nationals

A bumpy first week

April 06, 2014, 4:58am

Despite the fact that the Nationals picked up a sweep of the Mets on the road earlier this week, it sure hasn't been the smoothest start to the season for Matt Williams' ballclub. Doug Fister is on the disabled list with a strained right lat, and while he's slowly progressing, the right-hander is still a ways away from sliding back into the Nats rotation. Wilson Ramos played just seven innings on opening day before fracturing the hamate bone in his left hand, and the Nats will be without...

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Nationals place outfielder Scott Hairston on DL, recall first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore from Syracuse

April 06, 2014, 6:54am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today placed outfielder Scott Hairston on the 15-Day Disabled List with a left oblique strain and recalled first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The 27-year-old Moore joins the Nationals after hitting .265 (13-for-49) with a double, home run and six RBI in 20 Grapefruit League contests for Washington. He also played in one...

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Zimmerman leaves game with shoulder soreness; MRI pending

April 05, 2014, 7:52pm

Nationals

Zimmerman leaves game with shoulder soreness; MRI pending

Ryan Zimmerman left tonight's 6-2 loss to the Braves with right shoulder soreness, manager Matt Williams said after the game. Zimmerman was pulled from the game after the fifth inning, with Danny Espinosa replacing him in the fifth spot in the batting order and Anthony Rendon moving over to play third base. Zimmerman has dealt with shoulder issues in recent seasons, and of late, he's been struggling with his throws across the diamond during pregame warmups. Williams said that it was one...

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Harper back to batting second

April 05, 2014, 11:05am

Nationals

Bryce Harper returns to the No. 2 position in the Nationals batting order for tonight's game against the Braves at Nationals Park. The matchup between Atlanta's Julio Teheran and Washington's Stephen Strasburg should be a good one. Here's the Nationals lineup: CF Denard Span LF Bryce Harper RF Jayson Werth 1B Adam LaRoche 3B Ryan Zimmerman SS Ian Desmond 2B Anthony Rendon C Jose Lobaton RHP Stephen Strasburg

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The little things matter when Nats play Braves

April 05, 2014, 5:00am

Nationals

The little things matter when Nats play Braves

I bet online dictionaries saw a pretty good spike in web traffic among D.C., Maryland and Virginia residents yesterday. There must have been quite a few searches for the word "lodged" after Justin Upton failed to make a play on the ball that ended up under the padding of the left field wall. The point made by manager Matt Williams after the game seemingly is a valid one - why, if the ball was lodged under the padding, was it so easy for Upton to then pick it up and throw it back into the...

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Williams believes Harper not too far off from getting going

April 05, 2014, 1:57pm

Nationals

Williams believes Harper not too far off from getting going

Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper is scuffling just a bit to begin the season. Manager Matt Williams is not worried about Harper, saying his 21-year-old left fielder has seemed just a "tick off" at the plate the last few days. Williams said Harper might be bit frustrated with the slow start at the plate, as he's just 3-for-17 (.176) with no homers and no RBIs in four games. But that does not mean he tosses his whole approach out and reconstructs his swing. It is only April 5. "Everybody...

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Harper on struggles: "I am pretty lost right now"

April 05, 2014, 8:01pm

Nationals

Harper on struggles: "I am pretty lost right now"

Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper's frustrations early this season at the plate reached a boiling point after striking out to lead off the eighth inning of a 6-2 Braves win Saturday night. One video replay appeared to show him throwing his batting helmet as he walked down the steps into the dugout and then toward the clubhouse after the strikeout. On Saturday, he went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, dropping his average to .143. "I feel terrible, plain and simple," Harper said, still...

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Braves chase Strasburg after early LaRoche homer (Nats lose 6-2)

April 05, 2014, 3:34pm

Nationals

Braves chase Strasburg after early LaRoche homer (Nats lose 6-2)

As the Nationals and Braves tangle in the second game of their initial three-game set of 2014 on Saturday night in Washington, D.C., right-hander Stephen Strasburg is facing Braves right-hander Julio Teheran. The Nationals opened the scoring with a two-run homer by Adam LaRoche in the first inning. The mammoth shot by LaRoche came on a 2-2 pitch off of Teheran and reached the upper deck down the right field line, landing in what appeared to be the first row above the Jackie Robinson No. 42 sign...

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Williams: Fister set to throw Sunday, Gonzalez under the weather

April 05, 2014, 1:15pm

Nationals

Williams: Fister set to throw Sunday, Gonzalez under the weather

This afternoon, manager Matt Williams said right-hander Doug Fister is doing well in his rehabilitation from a right lat strain. Fister has been on the disabled list since March 23. Williams said Fister did "heavy exercise" today and felt no issues with the lat. The Nationals manager expects Fister to get back to baseball-related activities as early as Sunday. "We look to get him out there throwing, the plan is tomorrow, depending on how he feels, but in the next couple of days, anyway, so...

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Reviewing the replay reversal with Williams, Desmond

April 04, 2014, 1:44pm

Nationals

Reviewing the replay reversal with Williams, Desmond

Upon further review, Nationals manager Matt Williams isn't sure the on-field umpires conferring with New York-based replay officials got it right when they reversed a call on an apparent inside-the-park home run by Ian Desmond in a Friday's 2-1 loss to the Braves. Neither does Desmond, who acknowledges he doesn't know all the ins and outs of the new expanded replay but says he's seen plays in the past when outfielders have picked up a ball resting at the base of the wall and thrown it in...

