Pete Kerzel

Updates on Morse, Ankiel, Harper

March 11, 2012, 11:01am

Nationals manager Davey Johnson told reporters in Jupiter, Fla., before today's game against the Cardinals that outfielder Michael Morse had a cortisone shot Saturday and could return to the lineup as the designated hitter by tomorrow. Morse was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a sore right lat muscle, and has been trying to work through the problem since then. Some of the pain has subsided, Johnson said, but Morse still feels some problems when he throws. Johnson said he was "a little...

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Gonzalez takes hill vs. Cardinals (plus Sunday's lineup)

March 11, 2012, 6:33am

Nationals

Gonzalez takes hill vs. Cardinals (plus Sunday's lineup)

With only four teams on Florida's East Coast for spring training, someone has to bite the bullet when it comes to scheduling Grapefruit League games. Today, it's the Nationals, who make their second trip to Jupiter, Fla., in three days, this time for an exhibition contest against the Cardinals. The nearly two-hour drive to Roger Dean Stadium isn't really a bad one - it's straight down Interstate 95 from Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. But since the Nats are doing it two days after they...

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O's complete 2012 contract signings

March 10, 2012, 6:04pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with 17 players on one-year contracts. The list of players signed includes Ryan Adams, Jake Arrieta, Josh Bell, Jason Berken, Zach Britton, Chris Davis, Oliver Drake, Ryan Flaherty, Tommy Hunter, Joe Mahoney, Troy Patton, Zach Phillips, Nolan Reimold, Alfredo Simon, Pedro Strop, Taylor Teagarden and Chris Tillman. Additionally, the Orioles renewed the contract of catcher Matt Wieters.

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Johnson and Ramos speak after Nats' 8-2 win over Mets

March 10, 2012, 2:11pm

Nationals

Johnson and Ramos speak after Nats' 8-2 win over Mets

Some comments from Nationals manager Davey Johnson to reporters after his split squad beat the Mets 8-2 this afternoon in Viera, Fla.: On winner Chien-Ming Wang's first start: "I was really impressed with Chien-Ming. The ball was really coming out of his hand free and easy. ... I could tell from the get-go he was around 90 or above (with) great life and great movement. His command I'm sure wasn't what he wanted it, but he was awful close." On whether Wang has completed his comeback from...

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Hearing from LaRoche and Wang (updated)

March 10, 2012, 10:32am

Nationals

For some veterans, facing a knuckleballer right out of the chute after an extended injury absence would be a recipe for disaster. Suffice it to say Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche isn't most veterans. LaRoche, who had been sidelined by left shoulder soreness and a mild left ankle sprain, made his first Grapefruit League appearance Saturday as part of a Nationals split squad that faced the Mets at Space Coast Stadium. In his first at-bat, he hit an RBI single off knuckleball specialist...

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Ankiel sidelined by hamstring tightness (plus Saturday lineups)

March 10, 2012, 5:15am

Nationals

Ankiel sidelined by hamstring tightness (plus Saturday lineups)

First baseman Adam LaRoche will make his long-awaited Grapefruit League debut today in the home side of a split-squad game against the Mets. However, Nationals manager Davey Johnson had to tinker with his lineup a little due to the unavailability of outfielder Rick Ankiel. Ankiel is out today with a tight hamstring, and will be replaced in center field by Brett Carroll. Jason Michaels, who was supposed to DH today, will instead play left field, where Carroll originally was in the lineup posted...

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Marlins blank Strasburg, Nationals 3-0 (updated with quotes)

March 09, 2012, 4:52pm

Nationals

The Nationals were held to four singles in a 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins in Jupiter, Fla., on Friday night. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg started for the Nationals, went three innings and took his second loss of the spring. Strasburg allowed two runs on three hits, walked one and struck out two. It was the first time in his career he had started a Grapefruit League game in a venue other than Space Coast Stadium, the Nats' home park during spring training. Wade LeBlanc, a lefty trying to...

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Johnson: Harper out "at least three days" (plus Friday's lineup)

March 09, 2012, 2:10pm

Nationals

Johnson: Harper out "at least three days" (plus Friday's lineup)

That left calf strain that has kept outfielder Bryce Harper out of the lineup for the past two days will probably force him to miss the rest of the weekend's spring training games. Though Harper expressed earlier today to reporters in Viera, Fla., that he expected to play in a split-squad game against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla., on Saturday, Nationals manager Davey Johnson pretty much nixed those plans during his pregame meeting with reporters in Jupiter, Fla., before tonight's game...

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Report: Nationals in talks with Lee County over City of Palms Park

March 06, 2012, 12:42pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals appear to be taking tentative steps toward moving their spring training home from Space Coast Stadium to Fort Myers, Fla. According to this tweet from Peter Gammons of the MLB Network and MLB.com, the Nationals have given Lee County their plans for a reconstruction of City of Palms Park, the former spring base of the Red Sox. Boston moved into JetBlue Park this spring, leaving their old facility empty and with an unsure future. The key will be whether...

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With Johnson as instructor, second base will become classroom

March 06, 2012, 7:09am

Nationals

With Johnson as instructor, second base will become classroom

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The class will convene sometime in the next couple of days on the half field at Space Coast Stadium. Nationals manager Davey Johnson will assume the role of teacher, working with several players on how to be a better second baseman. It's Johnson's positional version of post-graduate study for guys like Anthony Rendon, a natural third baseman currently blocked by Ryan Zimmerman on the Nationals' depth chart, and Zach Walters, a farmhand who figures learning a new...

