nationals

Harper close to doing baseball activities, Espinosa re-working his swing (updated)

June 19, 2013, 3:20pm

PHILADELPHIA - General manager Mike Rizzo said today that outfielder Bryce Harper is "a couple days" away from starting baseball activities as he works his way back from bursitis in his left knee, a condition that has held Harper out of the Nationals' lineup for the last 20 games. Harper got a cortisone shot in his knee last Monday and was told by Dr. James Andrews to rest the knee for a week. Harper was cleared to start some ground-based exercises this Monday after getting examined by...

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Injury updates on Tracy and Bernadina

June 19, 2013, 8:47pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals played 11 innings tonight, and they did so with a short bench. Outfielder Roger Bernadina was scratched from the Nats' lineup before the game due to a left eye infection, and infielder Chad Tracy spent the game getting treatment on a tight back that held him out of batting practice before the game. Neither injury is thought to be too serious at this point, but they made things a bit tougher on manager Davey Johnson during tonight's 6-2, 11-inning Nats...

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A case of identity theft

June 18, 2013, 11:16pm

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The good news for Jayson Werth - and the bad news for everyone else in the Philadelphia area - is that Werth's team slump-busting strategy of showing up today ready to "eat somebody's face" jives with his gluten-free eating habits. If you're planning on attending tonight's game at Citizens Bank Park, be alert. A man with an incredibly long beard is talking about eating faces later on. I don't know much about cannibalism, but I do know that the Nationals will need more...

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Espinosa reinstated from DL, optioned to Triple-A

June 19, 2013, 10:30am

Nationals

Espinosa reinstated from DL, optioned to Triple-A

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals today officially made a move that has been expected for the last couple of weeks: They optioned second baseman Danny Espinosa to Triple-A Syracuse. Espinosa was placed on the disabled list back on June 4 with a fractured right wrist. He got a cortisone shot in the wrist in order to relieve some of the inflammation in there and had played six games with Syracuse on a minor league rehab assignment. Today, the Nats reinstated Espinosa from the DL and officially sent...

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Nats, Phillies lineups for series finale (Bernadina scratched due to eye issue)

June 19, 2013, 11:31am

Nationals

Nats, Phillies lineups for series finale (Bernadina scratched due to eye issue)

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals will look to snap a three-game losing streak and salvage a game out of this three-game set in Philly tonight. If they aren't able to do so, the Nats will fall to a season-worst three games under .500 and drop back into third place in the National League East behind the Braves and Phillies. Davey Johnson has Adam LaRoche back in the cleanup spot tonight against the right-handed Kyle Kendrick, and the left-handed-hitting Roger Bernadina will play left field....

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More of the same (Desmond's grand slam lifts Nats to 11-inning win)

June 19, 2013, 4:26pm

Nationals

More of the same (Desmond's grand slam lifts Nats to 11-inning win)

PHILADELPHIA - Kyle Kendrick has faced 16 Nationals hitters tonight. One of those 16 has reached base. The other 15 have all gone quietly. The Nats trail the Phillies 2-0 as we go to the sixth inning of tonight's series finale at Citizens Bank Park. They've put one runner on base so far and have made things pretty easy on Kendrick, who has needed just 56 pitches. Davey Johnson wants his hitters to be aggressive. They have been. They just continue to have problems getting guys on base and...

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Johnson, Rizzo say Eckstein doesn't deserve blame for Nats' offensive woes

June 19, 2013, 2:57pm

Nationals

Johnson, Rizzo say Eckstein doesn't deserve blame for Nats' offensive woes

PHILADELPHIA - We've gone over the Nationals' sub-par offensive numbers countless times to this point. They've scored 3.47 runs per game, the second-fewest of any team in the majors. They have the second-lowest on-base percentage in the big leagues at .291. Their team OPS is .666, fourth-worst in Major League Baseball. This team continues to struggle putting runs on the board, leading some to question the job security of hitting coach Rick Eckstein. But while Eckstein might be a popular...

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Johnson, Detwiler, Kobernus and Werth discuss Nats' 4-2 loss

June 18, 2013, 8:08pm

Nationals

Johnson, Detwiler, Kobernus and Werth discuss Nats' 4-2 loss

PHILADELPHIA - The list of starting pitchers to shut down the Nationals' offense this season is pretty lengthy. We can now add Cliff Lee to that group. Lee held the Nats to just two runs (on solo home runs by Jayson Werth and Jeff Kobernus) on five hits over eight innings, leading the Phillies to a 4-2 win that knocked the Nats back to two games under .500, tied for their lowest mark of the season. "He came right after us and threw a lot of first-pitch strikes," manager Davey Johnson said...

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Nationals option second baseman Danny Espinosa to Syracuse

June 19, 2013, 10:08am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today returned from rehab and reinstated second baseman Danny Espinosa from the 15-Day Disabled List. The Nationals then optioned Espinosa to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Espinosa, who played in six games for the Chiefs during his just-completed rehab assignment, is a career .230 hitter (329-for-1428) with 79 doubles, eight triples, 47...

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Deserving O's Machado could be squeezed out of All-Star Game, Zimmermann likely to represent Nats

June 19, 2013, 7:34am

Nationals Orioles

Deserving O's Machado could be squeezed out of All-Star Game, Zimmermann likely to represent Nats

The Orioles' Adam Jones, Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis are leading the All-Star voting at their respective positions, but third baseman Manny Machado's chances to make the team present interesting twists. Machado, who turns 21 on July 6, deserves to be at New York's Citi Field on July 16. At this point, he is more than a million votes behind Detroit's Miguel Cabrera to start at third base. Unless he overcomes Cabrera in the fan voting, Machado's being an All-Star depends on...

