nationals

2016 MLB predictions

April 02, 2016, 1:25pm

The time has arrived at last: It's opening day for Major League Baseball! OK, so the Nationals (like most clubs) don't open until Monday, when they face the Braves in Atlanta. But for the first time, there are three MLB games on the Sunday slate (Cardinals-Pirates, Blue Jays-Rays, Mets-Royals) so the season does officially get underway today. Which means it's time to make some predictions. What follows are purely my own thoughts. For those who have been reading me over the years and are...

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Burnett and Johnson released, Ryan reassigned to minors

April 03, 2016, 7:22am

Nationals

Burnett and Johnson released, Ryan reassigned to minors

The Nationals officially announced their opening day roster, which was reduced to the requisite 25 players after the club released veterans Sean Burnett and Reed Johnson and reassigned Brendan Ryan to the minor leagues. The 25-man roster essentially was finalized Friday night when the club announced Chris Heisey had secured the final spot on the bench and Blake Treinen would round up the bullpen. But the fates of Burnett, Johnson and Ryan remained somewhat up in the air, with each veteran on...

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Nationals announce 25-man opening day roster

April 03, 2016, 7:43am

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The Washington Nationals announced their 2016 Opening Day 25-man roster on Sunday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals' Opening Day roster is comprised of 12 pitchers (nine right-handed pitchers, three left-handed pitchers), two catchers, six infielders and five outfielders. Two players who joined Nationals' Spring Training as non-roster invitees made the club: RHP Matt Belisle and OF Chris Heisey. Eight of the players on the...

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Nats' impressive spring wraps up in encouraging fashion

April 02, 2016, 12:49pm

Nationals

Nats' impressive spring wraps up in encouraging fashion

Given how well they played all spring, it just wouldn't have felt right for the Nationals to lose their exhibition finale. Never fear, because thanks to a slowly-but-surely rally over the final three innings, they indeed came back to tie the Twins 8-8 and at least not send themselves down to Atlanta for opening day reeling from a loss. "I'm proud of these guys, how they performed," said manager Dusty Baker, whose club finished the exhibition slate 19-4-4 (the top winning percentage in...

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Zimmerman, Taylor homer again in Nats' spring finale (game ends in 8-8 tie)

April 02, 2016, 9:09am

Nationals

Zimmerman, Taylor homer again in Nats' spring finale (game ends in 8-8 tie)

The Nationals purposely brought Ryan Zimmerman along slowly this spring, not wanting the veteran first baseman to experience too much early wear and tear on a foot that was injured most of the 2015 season. As opening day approaches, Zimmerman not only appears healthy. He's also red-hot at the plate. The Nationals' cleanup hitter launched another home run today in the final exhibition game of the spring, a two-run shot to left off Twins right-hander Ricky Nolasco that gave his team a 2-1 lead...

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Revere hoping to "bring the noise" at top of potent Nationals lineup

April 03, 2016, 4:56am

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Center fielder Ben Revere once again gave Nats fans a preview of what he can do Friday night with a triple, a double and two runs scored in his first two at-bats at Nationals Park, albeit in an exhibition game. Revere, 27, is replacing Denard Span, who was solid in center field when he was healthy. Revere should be an outstanding replacement, with the combination of speed and contact ability to set the table for the Nationals' formidable hitters. "I'll do anything I can to get on base for...

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Dusty Baker explains Nats' final cuts of spring

April 02, 2016, 8:27am

Nationals

Dusty Baker explains Nats' final cuts of spring

Dusty Baker has been making roster cuts for two decades, and he admits they're never easy, especially those that come on the cusp of opening day. The cuts the Nationals' new manager had to make Friday night might have been his toughest ever. "My heart goes out to these guys," Baker said. "I didn't really sleep that well last night, at all, because it affects him. I've been there. I know their families are affected. But it's a big boy game, and that's part of the game." The club's...

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Strasburg, not Gonzalez, will start season's second game

April 02, 2016, 7:11am

Nationals

Strasburg, not Gonzalez, will start season's second game

The Nationals have switched up their rotation plans for the season's first series, choosing now to start Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday in Atlanta following Max Scherzer in Monday's opener. Manager Dusty Baker had said two weeks ago that Gio Gonzalez would start the second game in Atlanta, with Strasburg in Thursday's home opener against the Marlins. But the coaching staff decided to change things around after several rainouts during the final week of spring training. "It was a product of...

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Nats face Twins again in exhibition finale

April 02, 2016, 4:40am

Nationals

Nats face Twins again in exhibition finale

Hello from Nationals Park, where it's currently raining (shocking, I know), but the forecast calls for clearing skies in time for today's 12:05 p.m. exhibition finale between the Nationals and Twins. It will be a bit chilly, though, good practice for what the first few weeks of the regular season could be like. After last night's 4-3 victory here, Dusty Baker is going with nearly the same lineup. The only change: Michael A. Taylor gets the start in center field instead of Ben Revere....

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Treinen gets final bullpen spot, Heisey will be right-handed pinch-hitter

April 01, 2016, 6:51pm

Nationals

Treinen gets final bullpen spot, Heisey will be right-handed pinch-hitter

Right-hander Blake Treinen has secured the final spot in the Nationals bullpen, while veteran Chris Heisey has claimed a role as a backup outfielder and right-handed pinch-hitter. After Friday night's 4-3 win in an exhibition game against the Twins at Nationals Park, the Nats made a series of roster moves that finalized the composition of manager Dusty Baker's seven-man bullpen and made the bench picture much clearer. Outfielder Matt den Dekker and right-hander Trevor Gott were optioned to...

