Byron Kerr

Baseball Prospectus sees "good things on the horizon" for Nats

Nationals
Baseball Prospectus sees "good things on the horizon" for Nats
The Nationals hope this is the season they make their way out of the cellar of the National League East and get some momentum going for what promises to be an enticing future as top prospects and No. 1 picks make their way to Nats Park. What do some of the experts think? Can the Nats make a pre-emptive strike in the NL East before Stephen Strasburg returns from injury and Bryce Harper arrives? The 2011 Baseball Prospectus is available now (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., $24.95), and I got the...
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Byron Kerr

Milone concentrating on getting lefties out

Nationals
Milone concentrating on getting lefties out
Nationals minor league Pitcher of the Year Tom Milone started against the Houston Astros on Tuesday and pitched well, allowing just one hit over two innings of shutout ball with no walks and no strikeouts. The left-hander, in Nationals accelerated camp and facing Houston minor leaguers, threw between 20 to 25 pitches, inducing a pair of flyouts and three groundouts. "It felt good coming out of the hand," the former USC hurler reported. "I have no complaints. My arm felt great. I was...
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Byron Kerr

Norris confident his defense will catch up to his offense

Nationals
Norris confident his defense will catch up to his offense
Derek Norris received high praise this week from manager Jim Riggleman, who has been impressed with the way camp has started for the Nationals' top catching prospect. Norris feels completely healthy after battling through injuries last season. His 2010 campaign was slowed by a broken bone in his hand before the season began. In May, he was hit by a pitch in his head and suffered a concussion. Norris now has a clean bill of health and that has helped him at the plate. In four games this...
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Byron Kerr

Solis tosses two no-hit innings during Sunday scrimmage

Nationals
Solis tosses two no-hit innings during Sunday scrimmage
Nationals left-hander Sammy Solis pitched a pair of no-hit innings in Sunday's scrimmage pitting Washington farmhands against Houston Astros prospects. Solis threw the seventh and eighth innings and, after a shaky start, settled down and dominated. "First guy, I got to 0-2 and hit him," Solis said. "It was just a little jitters. It was the first time seeing an opposing hitter in there so I was a little excited. After that, I settled down perfectly, allowed no hits for two innings with no...
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Byron Kerr

Nationals prospects to scrimmage Sunday

Nationals
Nationals prospects to scrimmage Sunday
Nationals prospects are getting up to speed (pardon the pun) at the accelerated minor league camp. Big workouts are set for today with a large group coming down on their own from every minor league team in the Nats organization. The first scrimmage is scheduled for tomorrow. The coaches have worked them out over the past two weeks and two dozen pitchers have been able to continue their winter workout programs while in Viera, Fla. "About six or seven pitchers have come down religiously each...
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Byron Kerr

Scouting the Mets: Harris adjusting well to new team

Nationals
Scouting the Mets: Harris adjusting well to new team
The New York Mets' offseason was littered with news about the financial troubles of owner Fred Wilpon and his dealings with disgraced financier Bernie Madoff. The bad news off the field continues to plague the Mets well into spring training. Steve Popper, who covers the Mets for The (Bergen) Record, says it is hard to ignore the ownership issues and how that might affect the on field product for the Mets. He says the Mets players have taken notice. "I think the players are trying to ignore...
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Byron Kerr

Scouting the Phillies: Utley injury early concern

Nationals
Scouting the Phillies: Utley injury early concern
Chase Utley's injury has dominated news out of the Phillies camp in Clearwater, Fla., early in March, according to Matt Gelb, who covers the team for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Utley is nursing patellar tendinitis in his right knee, and the team is not sure when he is going to play. A few Nationals fans wonder if the Phillies miss Jayson Werth so far in spring training? Former Phillies standout Mike Schmidt thinks they are going to really miss him, but Gelb says for most of the players,...
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Byron Kerr

Mock and Wilkie look to make positive impressions

Nationals
Mock and Wilkie look to make positive impressions
Right-hander Garrett Mock is looking to rebound from neck surgery that derailed his 2010 season. Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty said Mock has worked hard to get healthy and is ready to just put it on the field "Garrett and I have talked so much the last four years," McCatty said. "All I tell him is, 'Just sit back and let your ability speak for you.' He has tremendous stuff. We all try to get it to surface on the field. Sometimes you just have to get out of your own way, so to...
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Byron Kerr

Offseason program paying dividends for Nats' Detwiler

Nationals
Offseason program paying dividends for Nats' Detwiler
Lefthander Ross Detwiler continues to show good mechanics and renewed core strength following offseason rehabilitation from the hip injury that nagged him last season. The only bump in the first 10 days at spring camp in Viera, Fla., has been a slight head cold and sore throat that left him tired Thursday. But Detwiler will return to throwing live batting practice today. "Everything is feeling great," Detwiler said. "I think with my offseason program and really honing in on building...
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Byron Kerr

So what about Detwiler and Maya?

