Zimmermann keeps cruising, Harper keeps raking

Zimmermann keeps cruising, Harper keeps raking
VIERA, Fla. - Think Jordan Zimmermann is ready for games that actually mean something? The guy just finished off a stretch where he had retired 27 hitters in between base hits allowed. Working through a stiff cross wind that is blowing around 25 mph, Zimmermann went the first three innings without surrendering a hit to the Braves this afternoon, facing the minimum over that span. The right-hander allowed a leadoff hit to open his last start, against the Tigers, only to then hold Detroit...

Rodriguez battling elbow soreness, Harper good to play (with lineups)

Rodriguez battling elbow soreness, Harper good to play (with lineups)
VIERA, Fla. - You never know what information will come out of an interview session with Davey Johnson. Today, reporters learned that former Orioles shortstop Mark Belanger never wore a cup. Don't ask how we got there. We also learned that Henry Rodriguez has hit a bit of a snag in his spring throwing progression, and the question now is whether it will at all affect his status for opening day. Rodriguez will not pitch this afternoon against the Braves after experiencing a little elbow...

Scanning the spring stats (with Young note)

Scanning the spring stats (with Young note)
VIERA, Fla. - Stats mean very little in spring. We know this. Ask a player about his sub-par spring training numbers, you're bound to get an eye-roll and a "C'mon, man!" type of look. On the flip side, what's a .375 spring batting average get you? Unless you're competing for a roster spot or a starting job, it'll get you a whole lot of nothing, that's what. That said, it's still interesting to take a look at what guys have accomplished more than a month into spring training games....

Kobernus returned to Nationals

Kobernus returned to Nationals
VIERA, Fla. - Oh, hey there. I'm back. After a few days home, I've returned to Viera ready for the final stretch. The Nats now have just five more days down here before shipping up north to take on the Yankees in an exhibition game at Nationals Park on March 29, and I'll have you covered the rest of the way. Big thanks to Pete Kerzel for filling in for me in my absence. My time away from Florida was actually a bit longer than expected; my flight down to Orlando got hit with a lengthy...

Not official yet, but Syracuse Chiefs roster taking shape

Not official yet, but Syracuse Chiefs roster taking shape
The Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs' roster is taking shape as they get closer to their season opener April 4 at Lehigh Valley. They begin with seven games on the road. The roster is not official and could change before opening day, but this list is a good general idea of what the Chiefs will look like next week. The coaching staff has Tony Beasley as manager, with new addition player/coach Jason Michaels assisting batting coach Troy Gingrich and pitching coach Greg Booker. According to milb.com,...

Nationals lineup vs. Mets (Harper scratched)

Nationals lineup vs. Mets (Harper scratched)
VIERA, Fla - Before I head over to Orlando International Airport for the flight back to Baltimore, I wanted to pass along the Nationals lineup for today's 1:10 p.m. game against the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie. Consider it my going away gift to you. MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko will be at Tradition Field this afternoon and will handle coverage duties for the remainder of spring training, through the Nationals' March 29 exhibition game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. A...

Strasburg averts scare on Fielder's shot through the box

Strasburg averts scare on Fielder's shot through the box
VIERA, Fla. - As soon as the ball came off Prince Fielder's bat in the fourth inning, Stephen Strasburg immediately knew two things: The screamer was coming right at him, and he had a shot to catch it. The ball hit him, and he didn't snag it. And as it caromed into short center field for a single, all eyes turned to the mound as Nationals personnel descended upon the ace to make sure he was OK. It was the kind of reaction play that can either be a pitcher's best friend or worst enemy....

Espinosa's groundball approach paying dividends (Soriano, Rodriguez notes)

Espinosa's groundball approach paying dividends (Soriano, Rodriguez notes)
VIERA, Fla. - Want to get a good indication of just how well Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa is hitting in spring training? Check out his batting practice session and see how many sharp ground balls are rocketing off his bat. A 1-for-3 day in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers upped his Grapefruit League batting average to .316, and continued to dispel any worries about Espinosa's decision to strengthen his torn left rotator cuff instead of opting for offseason surgery. He's been...

Except for home run, Strasburg in command (Nats lose 4-3)

Except for home run, Strasburg in command (Nats lose 4-3)
VIERA, Fla. - It seems odd to see the 0-2 record next to Stephen Strasburg's name on the stats sheet. The 4.66 ERA he toted into today's game against the Tigers looks a little strange, too. But then again, this is spring training and the stats here don't count. What's that old baseball adage about not making player personnel judgments based on statistics from March or September? Through three innings in his sixth spring start, Strasburg has looked pretty much in command, save for the...

Kimball, Accardo cut from Nats camp (plus Young note)

Kimball, Accardo cut from Nats camp (plus Young note)
VIERA, Fla. - First pitch in the Tigers-Nationals game is 20 minutes way, but the Nats have made two more cuts. Right-hander Cole Kimball has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, while right-hander Jeremy Accardo has been reassigned to minor league camp. Kimball, in his first camp since right shoulder surgery performed in July 2011, pitched to a 2.84 ERA in seven relief appearances this spring. He hasn't pitched since March 13 because of tightness in his back and was scheduled to throw a...