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Roark "felt good" in last spring start, but knows he can do better

April 01, 2016, 5:42pm

Nationals

Roark "felt good" in last spring start, but knows he can do better

Right-hander Tanner Roark pitched four innings Friday night in his final tune-up before the regular season begins Monday. The Nationals topped the Twins 4-3 in an exhibition at Nationals Park. Roark allowed three runs on seven hits, with four of those being doubles. He walked none and struck out four. He tossed 69 pitches, 44 for strikes. Roark said the start "felt good," but he also saw some things he could refine before his first scheduled regular season start. "Just didn't stick to my...

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Nats get quick lead over Twins (Nats win 4-3)

April 01, 2016, 2:31pm

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Nats get quick lead over Twins (Nats win 4-3)

The Nationals kept their hot hitting from spring training in Florida going with a quick start against the Twins in an exhibition game Friday night at Nationals Park. Ben Revere led off against Twins right-hander Phil Hughes with a triple into the right field corner. Last season, the Nationals were dead last in the major leagues with only 13 triples. After Anthony Rendon walked, Bryce Harper's sacrifice fly made it 1-0. Ryan Zimmerman followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0. Tanner Roark...

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Nationals lineup vs. Twins (with Twins lineup)

April 01, 2016, 10:33am

Nationals

The Nationals are stretching in right field, Dusty Baker is about to address the media and fans are already lining up at the center field gates at Nationals Park. Who cares if it's a meaningless exhibition game? It's baseball and that's what counts. We'll have to see if the weather gods will cooperate to allow the first of two exhibition scraps against the Minnesota Twins to be played tonight. Earlier in the week, it was supposed to rain most of today; the current forecast for tonight's...

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Five reasons to be pessimistic about the 2016 Nationals

March 31, 2016, 1:39pm

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Yesterday, we offered up five reasons to be optimistic about the 2016 Nationals. Today, we take the devil's advocate approach and offer up five reasons to be pessimistic about this season. Truth be told, it was a lot tougher to come up with five negatives than it was to come up with five positives. That, in itself, should offer up reason for everyone to be optimistic about the Nationals. But this is far from a perfect team, and there are legitimate areas of concern entering the season. Or at...

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Five reasons to be optimistic about the 2016 Nationals

March 30, 2016, 4:23pm

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There is no rational way to review the Nationals' just-completed spring and not emerge optimistic. Pretty much everything of consequence the Nationals needed to see or do over the last six weeks came to fruition. There were hardly any setbacks along the way. Players are healthy. The new manager has instilled a much-needed laid-back and confident vibe around the clubhouse. And then there's the actual on-field performance. The Nationals won the mythical Grapefruit League pennant, going a...

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#TBT: Max Scherzer's two no-hitters

March 30, 2016, 6:22pm

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Four days until opening day in Atlanta and one week until the home opener at Nationals Park! But who's counting? Opening day in four days means we're right around the corner from seeing ace Max Scherzer take the mound for the first time. And, as we know, when Scherzer is on, he is absolutely dominant. How could we go an entire offseason of #TBT posts without looking at the Nationals' two biggest standout moments from 2016? Check out Scherzer's two historic no-hitters below to get you pumped...

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Nats close out spring with another offensive outburst (Nats rip Mets 12-1)

March 30, 2016, 10:19am

Nationals

Nats close out spring with another offensive outburst (Nats rip Mets 12-1)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nationals 12, Mets 1 Recap: After two straight rainouts, the Nationals finally got a chance to play a full game without interruption this afternoon, then proceeded to stomp on their National League East rivals in their Grapefruit League finale. Ryan Zimmerman homered off Matt Harvey, Jayson Werth homered off Noah Syndergaard and Stephen Drew homered off Zack Thornton to lead the power attack. With Max Scherzer held back in Viera to pitch in a minor league game, the...

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Dusty Baker on the altered pitching schedule and final decisions

March 30, 2016, 8:55am

Nationals

Dusty Baker on the altered pitching schedule and final decisions

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The Nationals' Grapefruit League finale today got underway on time, with sunshine actually hovering over Tradition Field. This was no mundane fact, considering the weather the Nats have had to deal with over the last week. Four rainouts in 10 games, including back-to-back washouts the last two days, forced Dusty Baker and pitching coach Mike Maddux to alter their plans, multiple times over. To wit: Max Scherzer originally was scheduled to start Tuesday's game against...

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With rain again in forecast, Nats using relievers only today vs. Mets

March 30, 2016, 5:36am

Nationals

With rain again in forecast, Nats using relievers only today vs. Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - And so, after 42 days of camp, 24 completed exhibition games and four rainouts, the final day of spring training has arrived. The Nationals and Mets are set to square off here at Tradition Field, a preview of what could be quite an entertaining pennant race all season between these two rivals ... if they're able to play this one. Yes, once again there's rain in the forecast. The tarp has been on the infield all morning and batting practice was canceled. It does appear...

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Breaking down the final bench candidates

March 29, 2016, 5:31pm

Nationals

Breaking down the final bench candidates

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals essentially have two more roster decisions to make by Sunday's major league deadline. One involves the bullpen. The other involves the bench. We've gone through the various bullpen options (which are complicated some by the possibility of the Nats carrying eight relievers until they need a fifth starter on April 13), but we haven't spent as much time running discussing the final bench options. There are all sorts of factors to consider here. It's not nearly as...