MRI scheduled after Strasburg felt "pinch in the back of his elbow"

MRI scheduled after Strasburg felt "pinch in the back of his elbow"
Stephen Strasburg "felt a pinch in the back of his elbow" and will undergo an MRI on Thursday morning to determine the extent to which the Nationals right-hander is injured, manager Dusty Baker said. Speaking at nearly 1 a.m., about 15 minutes after his team wrapped up a 5-4 11-inning, rain-delayed victory over the Braves, and about four hours after Strasburg departed in the top of the third with that elbow injury, Baker expressed both clear concern about his pitcher's health while also...
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Strasburg injured, but Nats rally to beat Braves 5-4 in 11

Strasburg injured, but Nats rally to beat Braves 5-4 in 11
The status of Stephen Strasburg's right arm - which is very much an open question at this moment - has far more significance to the remainder of the Nationals season than the outcome of tonight's series finale against the Braves. But the game wasn't called off after Strasburg walked off the mound in apparent pain two batters into the top of the third. They all still count, and right now the only thing the Nationals can do beyond hoping Strasburg isn't seriously injured is keep trying to win...
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Strasburg leaves in third inning with apparent injury

Strasburg leaves in third inning with apparent injury
What should have been among the most encouraging moments of the season's final month - Stephen Strasburg returning to the mound after a brief stint on the disabled list - instead turned into a potential nightmare scenario for the Nationals and their $175 million right-hander, who had to depart in the top of the third inning with an apparent injury that left the ballpark in stunned silence. Strasburg grimaced after throwing each of his last two pitches: a fastball to Braves pitcher Mike...
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Strasburg's return underway after rain delay (Nats win in 11th)

Strasburg's return underway after rain delay (Nats win in 11th)
Stephen Strasburg is going to have to wait a bit longer to make his return to the mound. The start of the Nationals' series finale against the Braves, featuring Strasburg's first start in three weeks, has been delayed by a line of thunderstorms that has been hovering near South Capitol Street for several hours but has yet to produce significant precipitation at Nationals Park. The grounds crew stood at the ready with the tarp for more than 30 minutes, but the threat of rain apparently was...
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After unexpected DL stint, for Drew "it's definitely time to go"

After unexpected DL stint, for Drew "it's definitely time to go"
When Stephen Drew came down with the flu shortly after the All-Star break, the veteran infielder couldn't have anticipated he wouldn't be able to make a full return to the Nationals for another seven weeks. Then again, how could anyone have anticipated that seemingly innocent illness would lead to an inner-ear condition that left Drew with extreme bouts of dizziness that resembled vertigo and made many daily routines, let alone anything that takes place on a baseball field, difficult to...
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Game 139 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Strasburg, Drew return)

Game 139 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Strasburg, Drew return)
With their lead in the National League East a comfortable 8 1/2 games and their magic number at 16, there is some, but not a ton, of drama left to the Nationals' season. While the actual end result of every game does matter most in the end, at this point you could argue there are more important individual matters still at stake over the final 24 games. And among the most important individual matters is the return of Stephen Strasburg, which begins tonight at Nationals Park. After a 16-day...
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Harper joins 20-20 club for first time in big league career

Harper joins 20-20 club for first time in big league career
To his already hefty list of accomplishments in a brief major league career, Bryce Harper can now add another achievement: He has joined the 20-20 club for the first time. With a successful swipe of second base during last night's 9-7 victory over the Braves, Harper notched his 20th steal of the season. He already had 23 homers, which makes him the newest member of the 20-20 club. Harper is one of seven big leaguers with at least 20 homers and 20 steals so far this season, joining Mike Trout,...
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Contributions abound in come-from-behind win by Nationals

Contributions abound in come-from-behind win by Nationals
It's generally not a manager's preference to summon his bullpen two batters into the fourth inning. Nor is that generally a surefire path to victory. Let's just say Dusty Baker and the Nationals were feeling fortunate to emerge from tonight's nailbiter against the Braves with a 9-7 come-from-behind victory that did not come easily for the home team. "You got to believe and think it, and everyone on the bench was believing it," Baker said. "The power of positive thinking goes a long way,...
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Rendon, bullpen save the day as Nationals rally to 9-7 victory

Rendon, bullpen save the day as Nationals rally to 9-7 victory
They weathered a laborious (and brief) start from Gio Gonzalez, used Anthony Rendon's grand slam to get back in the game, rode their expanded bullpen through a string of scoreless innings and then watched as their lineup sealed the deal late. Suffice it to say that the Nationals' 9-7 victory over the Braves tonight had a little bit of everything. Tied in the bottom of the eighth, the Nationals took the lead for good when Atlanta catcher Tyler Flowers airmailed a throw to third base on Ben...
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Nationals still mum on Wednesday night's starter

Nationals still mum on Wednesday night's starter
The Nationals are remaining mum about the identity of Wednesday night's starting pitcher, though Dusty Baker hasn't ruled out the possibility of Stephen Strasburg coming off the disabled list to face the Braves. Strasburg appeared lined up to make that start, his first since landing on the DL with a sore elbow on Aug. 21. But the right-hander threw off the bullpen mound at Nationals Park this afternoon, and that's not typically what a pitcher would do the day before he starts. Baker didn't...
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Game 138 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Giolito, Difo recalled)

