nationals

Nationals activate Harper from DL, option Cedeno to Triple-A

June 30, 2014, 10:08am

The Washington Nationals today returned from rehab and reinstated outfielder Bryce Harper from the 15-Day Disabled List, and optioned left-handed reliever Xavier Cedeno to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Harper, 21, rejoins the Nationals after missing 59 games with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. During a rehab assignment with Single-A Potomac and Double-A...

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At the halfway point

June 29, 2014, 12:48am

Nationals

You know what's weird? Having a Sunday off. Sundays are never days off in the baseball world. The only times I've had a Sunday off since I started covering the Nationals in 2012 were when football was on my television. I have futbol on my television today, but no football. I'll get past it. With yesterday's doubleheader against the Cubs now in the books, the Nationals are at the halfway point of their season. Eighty-one games have been played, and with the two wins yesterday, the Nats hold...

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Marty Niland: Grading out the Nats at the season's midway point

June 30, 2014, 4:58am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Grading out the Nats at the season's midway point

We've reached the midpoint of the 2014 season, and it's time once again to grade the Nationals on their performance so far. This year, the team stands at 43-38, a half-game behind first-place Atlanta in the National League East. A year ago at this time, they were 41-40 and 6 1/2 games behind the Braves. An improvement of two wins may not seem like much, but the Nats have made much bigger gains in the individual components of their play, and appear to be on an upward curve. Starting pitching:...

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Harper crushes three home runs on road back to D.C.

June 28, 2014, 5:37pm

Nationals

Harper crushes three home runs on road back to D.C.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper slammed three homers in his fifth rehab game as Double-A Harrisburg defeated Akron 10-4. Harper has been recovering from a torn ligament in his left thumb. Harper hit two of the homers off of Akron right-handed starter Duke von Schamann in the third and fifth innings. The other was a three-run shot in the eighth. Four of his RBIs on Saturday night came with two outs. He finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBIs. He also was caught stealing once...

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LaRoche gives Nats early lead in Game 2 (Nats win 7-2)

June 28, 2014, 3:42pm

Nationals

LaRoche gives Nats early lead in Game 2 (Nats win 7-2)

Coming into tonight's game, the Nationals needed to win in order to return to D.C. with a series split as well as a winning road trip. Apparently nobody told Adam LaRoche that Cubs ace Jeff Samardzija was on the mound. LaRoche hit his 11th homer of the season to give the Nats a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The homer was just the sixth Samardzija has allowed all season. Nats righty Blake Treinen has tossed two scoreless innings. Update: Another inning and another run off Samardzija....

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Williams meets the media after Nats' 3-0 win over Cubs

June 28, 2014, 12:33pm

Nationals

Williams meets the media after Nats' 3-0 win over Cubs

CHICAGO - Game 1 went as the Nationals had hoped. Now, with a win in game two of today's split doubleheader with the Cubs, the Nats can head home with a series split and a winning road trip. Thanks to Gio Gonzalez's seven strong innings, Anthony Rendon's three-hit ballgame and Denard Span's tremendous defensive work out in center field, the Nats earned a 3-0 victory in the day game here at Wrigley Field. Gonzalez went seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks, striking...

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Gonzalez, Rendon and Span discuss Nats' win in Game 1 (with Game 2 lineups)

June 28, 2014, 12:45pm

Nationals

Gonzalez, Rendon and Span discuss Nats' win in Game 1 (with Game 2 lineups)

CHICAGO - You already heard from Matt Williams after the Nationals' 3-0 win over the Cubs. Now, let's hear from the players. Here are postgame reactions from the clubhouse: Gio Gonzalez On if he's starting to feel more like himself each start after a month on the DL: "Yeah absolutely. From the last start to this start, it's just building confidence and velocity. Today it was good to see some high numbers in velocity today. It shows it's just building strength. Obviously coming from...

