I am aggressive when I feel good at the plate. When I am not as aggressive, I don't feel as good. It just...

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Johnson confident in bullpen despite late runs by Reds, White Sox

April 09, 2013, 7:44pm

Nationals

Johnson confident in bullpen despite late runs by Reds, White Sox

The 14 homers the Nationals have hit in the first seven games of the season help mask some troublesome signs early from the bullpen. In Tuesday's 8-7 win over the White Sox, the bullpen allowed two huge home runs that could have lost the game. Up 6-2 in the seventh, Tyler Clippard surrendered a three-run shot to Paul Konerko to make it 6-5. In the ninth, Rafael Soriano gave up a two-run homer to Alex Rios, and an 8-5 lead was dwindled to 8-7. Fortunately for the Nationals, they were able to...

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Interleague play might favor Nationals at home against White Sox

April 09, 2013, 2:08pm

Nationals

Interleague play may be exciting for the fans, but it causes some alterations and uneasiness for players, especially this early in the season. However, some players embrace National League versus American League match-ups in small doses because it mixes the schedule up a bit and adds a little flavor. This season, with the Astros moving to the American League and the formation of three five-team divisions in each league, there's an interleague game every day. The Nationals would appear to have...

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Harrisburg places Matt Skole on disabled list with wrist injury (updated)

April 08, 2013, 8:34am

Nationals

Harrisburg places Matt Skole on disabled list with wrist injury (updated)

Double-A Harrisburg Senators first baseman Matt Skole has been placed on the disabled list with hairline fracture in his left wrist, according to a team source. Skole is expected to miss three to four weeks. Skole was injured Friday night when his arm was hit by a runner on a play up the baseline. Justin Bloxom is a good possibility to be moved to first base while Skole recovers. The team announced that outfielder Jerad Head had been called up from extended spring training. The Nationals'...

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A.J. Cole shows flashes of brilliance in Potomac debut

April 08, 2013, 6:29am

Nationals

A.J. Cole shows flashes of brilliance in Potomac debut

Right-hander A.J. Cole showed flashes of how dominant he could be in his first start with the high Single-A Potomac Nationals on Sunday. Cole struck out the side in the first inning, but later allowed a few hits and runs, going 5 1/3 innings. All seven strikeouts were swinging. He used a lot of fastballs and Lynchburg started to figure out the timing, according to a source. He has a spike curve, a slider and changeup. One question might be is how much he will integrate the slider and...

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Harrisburg's solid lineup one reason for quick start

April 07, 2013, 5:02am

Nationals

Harrisburg's solid lineup one reason for quick start

The Double-A Harrisburg Senators dropped Bowie 6-1 Saturday behind big hits from Rick Hague and Steven Souza, Jr., and a spectacular one-two punch on the mound by Paul Demny and Trevor Holder. Destin Hood smacked his first double of the season and Souza crushed his first homer to get the scoring going. Demny went five innings for the win and Holder an amazing four innings for the save. Justin Bloxom had an RBI double and Hague a two-run single. Demny struck out six and allowed just two hits...

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Could signing of Chris Young come into play sooner than later?

April 06, 2013, 6:52am

Nationals

Could signing of Chris Young come into play sooner than later?

It is just one game, but it did happen. Dan Haren got rocked and Zach Duke did not fare much better. Depth is critical for each major league team, especially pitching depth, if you expect to make a deep run into October. Last season, the Nationals allowed double-digit runs only two times in their first 156 games. The 15 runs allowed Friday night at Great American Ballpark were the most given up by Washington in a shutout since 2000. The most runs the Nationals allowed in any one game all of...