Soriano hurting, pushed back to Saturday (plus Rivero, Duke, Kimball notes)

Soriano hurting, pushed back to Saturday (plus Rivero, Duke, Kimball notes)
VIERA, Fla. - Closer Rafael Soriano, less than a day removed from a root canal to treat an infected wisdom tooth, will not pitch as scheduled today against the Tigers. "He's recovering from a long day in the dentist's chair. ... He'll be pitching tomorrow," manager Davey Johnson said. "Talking to him earlier today, he's not feeling ready to go." Johnson said the delay won't affect his plans to pitch Soriano in back-to-back games by the end of spring training. While Soriano's a lock...

Nationals trim spring training roster to 32

Nationals trim spring training roster to 32
The Washington Nationals today optioned right-handed pitcher Cole Kimball to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and re-assigned right-handed pitcher Jeremy Accardo to minor league camp. Earlier today, the Nationals agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher J.C. Romero on a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. The Nationals currently...

Nationals ink J.C. Romero to minor league deal with invite to big league camp

Nationals ink J.C. Romero to minor league deal with invite to big league camp
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals' search for left-handed relief help has taken them in a familiar direction. This morning, the club signed veteran J.C. Romero to a minor league deal with an invitation to the final days of big league spring training. The Nationals scouted Romero during his recent stint with the Puerto Rican entry in the World Baseball Classic, where he worked to a 3.86 ERA in five games and demonstrated improved velocity. "We're going to give J.C. an opportunity to see if he can...

Tigers-Nationals lineups for Friday's game on MASN

Tigers-Nationals lineups for Friday's game on MASN
VIERA, Fla. - Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Tigers are playing the Nationals today. Yes, for the third time in six days, and the second time in five days at Space Coast Stadium. Today's contest will be broadcast on MASN HD beginning at 1 p.m. Play-by-play voice Bob Carpenter and analyst F.P. Santangelo will have the call. Here are today's lineups: For the Tigers: CF - Quintin Berry RF - Don Kelly DH - Victor Martinez 1B - Prince Fielder C - Brayan Pena LF - Matt...

Weekly Wrap: Nats trimming down roster

Weekly Wrap: Nats trimming down roster
We're nine spring training games and just 10 days away from the Nats' season opener. As opening day is drawing closer, the Nationals have continued to trim their roster. On Monday, the Nats made a handful of cuts. Pitchers Erik Davis, Yunesky Maya and Ryan Perry, catcher Jhonatan Solano, infielder Chris Marrero and outfielder Corey Brown were sent to Triple-A Syracuse. Pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and infielder Zach Walters were sent to minor league camp. Catcher Chris Snyder was also granted...

Cherry blossoms likely at Nationals Park and Harper could have a big year

Cherry blossoms likely at Nationals Park and Harper could have a big year
The Nationals begin the 2013 campaign with a home series against the Miami Marlins. It could also be a spectacular week to view the cherry blossoms in D.C. The National Park Service has announced that the peak viewing time this year has now been pushed back to April 3-6. The Nationals open April 1 at 1:05 p.m. against the Marlins, and are also home April 3-4 against Miami. The left-field pavilion at Nationals Park is lined with cherry blossom trees. This season, the timing might be perfect...

LaRoche on knuckler-induced laughs, Ramos on nine-inning stint

LaRoche on knuckler-induced laughs, Ramos on nine-inning stint
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The pitch fluttered toward the plate, and Adam LaRoche had trouble suppressing a laugh. The ball thrown by Tim Hudson, one of LaRoche's former teammates with the Braves and a good friend, dipped and dropped, a cross between a blooper pitch and a knuckleball. What most fans didn't see were the silent hand signals between LaRoche and Hudson before the at-bat with one out in the second inning. Hudson has had some fun at LaRoche's expense in the past, and LaRoche said...

Johnson on plate collision debate: "We don't need any more rules"

Johnson on plate collision debate: "We don't need any more rules"
VIERA, Fla. - This has been the most vanilla of spring camps for the Nationals. No positional battles. No roster intrigue. Nothing but minor injuries (knock on wood). And barely any kind of controversy at all. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Just making an observation. That makes the daily media session with manager Davey Johnson a little different. The chats are generally brief - last year's could last upwards of 20 minutes, but this spring it's been more like 10 minutes or so, with...

Change in grip on splitter has Haren more hopeful

Change in grip on splitter has Haren more hopeful
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - After getting knocked around in his last two starts, all right-hander Dan Haren wanted was some progress, some incremental achievement to show he could still be effective. Tonight at Champion Stadium against the Braves, he weathered a one-inning blip, set down 10 straight hitters and wasn't happy with his his outing ended. After getting an assortment of bad swings and weak grounders one time through the order, Haren allowed a tape-measure homer to Jason Heyward that...

Haren, Nationals down 3-0 early (Nats lose 4-3)

Haren, Nationals down 3-0 early (Nats lose 4-3)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Dan Haren doesn't look very comfortable on the mound and the Nationals are down 3-0 after two innings at Champion Stadium. Haren ended the first inning by striking out Justin Upton and having catcher Wilson Ramos throw Andrelton Simmons out attempting to steal third. But it was all downhill in the second inning for Haren. Juan Francisco's single and a Chris Johnson double set up a two-run single by Tyler Pastornicky down the left-field line. After Matt Pagnozzi...