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Gonzalez, Beeler dueling in Cubs rookie's debut (Nats win 3-0)

June 28, 2014, 9:52am

Nationals

Gonzalez, Beeler dueling in Cubs rookie's debut (Nats win 3-0)

Cubs rookie Dallas Beeler doesn't look at all intimidated going up against a first-place club in his major league debut. The 25-year-old right-hander has matched Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez zero for zero in the early going at Wrigley Field. Beeler has held the Nats to one hit through three scoreless innings, striking out three and walking none. Gonzalez has posted an identical line, throwing 40 pitches, 29 for strikes. And who has the only hit off Gonzalez? Beeler. Of course. The...

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Bryce Harper plays center field again, has two RBIs for Harrisburg

June 27, 2014, 6:08pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper plays center field again, has two RBIs for Harrisburg

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper went 1-for-2 with two RBIs in Double-A Harrisburg's 4-3 win at Akron. He has now completed four minor league rehab games as he recovers from a surgery to repair torn ligament in his left thumb. It was an eventful night for Harper on the basepaths. He stole two bases and was caught stealing in a rundown that allowed Michael A. Taylor to score the game's first run. Harper also earned a pair of walks. Harper batted third and played center field. He told us at...

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Williams expects Harper to return Monday or sometime next week, discusses plan

June 28, 2014, 8:49am

Nationals

Williams expects Harper to return Monday or sometime next week, discusses plan

Bryce Harper's rehab has progressed to the point that he played nine innings in center field Friday for Double-A Harrisburg. With the outfielder's rehab from torn ligaments in his left thumb nearing completion, manager Matt Williams is optimistic that barring a setback this weekend, Harper could be back with the Nationals on Monday, or soon after. "Yeah, I feel good about it. We'll have to see how he comes out of it, though," Williams said before the first game of Saturday's...

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Werth, Ramos, Espinosa sit for Game 1 of doubleheader

June 28, 2014, 6:13am

Nationals

Werth, Ramos, Espinosa sit for Game 1 of doubleheader

CHICAGO - The Nationals lineup for the first game of today's doubleheader doesn't include Jayson Werth, Wilson Ramos or Danny Espinosa. Nate McLouth will man right field for the Nats in the day game, Jose Lobaton will be behind the plate, and Kevin Frandsen will play second. Gio Gonzalez will make his third start since coming back off the disabled list. His last time out, Gonzalez delivered six scoreless innings against the Brewers. For the Nationals CF Denard Span 3B Anthony Rendon...

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Nationals recall LHP Xavier Cedeno and RHP Blake Treinen, option RHP Taylor Hill to Triple-A Syracuse

June 28, 2014, 6:34am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today recalled left-handed reliever Xavier Cedeno and right-handed starter Blake Treinen from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League, and optioned right-handed pitcher Taylor Hill to Syracuse. Treinen was recalled as the 26th man for the Nationals' scheduled doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs and will start the nightcap. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Cedeno returns to the Nationals for his...

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Hearing from Williams, Roark and Blevins after 7-2 loss (Hill optioned, Cedeno coming up)

June 27, 2014, 4:44pm

Nationals

Hearing from Williams, Roark and Blevins after 7-2 loss (Hill optioned, Cedeno coming up)

CHICAGO - The Nationals couldn't manage much offense against Cubs starter Jason Hammel, and Chicago put up 12 hits on Tanner Roark and Jerry Blevins, scoring seven runs and taking a 7-2 win in the second game of this four-game series. The Cubs have now taken the first two games, and the Nats will need to sweep the doubleheader tomorrow in order to head home with a split in this series and a winning road trip. Pitching near his hometown of Wilmington, Ill., Roark allowed four runs on 10 hits...

