Trea Turner returns: "This is where everybody wants to be"

Trea Turner returns: "This is where everybody wants to be"
CINCINNATI - Jersey No. 7 is hanging in his locker. Trea Turner is back in the majors for the first time in 2016. With Ryan Zimmerman away for paternity leave, the Nationals' top offensive prospect has returned to the Nationals and will start at second base in Friday's series opener against the Reds. "Feels good," Turner said, sitting in the visitor's dugout hours before the game. "This is where everybody wants to be and to get another opportunity to do it. It's fun and I'm going to try...

Game 56 lineups: Nats at Reds

Game 56 lineups: Nats at Reds
CINCINNATI - Right-hander Stephen Strasburg looks to get the Nationals on the board in their series at Great American Ball Park against the Reds in his 12th start of the season. And if he can win today, he will be the first 10-game winner in the majors this season. Strasburg has already reached a 9-0 start, the best in his career. He is the first Nats pitcher to with 12 straight decisions, with the club winning his last 15 straight starts. He suffered neck tightness last year in his start here,...

More from Gonzalez, Turner and Werth

More from Gonzalez, Turner and Werth
CINCINNATI - Nationals manager Dusty Baker said that pitching coach Mike Maddux and Gio Gonzalez continue to fine tune what is going on with the southpaw. He has now allowed 18 runs in his last three starts. "We got to go back to the drawing board and try to find a way for Gio to get it together because we need Gio," Baker said. "We need Gio that was in the month of April more than anything. Mike (Maddux) and him are working on things. He's got to continue to work. When things aren't going...

One "crooked number inning" dooms Gonzalez; Werth and Turner shine

One "crooked number inning" dooms Gonzalez; Werth and Turner shine
CINCINNATI - The second inning was the one bad inning for Gio Gonzalez this time around. The Reds scored four runs on six hits in the second Friday night en route to a 7-2 victory over the Nationals to open their three-game set at the Great American Ball Park. It was the second inning May 28 against the Cardinals when Gonzalez allowed four runs. It was the third inning May 23 versus the Mets. He gave up five in that frame. It's added up to three losses in a row. But Gonzalez kept battling...

Reds get to Gonzalez with second inning barrage (Nats fall 7-2)

Reds get to Gonzalez with second inning barrage (Nats fall 7-2)
CINCINNATI - Left-hander Gio Gonzalez has struggled his last two starts, allowing 13 combined runs in back-to-back losses. Gonzalez worked through bottom of the first unscathed. It was the 31st consecutive first inning he had not allowed a run. But in the second inning with no one out, the Reds connected on four consecutive base hits. Adam Duvall started with a double off the left field wall. Eugenio Suarez brought him home with a run-scoring single and the Reds lead 1-0. Billy Hamilton...

Nationals bench driven to continue collective success

Nationals bench driven to continue collective success
PHILADEPHIA - It is, most agree, the toughest job in baseball. Come off the bench cold late in a game, to face a reliever probably throwing at least 95 mph, in a big spot that figures to dramatically affect whether your team wins or loses. Pinch-hitting is not for the faint of heart, which is why the Nationals are grateful to have assembled a particularly effective group of bench players who have more than done their part to help this team get off to a 33-21 start this season. "The main thing...

Nats recall Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman heads to paternity list

Nats recall Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman heads to paternity list
CINCINNATI - The Nationals have recalled infielder Trea Turner from Triple-A Syracuse andhas placed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the paternity list. Turner has joined the team here and will be in uniform for tonight's first game of a three-game series. Zimmerman's wife, Heather, welcomed their second child, a baby girl, on Thursday. The 22-year-old Turner is the Nationals' No. 2 overall prospect, according to Baseball America. He is hitting .310 and has a .376 on-base percentage in 50...

Game 55 lineups: Nationals at Reds

Game 55 lineups: Nationals at Reds
CINCINNATI - The Nationals arrive in Cincinnati off to another fast start on a long road trip. Last month, the Nationals started a 10-game road trip 5-1 through St. Louis and Kansas City. This time, they swept the Phillies. As they arrive at Great American Ball Park, they stand 3-0 at the beginning of a nine-game, three-city, 11-game road trip. The club made one change to the roster for the weekend. Nats No. 2 prospect infielder Trea Turner has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse because Ryan...

Baker on return to Cincinnati and how he will monitor Harper tonight

Baker on return to Cincinnati and how he will monitor Harper tonight
CINCINNATI - Nationals manager Dusty Baker admitted it was a bit odd in his return to Cincinnati for the first time since he managed here for six seasons from 2008-2013, this time on the visitor's team bus. "It was a little strange on the bus last night coming in because ordinarily I'd think I'd be coming off a road trip coming back to my place and what the series was gonna be coming up or what the last series on the road was like coming home," Baker explained. He finished with 509...

Nationals recall Trea Turner, place Ryan Zimmerman on paternity list

Nationals recall Trea Turner, place Ryan Zimmerman on paternity list
The Nationals recalled infielder Trea Turner from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday and placed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the Paternity List. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Turner, 22, joins the Nationals for his first Major League assignment of the season. The Nationals' No. 2 prospect, according to Baseball America, and the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball entering the 2016 season, Turner earned his second MLB call-up by...