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David Huzzard: No surprise contributions a problem for Nats

June 19, 2013, 4:55am

Nationals

David Huzzard: No surprise contributions a problem for Nats

Of the Nationals' current healthy lineup, only Ian Desmond is performing above his career average OPS of .744 at .791, and Ryan Zimmerman is the only Nat with an OPS over .800 at .808. Everyone else is either on the disabled list or underperforming their career averages, some to a comical degree. One of the largest problems with the Nationals is that their best player is currently on the DL and with no timetable for the return of Bryce Harper, the rapid descent into the depth of the NL...

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Desmond feels Nats not playing loose enough (we're under way)

June 18, 2013, 2:46pm

Nationals

Desmond feels Nats not playing loose enough (we're under way)

PHILADELPHIA - The radar for the Philly area doesn't look great for the next couple hours, but it sounds like the teams are hoping that things might clear up around 8 p.m., allowing us to get this game in. It does appear clear, however, that we're going to start in a delay. After yesterday's tough 5-4 walk-off loss, the Nationals have no interest in having tonight's game postponed. They want to get right back out there as soon as possible and give it another go. "I'd like to get this...

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Two dealing southpaws (another instant update)

June 18, 2013, 5:05pm

Nationals

Two dealing southpaws (another instant update)

PHILADELPHIA - That headline sounds like a movie title. Maybe something set in the old west. Don't anyone steal that idea. I might have a stop in Hollywood in my future. Not only have Ross Detwiler and Cliff Lee each thrown three scoreless innings and allowed just two hits between them so far tonight, but they've been incredibly efficient in the process. Detwiler has needed just 32 pitches to get through his three frames, 22 of which have been strikes. Lee, meanwhile, has thrown 37...

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A big-time defensive play (Nats lose 4-2)

June 18, 2013, 5:43pm

Nationals

A big-time defensive play (Nats lose 4-2)

PHILADELPHIA - Denard Span's offensive numbers this season certainly aren't where he'd like them. Span's .256/.312/.349 slash line entering tonight's game is well below his career line of .281/.353/.385 across the board. But even though he's had his issues offensively and has battled a bruised foot for much of the last six weeks, Span hasn't let his defense suffer. The Nationals center fielder again showed what he brings to the table defensively in the fifth inning tonight, charging a...

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Through the Vine

June 18, 2013, 4:53pm

Nationals

With the All-Star break just a little less than a month away, we're encouraging fans to vote so that D.C. is well-represented at Citi Field on July 16. One way that we're doing so is through one of our new favorite social media sites, Vine. Be sure to give @masnNationals a follow, as we being to upload behind-the-scenes looks of Nats Park, MASN contests and more! And while you're at it, be sure to vote Nats. Voting ends July 4.

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Span returns to Nats lineup

June 18, 2013, 11:38am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - It absolutely poured here in Philly a couple of hours ago, and as I was trying to get off an exit ramp near Citizens Bank Park, I had to drive my Mazda3 through a two-foot-high puddle that felt more like a river. I made it through just fine, and avoided having to roll down the window and swim to the ballpark. I guess the positive side is that my car won't need to be washed for a little while. The rain has eased up a bit from where it was at around 1:30 p.m., but it's still...

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Tracy hits another clutch home run, but Nationals come up short

June 17, 2013, 7:12pm

Nationals

Chad Tracy is "Mr. Clutch" for the Nationals this season. He has only two hits in his last 10 games, but both were home runs to tie games in the late-going. He also hit the first pinch-hit home run of the season in San Diego. Each home run felt, at the time, that it might be one of those hits that could change the season. It felt like that Monday in Philadelphia when, in the top of the ninth, Tracy crushed an 0-2 fastball by Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon down the right field line and...

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Haren continues to search for answers

June 18, 2013, 6:15am

Nationals

PHILADELPHIA - The first two pitches Henry Rodriguez threw as a member of the Cubs looked very similar to what we saw from Rodriguez when he was with the Nationals. Rodriguez, who was traded by the Nats to the Cubs last week after being designated for assignment, made his Cubs debut last night, and the

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Ted Leavengood: It's going to be a long and bumpy ride

June 18, 2013, 5:49am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: It's going to be a long and bumpy ride

Chad Tracy could be a poster child for this season. He has been down so long, that any kind of up looks awfully good. One wonders if the high expectations for a team still lost in the desert, are weighing this whole enterprise down. Would that Tracy home run have been enough last season? Tracy took out Jonathan Papelbon, which is no mean feat. It was Papelbon's first blown save of the season. But only scoring two runs against John Lannan, that is a mean feat. It is hard to watch Lannan...

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Hearing from Tracy and Abad after Nats' loss

June 17, 2013, 8:16pm

Nationals

Hearing from Tracy and Abad after Nats' loss

PHILADELPHIA - Regardless of whether you're watching a baseball game from your couch, the press box or the dugout, when a team hits a game-tying home run with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning, you expect that team to go on to win. Maybe it's the number of highlight reels we've seen, where the clip of the game-tying homer is quickly followed by the same team notching the game-winner later on. Maybe it's the Hollywood effect thanks to countless based-on-a-true-story movies. When...