Dan Kolko

Nats sign Michaels to minor league deal

April 02, 2012, 7:24am

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Nationals released Jason Michaels on Thursday. Now the veteran outfielder is back with the organization. The Nats announced today that they've agreed to terms on a minor league contract with Michaels, who will report to Triple-A Syracuse. Michaels hit .220 with one homer and seven RBIs in 41 at-bats with the Nats this spring. The 35-year-old had an opt-out clause in his original minor league deal with the Nats, and after looking around for a major league deal with...

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Starters showing signs they're set (plus today's lineup)

April 02, 2012, 5:25am

Nationals

Starters showing signs they're set (plus today's lineup)

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Good morning from Fort Myers, where I spent the night last night ahead of today's Nationals spring training finale against the Red Sox. Unfortunately, the Nationals had to make the nearly two-hour drive back from Jupiter to Viera following yesterday's game against the Cardinals, and then leave their Space Coast Stadium complex at around 7 a.m. this morning in order to head all the way across the state to make it here. Yeah, I bet all those guys are ready to head north to...

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Final quotes from the Nats clubhouse

April 01, 2012, 1:59pm

Nationals

JUPITER, Fla. - Danny Espinosa ripped a solo home run to right field in today's win over the Cardinals, giving him his first homer and first RBI this spring. But the Nationals second baseman was actually more pleased with his single to left off Cardinals closer Jason Motte in the top of the ninth inning than he was with the longball earlier in the game. "That was a two-strike count," Espinosa said. "I stuck with my approach I try to stay with all the time. I was able just to really put...

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Maldonado reassigned, Gonzalez reacts to final spring start

April 01, 2012, 1:36pm

Nationals

Maldonado reassigned, Gonzalez reacts to final spring start

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals made one roster move after today's game, reassigning catcher Carlos Maldonado to minor league camp. Maldonado, who really impressed manager Davey Johnson this spring, will back up Jhonatan Solano at Triple-A Syracuse. "I hate to lose him," Johnson said. "He's been like my favorite chair." The Nats now officially have 33 players left in major league camp. Gio Gonzalez didn't just throw five very impressive innings today in his final outing before the...

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Late-game theatrics leave Nats ready for games that matter

April 01, 2012, 1:03pm

Nationals

Late-game theatrics leave Nats ready for games that matter

JUPITER, Fla. - Davey Johnson walked into the Nationals clubhouse after today's 2-1 win over the Cardinals with a giant smile on his face. "That's baseball at its best," Johnson said. "If that doesn't get your motor running, nothing will." The last inning and a half of today's ballgame was incredibly entertaining. Working in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth, Henry Rodriguez was involved in an intense battle with Cardinals leadoff hitter Tyler Greene, and eventually struck out...

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Gonzalez finds a groove, DeRosa stays in one (Nats win 2-1)

April 01, 2012, 10:37am

Nationals

Gonzalez finds a groove, DeRosa stays in one (Nats win 2-1)

JUPITER, Fla. - Poor Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals right-hander was just minding his business, enjoying a day in-between starts, when he saw his truck being driven onto the field and "given away" to a lucky "fan" at Roger Dean Stadium. The "fan" came sprinting down from the seats, celebrating his "prize" with a small child in his arms, as a stunned Wainwright watched from the Cards' dugout. Then Wainwright saw teammate Lance Berkman pop his head out of the driver's side window...

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Today's Nats lineup plus pregame notes on Ankiel, Durbin, Storen

April 01, 2012, 7:43am

Nationals

Today's Nats lineup plus pregame notes on Ankiel, Durbin, Storen

JUPITER, Fla. - Roger Bernadina is back with the Nationals after flying down to Curacao for his father's funeral, but he's not in manager Davey Johnson's starting lineup today against the Cardinals. Jayson Werth will start in center field today, with Mark DeRosa in left and Xavier Nady in right. Johnson said yesterday that Werth is his third option in center behind Rick Ankiel and Bernadina, but option No. 3 will be put into action this afternoon. Ankiel - who is now looking like he might...

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Injuries creating openings

April 01, 2012, 4:12am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez will make his final spring training start this afternoon against the Cardinals, a team that he's beginning to get pretty familiar with. And not in a good way. This will be the lefty's third start against St. Louis in a five-game span, with all three of those games coming in Jupiter at Roger Dean Stadium. Gonzalez isn't thrilled with the way the spring schedule has aligned, as the Cardinals will have gotten a fairly good look at his repertoire over the last...

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Strasburg ready for Wrigley

March 31, 2012, 1:20pm

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Asked following his final spring training start whether he feels he's ready for opening day, Stephen Strasburg didn't hesitate. "Absolutely," he said. "I'm ready to get out of Florida, that's for sure." That makes two of us. Strasburg - who was eased back a bit today by manager Davey Johnson - didn't have his best stuff today in his last Grapefruit League appearance of 2012, throwing 67 pitches over four innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and a...

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Ankiel could open season on DL

March 31, 2012, 12:38pm

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - There's a chance two-thirds of the Nationals' projected starting outfield is on the disabled list come opening day. Manager Davey Johnson said following today's 6-2 loss to the Cardinals that center fielder Rick Ankiel might open the season on the disabled list because of a lingering quad injury which has kept him out of action for the bulk of spring. Ankiel, who has just 15 at-bats this spring, hasn't played since re-aggravating the quad on Tuesday, and if he's unable to...

