nationals

Soriano gets to root of tooth pain, Bernadina returns and says he's "close"

March 21, 2013, 12:47pm

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Rafael Soriano's wisdom tooth issues will hopefully be a thing of the past very soon. The Nationals closer was scheduled to undergo a root canal this afternoon near the team's Viera spring headquarters and manager Davey Johnson said he thinks the right-hander might be able to pitch as scheduled Friday against the Tigers at Space Coast Stadium. "I think he had a root canal at 2 o'clock," Johnson said before the Nationals battled the Braves at Champion Field on...

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Nats unveil plans for opening day ceremonies

March 21, 2013, 2:39pm

Nationals

Nats unveil plans for opening day ceremonies

Opening day may not be until April 1, but the Nationals have begun filling in the blanks about who will participate in what ceremonies to mark the 2013 season's first game at Nationals Park against the Miami Marlins. First, there's free stuff in your future - assuming you're one of the first 20,000 fans through the gates for the 1:05 p.m. contest. That's how many opening day caps will be distributed, courtesy of GEICO. Additionally, Nats fans are encouraged to wear red to show their...

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Another road start for Haren (plus Nats-Braves lineups)

March 21, 2013, 8:17am

Nationals

Another road start for Haren (plus Nats-Braves lineups)

VIERA, Fla. - Dan Haren gets another crack at finding his velocity and command tonight when the Nationals venture to Champion Field for a 6:05 p.m. game against the Atlanta Braves. So far this spring, Haren hasn't looked very good, posting a 5.79 ERA in four starts. A look inside the stats makes Haren's spring starts look even more confounding. In 14 innings pitched, he's yielded 15 hits and nine runs. But most of the damage has been of his own doing - Haren's allowed only three walks,...

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Nats acquire pitcher Ian Krol to complete Morse deal

March 20, 2013, 1:34pm

Nationals

Nats acquire pitcher Ian Krol to complete Morse deal

JUPITER, Fla. - The player to be named is no longer nameless. The Nationals today acquired left-handed pitcher Ian Krol from the Oakland A's, completing the Jan. 16 deal for outfielder/first baseman Michael Morse. Morse was shipped to the A's in exchange for Krol and right-handers A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen. Oakland then flipped Morse to Seattle for catcher John Jaso. The 21-year-old Krol was drafted by the A's in the seventh round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. In four seasons on...

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Johnson willing to give Rodriguez chances to overcome command issues

March 20, 2013, 1:56pm

Nationals

Johnson willing to give Rodriguez chances to overcome command issues

JUPITER, Fla. - Henry Rodriguez will be given every opportunity to work through his command issues, manager Davey Johnson said yesterday after another rough outing from the hard-throwing right-hander. "He's a power arm and he hasn't pitched a lot. ... He didn't pitch winter ball," Johnson said when asked about Rodriguez's struggles. "Once he's healthy, I need to go to him more, try to wear him down and get him comfortable going out there. It's just a matter of him getting enough...

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With opt-out looming, Young's strong effort will force decisions

March 20, 2013, 1:10pm

Nationals

With opt-out looming, Young's strong effort will force decisions

JUPITER, Fla. - Chris Young's outing Wednesday against the Miami Marlins - five scoreless innings of two-hit ball with nine straight batters retired at one point - may have created quite the win-win dilemma for the veteran right-hander. Young's most effective of three starts this spring lowered his Grapefruit League ERA to 3.00 and set the stage for some serious decision-making. Because he has a March 24 opt-out clause in the minor league deal he inked in February, there's no guarantee...

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Werth, Harper making trek to Jupiter worthwhile (Nats win 7-5)

March 20, 2013, 9:51am

Nationals

Werth, Harper making trek to Jupiter worthwhile (Nats win 7-5)

JUPITER, Fla. - Given his druthers, Jayson Werth would probably prefer to have remained back at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, done his work early and called it a day. Instead, he's here at Roger Dean Stadium, plugging along with the rest of what's expected to be the Nationals' regular season lineup. For a guy who didn't relish the 90-minute or so bus trek down Interstate 95 - which manager Davey Johnson is well aware of, but really doesn't care about - Werth is making the most of the...

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Case closed: Johnson doesn't think 'pen needs second lefty

March 20, 2013, 8:11am

Nationals

Case closed: Johnson doesn't think 'pen needs second lefty

JUPITER, Fla. - With less than two weeks left in camp, Davey Johnson is still fielding questions about whether he needs a second left-hander in his bullpen. And the Nationals manager continues to insist that he's confident that his hard-throwing right-handers can be effective against even the most dangerous left-handed sticks. One word summed up Johnson's feelings: "Stuff." The Nationals continue to look at left-hander Fernando Abad, a non-roster invitee, as a potential complement to...

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If Nats starters can go long, bullpen is set up to close deal

March 20, 2013, 8:30am

Nationals

If Nats starters can go long, bullpen is set up to close deal

The Nationals' group of late-inning specialists, consisting of Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen and Rafael Soriano, could be that 1-2-3 punch at the end of games that manager Davey Johnson envisions. If these three can be like the Atlanta Braves' final three (Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel), the Nationals, as Johnson hopes, can shorten games to six innings. Here is my blog about those three from February. And with a starting five of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan...

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Nationals-Marlins lineups (plus Bernadina, Soriano notes)

March 20, 2013, 7:48am

Nationals

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals get another look at right-hander Chris Young today against the Miami Marlins, and it could be their last. Signed to a minor league deal Feb. 22 as part of general manager Mike Rizzo's offseason attempt to bolster the Nats' starting pitching depth, Young has an opt-out clause in his contract. He can leave the club March 24 if he doesn't think he'll have a shot at a roster spot - or if he thinks he can find a major league job elsewhere. The Nationals have him...