Game 138 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Giolito, Difo recalled)
It hasn't drawn a lot of attention, but Gio Gonzalez has been pretty darn consistent over the last month and a half, righting a season that had threatened to go off the rails. In nine starts since the All-Star break, the left-hander is 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Six of those have been quality starts. And in five of his last starts, he has issued zero or one walk. The Nationals certainly hope Gonzalez will keep this up through the final stretch, beginning tonight when he takes the mound against the...
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Nats frustrated by weekend woes with men on base

Nats frustrated by weekend woes with men on base
NEW YORK - The Nationals, in the big picture, have not been particularly bad at hitting with runners in scoring position this season. They rank fifth in the National League in that category, ahead of fellow contenders like the Cubs, Giants, Dodgers and Mets. But it does seem like when they go cold in those situations, they go ice cold. And it doesn't get any colder than the last two nights at Citi Field, when the Nationals went a combined 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position, losing a...
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Lopez still learning what it takes to beat big league lineups

Lopez still learning what it takes to beat big league lineups
NEW YORK - Reynaldo Lopez has made six big league starts. Two of them have ended in victories for both the rookie right-hander and the Nationals. Each of those, however, came against the Braves, owners of the worst record in the National League and earlier today officially eliminated from the race for a division title. Lopez's four other starts all have come against teams contending for postseason berths: the Dodgers, Giants, Orioles and Mets. And the results in those four games have been...
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Nationals drop second straight (plus series) to Mets 5-1

Nationals drop second straight (plus series) to Mets 5-1
NEW YORK - Reynaldo Lopez still doesn't look quite ready for the big stage. The Nationals lineup, meanwhile, looked lost with runners in scoring position this weekend. Lopez labored again tonight against a quality opponent, lasting only four innings in a nationally televised Sunday night game against the Mets. Fellow rookie right-hander Seth Lugo had no such stage fright in mowing down the Nationals over seven strong innings en route to New York's 5-1 victory at Citi Field. With a chance to...
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Rookie starters being tested on Sunday night (Nationals lose 5-1)

Rookie starters being tested on Sunday night (Nationals lose 5-1)
NEW YORK - The Nationals and Mets already were looking at a late night with an 8:08 p.m. start on Sunday Night Baseball and then travel to Washington and Cincinnati, respectively, for Labor Day matinee games. The way both lineups have made Reynaldo Lopez and Seth Lugo work early, they're going to be even sleepier than initially feared when they get to the park Monday. Lopez and Lugo have been put to the test in this nationally televised matchup of dueling rookies. Lopez needed 25 pitches a...
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Strasburg on track to return Wednesday vs. Braves

Strasburg on track to return Wednesday vs. Braves
NEW YORK - Stephen Strasburg is on track to rejoin the Nationals rotation Wednesday night, though the rehabbing right-hander hasn't been 100 percent cleared for that assignment yet. Strasburg threw off the bullpen mound at Citi Field this afternoon, his fourth such session in the last week, and reported no issues. That lines him up to pitch Wednesday, which appears to be the Nationals' plan for now, barring any setbacks. "Possibly," manager Dusty Baker said when asked if Strasburg would...
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Game 136 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 136 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - So, about that massive hurricane that was supposed to wreak havoc with tonight's series finale at Citi Field ... yeah, that was a whole lotta nothing. As I type this from the press box, staring out at the stadium, there isn't a cloud in the sky. There's a bit of a breeze, but hardly anything of consequence. In other words, the Nationals and Mets will be perfectly good to go tonight on Sunday Night Baseball. This is the Nats' lone Sunday night appearance of the season, which is...
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Sunday morning Q&A from New York

Sunday morning Q&A from New York
NEW YORK - Sorry for the sporadic execution of what at one time was a weekly Thursday Q&A feature here - even one of the Nationals players asked me yesterday when I was going to do another one of these - but the schedule recently hasn't been real conducive. The good news is that the Nationals' first Sunday Night Baseball appearance of the season does offer up a good opportunity to bring the Q&A back, seeing as how there's nothing to do on Sunday morning for the first time all...
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Lack of production from bottom of lineup remains a concern

Lack of production from bottom of lineup remains a concern
NEW YORK - Tonight's 3-1 loss to the Mets shouldn't have a dramatic impact on the Nationals' ultimate fortunes. They still lead the National League East by 9 1/2 games with 27 to play. Their magic number remains 18. But the manner in which the Nats lost this game might raise some red flags and may offer some evidence of one of the club's few problem areas that could come back to haunt the team if and when they start playing in October. It takes clutch hitting to win in the postseason, and...
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Nationals can't deliver big hits in 3-1 loss to Mets

Nationals can't deliver big hits in 3-1 loss to Mets
NEW YORK - Unable to convert countless opportunities with men on base, or keep the Mets from delivering themselves in clutch situations, the Nationals took a 3-1 loss tonight at Citi Field to momentarily halt the expansion of their hefty division lead. The Mets got a big two-run single from Curtis Granderson off Tanner Roark, added another insurance run later and rode their pitching staff to victory. In the process, they reduced the Nationals' cushion in the National League East to 9 1/2...
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