Nationals
So what about Detwiler and Maya?
A lot of talk has centered around John Lannan, Jason Marquis, Livan Hernandez, Tom Gorzelanny and Jordan Zimmermann as the potential five starters for the Nationals when the season gets going past the off-days early in April. Making it interesting, though, is the potential of Ross Detwiler and Yunesky Maya. Detwiler is returning from a nagging hip injury, and Maya is learning on the job after his quick introduction to the big leagues late last season. Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty...
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Byron Kerr

Kimball ready to make big impression in Viera

Nationals
Kimball ready to make big impression in Viera
Nationals pitcher Cole Kimball has settled in nicely in his first big league camp and is ready to go for today's initial full team workout. Kimball pitched well over last summer and then saved the championship game of the Arizona Fall League. That experience helped him for this week and he is thrilled to be in Viera, Fla., now. "This is awesome for me," Kimball said. "Arizona was beneficial because I only had one month off so I didn't have to build back arm strength. I didn't lose it...
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Byron Kerr

Are Desmond, Espinosa long-term answers in the middle?

Nationals
Are Desmond, Espinosa long-term answers in the middle?
Manager Jim Riggleman has talked about it before. Build solid defense up the middle and your pitching staff will look a whole lot better. The Nationals already have a Gold Glove third baseman in Ryan Zimmerman. This year they added a quality glove at first base in Adam LaRoche. Now, they hope the pairing of two young, energetic infielders at shortstop and second base will protect their defense for seasons to come. Shortstop Ian Desmond said he was disappointed in his defense last season....
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Byron Kerr

Want to see Bryce Harper's first game? Visit Rome

Nationals
Want to see Bryce Harper's first game? Visit Rome
It is never too early to plan ahead if you are hoping to catch a glimpse (or a game) of No. 1 prospect Bryce Harper in the Nationals system this season. Many Nationals fans are hoping to see Harper in Woodbridge, Va., which is just minutes from the Capital Beltway, if he is promoted quickly to Single-A Potomac. Most believe Harper's first taste of minor league baseball will be with Single-A Hagerstown Suns. Hagerstown, Md., is an easy drive from the D.C. area, just 71 miles from...
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Byron Kerr

McCatty: "No doubt" bullpen can be as good as last year

Nationals
McCatty: "No doubt" bullpen can be as good as last year
All you have to do is get to the sixth or seventh inning. That is what successful pitching staffs can do and that separates them from the have nots. Imagine if that was all the starters had to do: just go six or seven. With the Nationals bullpen a position of strength last season, general manager Mike Rizzo hopes the pieces he has added to the staff in the offseason can solidify the relief corps to be even stronger this season. Rizzo wants them to be so good that games feel abbreviated to...
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Byron Kerr

Viera only first step in Harper's big opening season

Nationals
Viera only first step in Harper's big opening season
The next couple of weeks will be a dream come true for Bryce Harper. The No. 1 prospect catcher-turned-outfielder takes the next important step to realizing that dream of playing baseball in the major leagues. That next step begins in Viera, Fla. Similar to what he did last year at fall instructional league and in the Arizona Fall League, Harper will be learning from experienced coaches and players in the Washington system. But this month will be even better, because now he will be...
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Byron Kerr

Nats' Balester again throwing downhill with confidence

Nationals
Nats' Balester again throwing downhill with confidence
What a difference a year has made for Nationals right-hander Collin Balester. Heading into spring training 2010, Balester was a starter with 22 games under his belt, but not much consistency - and a tendency for giving up some big runs. After working hard in the minors to redefine his role and regain confidence on the mound, Balester made a nice transition to the bullpen. "I think this year I feel a lot better where I am at," Balester said. "Last year, I heard going in, 'If you don't...
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Byron Kerr

Big season for Zimmermann sets Nats up nicely for 2012

Nationals
Big season for Zimmermann sets Nats up nicely for 2012
Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann expects big things from himself this season after missing most of 2010 rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery. There was that moment last year that had him - and the Nationals - hopeful. On the mound in Single-A Frederick, the opposing pitcher was laboring in sizzling, summer heat and drawing out each inning. Then Zimmermann, pitching for Potomac, took to the hill and fired crisp, on-target fast balls and knee-buckling changeups, attacking and...
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Byron Kerr

Riggleman, McCatty agree: "strongest" rotation since their arrival

Nationals
Riggleman, McCatty agree: "strongest" rotation since their arrival
Nationals pitchers and catchers report Tuesday in Viera, Fla., with the most talented group since the team moved to Washington. That might not be saying much considering the struggles the team has had, but you still have to be impressed with the work general manager Mike Rizzo has done to assemble two dozen pitchers that will compete for a chance at the 25-man for opening day. The sheer number of pitchers available to pitching coach Steve McCatty made him downright giddy earlier this month as...
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Byron Kerr

Cubs scribe: Gorzelanny "wants to start" for Nats

Nationals
Cubs scribe: Gorzelanny "wants to start" for Nats
Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in a January trade, will be making his first appearance in a Nationals uniform at spring training in Viera, Fla., early next week. The Nationals look like a good fit for the big southpaw, who moves from a crowded rotation to a staff in need of consistency in its starting five. 　 Carrie Muskat, who covers the Cubs for MLB.com, says Chicago has a lot of starting depth, so maybe a change of scenery was...
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Byron Kerr

McCatty's friendly bet with Strasburg

Nationals
McCatty's friendly bet with Strasburg
Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg continues making excellent progress in his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery at the end of last season. Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post last month about how Strasburg is getting in such good shape that he has six-pack abdominal muscles. McCatty said at first he didn't believe it, so he decided to set up a friendly wager with Strasburg. "We have a bet," McCatty told me. "Strassy and I have a bet. He...
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