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Strasburg's spring training is complete (Nats lose 6-2)

March 31, 2012, 10:20am

Nationals

Strasburg's spring training is complete (Nats lose 6-2)

VIERA, Fla. - After a stellar outing last time out, Stephen Strasburg's final tune-up for the regular season didn't go quite as smoothly. Strasburg went four innings today against the Cardinals, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out three and was pulled after throwing 67 pitches in his four frames of work. Manager Davey Johnson had said he wanted Strasburg to throw 60-70 pitches today, and the righty did just that. But he had to work through a lengthy second inning, in...

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Adjusted Nats lineup plus pregame notes

March 31, 2012, 7:21am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Well, today marks the final game of spring at Space Coast Stadium. Someone get me a tissue. This might get emotional. Roger Bernadina was scheduled to be starting in center field and hitting seventh today, but he hasn't made it back to Viera yet after flying home to Curacao for his father's funeral. As a result, Corey Brown will fill in for Bernadina today against the Cardinals. Danny Espinosa will play shortstop today for the Nationals, with Ian Desmond getting the day off....

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Reason for Espinosa's struggles: He can't see the ball

March 31, 2012, 3:55am

Nationals

Reason for Espinosa's struggles: He can't see the ball

VIERA, Fla. - Twenty-three strikeouts in 63 spring at-bats - that's cause for concern. Nine strikeouts in his most recent 16 at-bats - that's cause for concern. So why isn't Danny Espinosa concerned when he's the owner of the above statistics? Because the Nationals second baseman feels that once the regular season starts, or more specifically, once he gets away from Space Coast Stadium, he's bound to start swinging the bat more effectively. Espinosa, a switch-hitter, has a theory for...

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Wrapping up the Nats' 3-2 win over Miami

March 30, 2012, 6:51pm

Nationals

Wrapping up the Nats' 3-2 win over Miami

VIERA, Fla. - For the record, I'm still not used to typing the "Miami" Marlins. It's still weird to me. That is all. As reporters were down in the clubhouse postgame, we overheard a quote from Ian Desmond talking with Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight on MASN's "Nats Xtra." Desmond was discussing his first-pitch home run hit off Marlins righty Josh Johnson leading off the bottom of the first inning tonight. The homer cut through a breeze and banged off a light pole over the left-center...

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A late Strasburg replacement, Detwiler doesn't disappoint

March 30, 2012, 6:10pm

Nationals

A late Strasburg replacement, Detwiler doesn't disappoint

VIERA, Fla. - Back in July 2010, Stephen Strasburg was scratched from a start just minutes before first pitch because of shoulder tightness, forcing Miguel Batista to the mound. That turn of events didn't please the tens of thousands of fans who had come out to Nationals Park not to see Batista, but the flame-throwing rookie phenom whom he replaced. As Ross Detwiler started going through his pre-start routine earlier today, he couldn't help but think that he was today's Miguel...

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Espinosa in the midst of quite a funk (Nats beat Marlins 3-2)

March 30, 2012, 3:10pm

Nationals

Espinosa in the midst of quite a funk (Nats beat Marlins 3-2)

VIERA, Fla. - Good thing it's still spring. Otherwise, it'd be time to start getting a little worried. Danny Espinosa has struck out in both of his at-bats against Marlins starter Josh Johnson tonight, going down swinging each time. The Nationals second baseman and No. 2 hitter now has 22 strikeouts in 62 spring at-bats, and if that wasn't bad enough, he's gone down on strikes in 10 of his last 20 ABs. Manager Davey Johnson has said repeatedly that he likes where Espinosa is at this...

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Chien-Ming Wang continues to make strides in rehab

March 30, 2012, 2:37pm

Nationals

Chien-Ming Wang continues to make strides in rehab

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals continue to be pleased with Chien-Ming Wang's progress as the righty works back from a left hamstring injury. Wang threw from 300 feet yesterday and "looked great," according to manager Davey Johnson. As a result, the Nats skipper has decided to bring Wang north with the club when camp breaks. "He looked great throwing the ball," Johnson said. "So I just want to keep looking at him for another four or five days." It's still unclear whether Wang will...

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Nats don't expect to make any roster additions, plus Rizzo notes

March 30, 2012, 1:16pm

Nationals

Nats don't expect to make any roster additions, plus Rizzo notes

VIERA, Fla. - Major league teams will scour the free agent market and waiver wire over this next week, checking to see if players cut by other teams are worthy of adding to their own roster. The Nationals will obviously be among the teams monitoring the transaction wire leading up to opening day, but according to general manager Mike Rizzo, they don't plan on bringing in anyone from the outside to fill out their 25-man roster. "Barring something out of the ordinary, I think you're looking...

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Ankiel added to 40-man roster, but will he be ready opening day?

March 30, 2012, 12:35pm

Nationals

Ankiel added to 40-man roster, but will he be ready opening day?

VIERA, Fla. - In the least surprising move of camp, the Nationals have added center fielder Rick Ankiel to their 40-man roster. Ankiel, signed to a minor league deal this offseason, is set to be the Nats' opening day center fielder, if healthy. "He had a nice year for us last year," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "He's a terrific teammate to have around and his defense kind of spoke for itself last year. We feel really good where he's at with the bat right now. He's put in a lot of...

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Livan Hernandez is back in the NL East

March 30, 2012, 10:26am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - We might be seeing a lot of Livan Hernandez this year. The 37-year-old righty, who appeared certain to make the Astros' rotation entering spring, was released by Houston today, and then within a couple hours, Hernandez had signed with the Braves. CBSsports.com first reported Hernandez's signing with the Nationals' division rival. Hernandez allowed 10 earned runs in 16 Grapefruit League innings for Houston, although the bulk of that damage was allowed in one recent start. As...