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Nats focus on aggressive baserunning mistakes in loss to Braves

April 04, 2014, 1:36pm

Nationals

Nats focus on aggressive baserunning mistakes in loss to Braves

The Nationals were aggressive on the basepaths Friday in their 2-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves in the home opener. Unfortunately, they came up short on three critical plays: a pair of caught stealings and another runner thrown out at the plate. Left fielder Bryce Harper was caught in a rundown in the second inning on a pitchout when he tried to swipe second. Shortstop Ian Desmond was thrown out in another rundown when he thought he had a shot to steal third base in the fifth inning. First...

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Zimmermann on his illness, his outing and another tight game with the Braves

April 04, 2014, 1:46pm

Nationals

Zimmermann on his illness, his outing and another tight game with the Braves

Today's home opener didn't go the Nationals' way in the win/loss column. It didn't go their way when it came to the review in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ian Desmond's bizarre inside-the-park homer was ruled a ground rule double. It didn't go their way when it came to having three runners thrown out on the basepaths. The little things add up in games between the Nationals and Braves, and they did today in Washington's 2-1 loss. One thing that the Nats can come away from today...

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Lerner: Nats will not seek temporary spring training site prior to next move

April 04, 2014, 8:13am

Nationals

Lerner: Nats will not seek temporary spring training site prior to next move

Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner said before Friday's home opener against the Atlanta Braves that his team will not seek a temporary home for spring training while the club tries to work out a deal with the Houston Astros on a possible future joint facility in Florida. "No, I don't think that is the right move," Lerner said. "I think you do it, we do it, and we move on to our permanent spot. It seems painful to go through the last three years what we did to try to find it. The economy...

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Replay review reverses Desmond's inside-the-park homer (Braves win 2-1)

April 04, 2014, 11:01am

Nationals

Replay review reverses Desmond's inside-the-park homer (Braves win 2-1)

For a few minutes in the bottom of the fifth inning, it appeared that the Nationals had tied the game at 1-1 on an inside-the-park home run by Ian Desmond. Desmond hit David Hale's first pitch of the inning into the corner in left and the ball came to rest at the base of the padded wall. Left fielder Justin Upton immediately raised both arms to signal to the umpires that he felt the ball was unreachable, but third base umpire Marvin Hudson made no signal as Desmond scampered around the bases...

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Williams says home opening day might be even more special than season opener

April 04, 2014, 8:00am

Nationals

Williams says home opening day might be even more special than season opener

Manager Matt Williams said opening day in Washington, D.C., is just as special - or even more so - because it is the team's home opener in front of Nationals fans. Monday in New York was the season opener, of course, and Williams said because the team played so well in a series sweep, it makes today even more distinctive for the players. "It is probably even more magnified because you have already played and you have experienced that road atmosphere," Williams said. "Today is a nice thing...

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Stammen on call in case Zimmermann can't go

April 04, 2014, 6:40am

Nationals

Stammen on call in case Zimmermann can't go

While Jordan Zimmermann is listed as the starting pitcher for the Nationals' home opener this afternoon, manager Matt Williams has a backup plan ready to go, just in case the right-hander hasn't completely shaken the flu-like symptoms that caused him to be scratched from yesterday's assignment at the Mets. Zimmermann reported to Nationals Park around 9:35 a.m. on Friday and told manager Matt Williams and the team's training staff that his fever broke around 11 p.m. Thursday night. But...

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Zimmermann set to start Nats' home opener (plus lineup)

April 04, 2014, 5:40am

Nationals

Zimmermann set to start Nats' home opener (plus lineup)

The Nationals just posted their lineup for today's home opener and Jordan Zimmermann is listed as the starter. Things could change if the right-hander is still too sick to pitch, but as of now, Zimmermann is set to start this afternoon against the Braves after being scratched from his scheduled season debut Thursday. As for the Nats lineup, Anthony Rendon is starting at second after Danny Espinosa played yesterday. Bryce Harper is batting sixth and Jose Lobaton is back behind the plate after...

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After an impressive sweep in NYC, the first battle with the Braves awaits

April 04, 2014, 4:04am

Nationals

After an impressive sweep in NYC, the first battle with the Braves awaits

Happy home opener, everybody. Hope most of you are either able to make it out to Nationals Park this afternoon or sneak away from the office for a few hours and catch today's game against the Braves on MASN HD. Tell your boss you have to attend a lunch meeting with a Mr. Kolko. That should do the trick. They're calling for a high of 65 degrees today, which I like. They're also calling for 30 percent chance of rain during the afternoon, which I don't like as much. We still don't know who...

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Williams on the sweep, Roark, tomorrow's starter (plus Zimmerman)

April 03, 2014, 2:29pm

Nationals

Williams on the sweep, Roark, tomorrow's starter (plus Zimmerman)

Manager Matt Williams covered an array of topics after Thursday's 8-2 win over the Mets at Citi Field, including Jordan Zimmermann's status, Tanner Roark's quality spot start and the Nats' sweep. Perhaps the main topic is whether Zimmermann can start the Nationals' home opener Friday after being scratched Thursday because of flu-like symptoms. The first indication that Zimmermann might be on track to prevent the Nats from employing a bullpen game tomorrow is the fact that the team used...

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Roark recovers for quality start, Nats add to lead (Nats win 8-2)

April 03, 2014, 11:41am

Nationals

Roark recovers for quality start, Nats add to lead (Nats win 8-2)

Tanner Roark's day is done after a solid recovery from his rough first frame. When the Nationals right-hander allowed two runs in the first inning, prospects for a good day seemed dim. But he bounced back to put together a quality start, finishing with two earned runs on six hits in six innings. Roark struck out five and walked three on the way to opening his season with a quality start. Roark held the Mets scoreless over his final five frames, buying the Nats time to come back, which they...