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Shared experience will link Solis, Zimmermann

March 04, 2012, 6:07am

Nationals

Shared experience will link Solis, Zimmermann

VIERA, Fla. - The call may not come tomorrow, or even in the next week or the next month. But Jordan Zimmermann is sure he'll pick up his cell phone sometime in the near future and punch in Sammy Solis' phone number. When Solis picks up, he'll have a lifeline to someone who's gone through what he's facing. Solis, a promising left-hander, will undergo Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday, with Dr. Lewis Yucom performing the operation that will rebuild Solis'...

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Storm passes, leaving wind in its wake

March 04, 2012, 3:33am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - We've survived a gullywasher that blew through Brevard County this morning, and now Space Coast Stadium is being whipped by gusty winds. On my drive from my hotel in Melbourne this morning, I was three blocks from the ballpark when a weather advisory warning of winds in excess of 50 mph interrupted my morning helping of classic rock. How windy is it? Well, while setting up my laptop, I was treated to some theater of the absurd that tested the mettle of the grounds crew. All of a...

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Facing Nats a strange feeling for Livan Hernandez

March 03, 2012, 10:29am

Nationals

Facing Nats a strange feeling for Livan Hernandez

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - As much as he wanted to return to the Nationals, Livan Hernandez knew he'd be pitching elsewhere in 2012. That destination, unknown when he had an end-of-season meeting with manager Davey Johnson, wound up being Houston, and the soft-tossing right-hander made his Astros debut by pitching two scoreless innings against his old mates Saturday. The night before he took the mound at Osceola County Stadium, Hernandez said he received playful text messages from the Nationals'...

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Nats trail Astros 2-1 in fifth

March 03, 2012, 9:38am

Nationals

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Nationals trail the Astros 2-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning. Successive doubles by Roger Bernadina and Jesus Flores off Brett Myers in the top of the fifth plated the Nats' first run of the Grapefruit League campaign. The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on a two-run homer by Chris Johnson off Ross Detwiler. With one out, Detwiler walked Jack Cust and Johnson followed with a blast to center. Fly balls have been tricky today at Osceola County Stadium,...

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Werth in Sunday's lineup, playing center field

March 03, 2012, 7:01am

Nationals

Werth in Sunday's lineup, playing center field

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Jayson Werth's back spasms are a problem no more, and he'll start in center field Sunday when the Nationals open their home Grapefruit League season against the Astros at Space Coast Stadium on Sunday, according to the lineup posted Saturday morning. But questions about Werth's recovery and his ability to move from right field to center were met with some resistance by manager Davey Johnson before today's first game of the spring at Osceola County Stadium. Johnson...

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Poised Purke dominates Hoyas, earns extra inning of work

March 02, 2012, 10:30am

Nationals

Poised Purke dominates Hoyas, earns extra inning of work

VIERA, Fla. - Matt Purke sprinted off the mound after freezing Justin Leeson with an inside pitch that went for a called third strike to end the second inning. The left-hander, a third-round pick of the Nationals in June's draft, thought his day was over. But he'd been so pitch-efficient that he wound up working the third inning and still didn't reach his 40-pitch limit. If Purke was nervous in his spring debut, it didn't show. A guy who should be a senior at TCU dominated college hitters...

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Nationals agree to terms with 15; Storen, Bernadina renewed

March 02, 2012, 8:27am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals, who are still up 2-0 on Georgetown in today's exhibition game in the top of the sixth, just announced that they've agreed to terms with 15 players for 2012 and renewed the contracts of closer Drew Storen and outfielder Roger Bernadina. That means all players on the club's 40-man roster are now under contract. Those signed are left-handers Ross Detwiler and Atahualpa Severino; right-handers Cole Kimball, Ryan Mattheus, Ryan Perry, Henry Rodriguez and Craig...

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Harper busy in early going of first exhibition

March 02, 2012, 7:28am

Nationals

Harper busy in early going of first exhibition

VIERA, Fla. - Going to the bottom of the second here at Space Coast Stadium, and Bryce Harper is making a nice impression in his first game action of the spring. In the first inning, the right fielder was in the middle of a rally that provided the Nationals with a 1-0 lead against Georgetown righty Will Harris. With one out, Xavier Paul singled to right and went to second when right fielder Christian Venditti bobbled the ball. Harper drew a four-pitch walk and Tyler Moore reached on an error...

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Johnson all but rules out Werth, LaRoche for this weekend

March 02, 2012, 5:15am

Nationals

Johnson all but rules out Werth, LaRoche for this weekend

VIERA, Fla. - If outfielder Jayson Werth and first baseman Adam LaRoche are going to play in Grapefruit League games this weekend, it'll take some amazing recuperative powers and a departure from the conservative approach the Nationals have taken with even minor injuries. Manager Davey Johnson all but ruled the pair out of Saturday's game at Kissimmee, Fla., and Sunday's home opener, both against the Astros. Werth has been bothered by back spasms but has been participating in workouts at...

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Nationals' Saturday lineup at Astros

March 02, 2012, 3:28am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Greetings from Space Coast Stadium, where the Nationals are entertaining Georgetown University in an exhibition game today at noon. If there's such a thing as a pre-preseason game, this is it. The Nationals are taking on the Hoyas in a game that will give manager Davey Johnson and his staff a chance to see some of the younger players in camp. Johnson has already posted the lineup for tomorrow's Grapefruit League opener in Kissimmee, Fla., against the Astros. So in the interests...