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For first base coach Tarasco, focus on preparation leads to new opportunity

March 19, 2013, 6:24am

Nationals

For first base coach Tarasco, focus on preparation leads to new opportunity

VIERA, Fla. - Perhaps no role on a coaching staff is more misunderstood than that of the first base coach. New Nationals first base coach Tony Tarasco knows this. He realizes fans see him point a runner toward second base on a sure-fire double down the line, or grab the batting gloves from a player who has just drawn a walk, and think he has the cushiest job on the diamond. Tarasco, in his first season on Davey Johnson's staff after seven seasons in Washington's minor leagues as an...

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Johnson cracking the whip and Werth is ready (updated)

March 18, 2013, 1:48pm

Nationals

Johnson cracking the whip and Werth is ready (updated)

VIERA, Fla. - The whip is coming, and Jayson Werth is ready. For several days, Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been pulling his regulars aside and telling them that the somewhat leisurely pace that goes along with a seven-week spring training elongated by the World Baseball Classic is about to change drastically. No more veterans begging off from long bus trips, citing the years they've spent and the presence of rookies. "I'm taking everybody," said Johnson, who pinpointed...

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Changing things up, Zimmermann adds to his repertoire

March 18, 2013, 1:02pm

Nationals

Changing things up, Zimmermann adds to his repertoire

VIERA, Fla. - Jordan Zimmermann isn't usually prone to wordy dissections of his pitching lines, so when the Nationals right-hander spends more than four minutes responding to questions about his performance, you know he's probably done something of note. In this case, it was the kind of spring start that rarely happens: After surrendering a leadoff single to Andy Dirks on Monday, Zimmermann was as locked in as a pitcher can get, retiring the next 18 hitters in order and spraying ground balls...

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Johnson on Soriano's outing, Storen's rebound (plus Gonzalez note)

March 18, 2013, 1:22pm

Nationals

Johnson on Soriano's outing, Storen's rebound (plus Gonzalez note)

VIERA, Fla. - It'll take a lot more than one subpar outing for Nationals manager Davey Johnson to lose faith in new closer Rafael Soriano. Soriano had a hiccup Monday afternoon, coughing up a 1-0 lead in an outing that Johnson said was nowhere near as bad as it looked. "I thought that was the best he's thrown all spring," Johnson said after Soriano yielded four runs on five hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning, absorbing the loss in a 5-1 defeat. "I thought he made some quality...

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Zimmermann's got that sinking feeling (Nats lose 5-1)

March 18, 2013, 9:53am

Nationals

Zimmermann's got that sinking feeling (Nats lose 5-1)

VIERA, Fla. - When Jordan Zimmermann is on, you can often tell by the number of ground balls he gets. Swings and misses are nice - everybody gets so enamored of strikeouts - but a biting sinker usually translates into many chances for Nationals infielders. Suffice it to say Zimmermann's got some sink to his stuff today. Through three innings against the Tigers, Zimmermann is keeping his infielders hopping. He has gotten seven outs on ground balls and the only batter to get a ball into the...

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Nats cut eight, Snyder released, spring roster pared to 33 (updated)

March 18, 2013, 7:03am

Nationals

Nats cut eight, Snyder released, spring roster pared to 33 (updated)

VIERA, Fla. - Faced with too many pitchers and dwindling innings, and preparing to start playing his regulars deeper into games, Davey Johnson announced another round of eight cuts at Nationals camp before Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Detroit Tigers. Right-handers Ryan Perry and Erik Davis, first baseman Chris Marrero, catcher Jhonatan Solano and outfielder Corey Brown were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, and right-hander Ross Ohlendorf and infielder Zach Walters were reassigned...

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Tigers-Nats lineups (plus Garcia, Gonzalez notes)

March 18, 2013, 7:32am

Nationals

Tigers-Nats lineups (plus Garcia, Gonzalez notes)

VIERA, Fla. - Another day, another appearance by a Nationals lineup filled with regulars for today's 1:05 p.m. game against the Detroit Tigers at Space Coast Stadium. The Tigers didn't skimp on star power either, bringing their marquee names for the 90-minute drive from Lakeland. For the Tigers: LF - Andy Dirks RF - Torii Hunter 3B - Miguel Cabrera 1B - Prince Fielder DH - Victor Martinez C - Alex Avila CF - Don Kelly 2B - Omar Infante SS - Ramon Santiago RHP - Max Scherzer For the...

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Nationals trim spring training roster to 33

March 18, 2013, 7:57am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today granted catcher Chris Snyder his unconditional release. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals currently have 33 players in their big league camp.

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Jhonatan Solano's most excellent outfield adventure

March 17, 2013, 1:50pm

Nationals

Jhonatan Solano's most excellent outfield adventure

LAKELAND, Fla. - The catcher who played the final two innings in left field Sunday afternoon didn't look as out of place as you might expect. He ran fairly well, showed off a decent arm and made sure he didn't drop any of the three fly balls that were hit to him in his unexpected stint. Not that Jhonatan Solano had any experience playing left field before manager Davey Johnson looked down the bench, wondering who would be willing to take over for Micah Owings, who was dealing with a minor...

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Nationals trim spring training roster to 34

March 18, 2013, 6:58am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today optioned right-handed pitchers Erik Davis, Yunesky Maya and Ryan Perry, catcher Jhonatan Solano, infielder Chris Marrero and outfielder Corey Brown to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Additionally, the Nationals re-assigned right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and infielder Zach Walters to minor league camp. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. The Nationals currently have...