Opposite dugout: Baker returns to Cincinnati to Reds team far from how he left it

Opposite dugout: Baker returns to Cincinnati to Reds team far from how he left it
Manager: Bryan Price (3rd season) Record: 19-35 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: SS Zack Cozart (.306/.333/.524 with 7 HR, 20 RBIs), RF Jay Bruce (.275 with 11 HR, 36 RBIs), LF Adam Duvall (.260 with 14 HR, 31 RBIs), RHP Dan Straily (3-2, 3.43 ERA), RHP Blake Wood (4-1, 3.76 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (5-1 in 2015) Pitching probables: June 3: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. LHP Brandon Finnegan, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 June 4: RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Dan Straily, 4:10 p.m., MASN June...

Updates on Fedde, Belisle, Bostick and a trip to Cincinnati

Updates on Fedde, Belisle, Bostick and a trip to Cincinnati
One of the top pitching prospects in the Nationals system is on the seven-day disabled list. Right-hander Erick Fedde was diagnosed earlier in the week with mild oblique soreness. Fedde is 3-3 with a 5.00 ERA in nine starts for Single-A Potomac. He has not allowed a run in his last two starts, May 23 and 28, combining for 11 scoreless frames. * What a doubleheader for David Masters yesterday with Potomac. He finished with six RBIs in the two-game sweep. He had the game-winning hit in the first...

Daniel Murphy wins NL Player of Month honors for May

Daniel Murphy wins NL Player of Month honors for May
Bryce Harper was National League Player of the Month for April. Now Daniel Murphy is NL Player of the Month for May, continuing the Nationals' impressive run through the early portion of the 2016 season. Murphy earned his honor after a remarkable month in which he hit .416 with seven homers, 23 RBIs and a .673 slugging percentage in 29 games. His 47 hits recorded in May tied a franchise record held by former Expos Al Oliver (August 1982) and Marquis Grissom (June 1994). Murphy's...

In an offseason full of acquisitions, Murphy proving to be top choice

In an offseason full of acquisitions, Murphy proving to be top choice
Looking back to the offseason, it's difficult to believe that Daniel Murphy was the Nationals' third choice when they were looking for a second baseman. They wanted to trade for Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips, but, per his contract, Phillips vetoed a trade and wanted to stay with the rebuilding Reds. Who knows why he didn't want to play for his former Reds manager, Dusty Baker, in D.C.? Phillips, by the way, is hitting .256. Then, the Nationals tried to sign Ben Zobrist, but he did want to...

District 34 podcast: Episode 2

District 34 podcast: Episode 2
Daniel Murphy, come on down to claim your award! Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month, the second consecutive month a Nationals player has been awarded the honor after Bryce Harper was named the NL's best in April. After slashing .416/.424/.673 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and a new Nats record for hits in a month of 47, Byron Kerr and I figured Murphy would win, so we went ahead and discussed Murphy's May in this week's episode of District 34. With the calendar turning...

Ramos developing into baseball's best-hitting catcher in 2016

Ramos developing into baseball's best-hitting catcher in 2016
PHILADELPHIA - As each day passes and Wilson Ramos continues to produce at the plate like never before, the rest of the Nationals only find themselves more and more impressed with a catcher who has managed to elevate his game to lofty new heights this season. "Extremely impressive," right-hander Max Scherzer said. "Because those guys are back there grinding and taking balls off the forearm and legs, and they're getting beat up behind the plate." Ramos indeed takes a pounding while...

Nats rounding into form as season moves into third month

Nats rounding into form as season moves into third month
PHILADELPHIA - On nights like this, when Max Scherzer is dealing and guys are producing up and down the lineup to complete a road series sweep, the Nationals have the look of an elite ballclub. Maybe the competition - the suddenly sliding Phillies - wasn't the stiffest, but the Nationals still have to play everyone on the schedule. And so this 7-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park, on the heels of victories each of the previous two nights, was exactly what the Nats needed: No drama. And so they...

Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy named NL Player of the Month

Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy named NL Player of the Month
After setting a franchise record for hits in a calendar month and leading the Major Leagues in batting average, Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month for May on Thursday. Major League Baseball made the announcement. Murphy ended the month of May leading Major League Baseball in batting average (.397), hits (77), and multi-hit games (26). In May alone, the Nationals' second baseman hit .416 (47-for-113) with a .434 on-base percentage and a...

David Huzzard: Winning is nice, but Nats can still improve roster

David Huzzard: Winning is nice, but Nats can still improve roster
"As long as the Nats are winning," is a phrase we're hearing quite often these days from everyone from fans to announcers. It is the age old sports cliché that winning cures all and that all flaws can be ignored as long as games are being won. It's not good logic and not logic that can be afforded. Think of it in the terms of personal health. You can wait until there's a problem and pay thousands of dollars in medical bills or you can get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat a healthy diet...

Nationals thump Phillies 7-2 to start road trip with sweep

Nationals thump Phillies 7-2 to start road trip with sweep
PHILADELPHIA - The weather's heating up, the Nationals are starting to drive the ball out of the park and Max Scherzer is striking out batters left and right. With homers from Wilson Ramos and Danny Espinosa, plus a string of extra-base hits, the Nationals gave Scherzer plenty of cushion with which to pitch. And the ace right-hander responded with a dominant performance during a 7-2 drubbing of the Phillies to complete a three-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals seemingly did...