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Williams on Desmond's low average, gauging shortstop's need for rest

June 27, 2014, 11:59am

Nationals

Williams on Desmond's low average, gauging shortstop's need for rest

In some regards, Ian Desmond is having his best season to date. With 14 homers and 46 RBIs in 77 games, the Nationals shortstop is on pace to break career highs of 25 homers (2011) and 80 RBIs (2013). But Desmond is also having perhaps his worst year in some regards. His .237 batting average and .292 on-base percentage are career lows. He also has struck out 94 times in 300 at-bats and is on pace to shatter his previous high of 145 (2013). So why is the average down? Manager Matt Williams...

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Nats strike first, Cubs answer quickly for lead (Nats lose 7-2)

June 27, 2014, 12:53pm

Nationals

Nats strike first, Cubs answer quickly for lead (Nats lose 7-2)

The Nationals didn't need long to take their first lead of the series in Chicago. After going three up, three down in the first, Adam LaRoche led off the second with a single and Ryan Zimmerman doubled to left off Jason Hammel to give the Nats a 1-0 advantage over the Cubs. Zimmerman reached third on the throw and Wilson Ramos walked to put runners on the corners. But Zimmerman was thrown out at home when aggressively trying to score on Ian Desmond's fielder's choice grounder. Desmond and...

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Trying to fight through the fog

June 27, 2014, 7:44am

Nationals

CHICAGO - A couple of times in the middle innings of last night's game at Wrigley Field, I felt like a popup was hit in my general direction on the far side of the first base dugout down the right field line. I looked up toward the sky to try and locate the ball to get a feel for how close it might be to me. And when I tilted my head upwards, I saw nothing. The fog that had lingered over Wrigley Field for much of the afternoon and evening had gotten thicker, and even with the lights from...

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Rendon joins Taylor Hooton Foundation's Advisory Board

June 27, 2014, 11:52am

Nationals

Rendon joins Taylor Hooton Foundation's Advisory Board

The Taylor Hooton Foundation announced today that Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals has joined its new Advisory Board made up exclusively of active players from throughout Major League Baseball. The Hooton Foundation is widely acknowledged as the leader in the advocacy against appearance and performance enhancing drug use by the youth of America. The Nationals second baseman joins 12 other charter members of the "Advisory Board," which also includes Jay Bruce (Cincinnati Reds), John...

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Hearing from Williams, Span, Stammen and Fister after Nats' 5-3 loss

June 26, 2014, 7:35pm

Nationals

Hearing from Williams, Span, Stammen and Fister after Nats' 5-3 loss

CHICAGO - Yet again, the Nationals battled back from a deficit, finding a way to even the score with the Cubs after trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning tonight. Three Nats runs in the seventh tied the ballgame, but the tie was short-lived, as the Cubs immediately responded with two runs off Craig Stammen in the bottom of the seventh and held on for a 5-3 win in the opener of this four-game set. Denard Span had two doubles and two RBIs, Wilson Ramos had two hits and a walk, and Doug Fister...

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Fister, Wood off to strong starts (Nats lose 5-3)

June 26, 2014, 5:02pm

Nationals

Fister, Wood off to strong starts (Nats lose 5-3)

We're through three innings in Chicago and the Cubs and Nationals have managed just four hits. Maybe it's because they can barely see the ball crossing the plate. In a city known for its extreme weather, a dense fog has planted itself in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, leaving conditions increasingly tough to battle. Still, with less than full visibility, both teams have had little trouble making plays in the field, but haven't found much success at the plate. Both Cubs starter...

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Bryce Harper went 1-for-3 with a double for Harrisburg

June 26, 2014, 1:09pm

Nationals

Bryce Harper went 1-for-3 with a double for Harrisburg

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has been added to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators roster as he continues to rehab from thumb ligament surgery. Harrisburg plays at Akron tonight. Harper's brother Bryan Harper is a left-handed reliever for the Senators. So Bryce is reunited with his brother at least for the weekend on a professional team. Harper has gone 3-for-4 in two games with high Single-A Potomac, hitting a three-run homer in the second contest. After that game, Harper did not confirm...