nationals

A name to watch in the race for the final bullpen spot

February 28, 2013, 3:34am

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals will host the Mets at Space Coast Stadium tonight, with first pitch coming at 6:05 p.m. Because the game is at night and at home, the Nationals won't have a workout today until 2 p.m. The players not participating in road night games work out at Space Coast Stadium in the morning, but for home night games, the workouts are pushed back to the afternoon, giving everyone the morning off. That includes yours truly. Looks like a late-morning nap is in my...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko fernando abad nationals spring training frontstory_nationals3

Young pleased with first live BP (plus Mets, Nats lineups)

February 28, 2013, 9:37am

Nationals

Young pleased with first live BP (plus Mets, Nats lineups)

VIERA, Fla. - Because shoulder issues have plagued Chris Young for much of the last few years, it's been a while since he's had a normal spring training. Yesterday, Young took the mound on one of the side fields at the Nationals complex and threw his first live batting practice since signing a minor league deal with the team last week. That's something that he hasn't been able to do this early in spring in recent years, but it was a nice first step toward the veteran right-hander getting...

Comments

Tags:

chris young dan kolko lineups mets nationals frontstory_nationals1

Hearing from Haren following his spring debut (Nats lose)

February 27, 2013, 10:37am

Nationals

Hearing from Haren following his spring debut (Nats lose)

VIERA, Fla. - It's 5-1 Marlins as we go to the ninth inning here at Space Coast Stadium. After Craig Stammen relieved Dan Haren and pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, Tanner Roark gave up four runs in his 1 1/3 innings of work, putting Miami up big. The Nationals loaded the bases with none out in the eighth, but brought across just one run on a Carlos Rivero sacrifice fly. Drew Storen is on to work the ninth for the Nats. I questioned in an earlier entry whether Dan Haren...

Comments

Tags:

dan haren dan kolko nationals spring training frontstory_nationals1

Haren starts slow, then settles in

February 27, 2013, 8:40am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Even though Dan Haren has pitched in 10 big league seasons, it's entirely possible he was a little nervous in his first inning of spring. Today was Haren's first time pitching in a Nationals uniform, and his first time on a mound in a game situation in about five months. I wouldn't blame the guy if he had some nerves early on. Haren was shaky in his first inning of work this afternoon, giving up a triple off the center field wall to Christian Yelich on his second pitch of the...

Comments

Tags:

dan haren dan kolko nationals spring training frontstory_nationals3

Pregame notes on Zimmerman, Ramos, Kimball (plus lineups)

February 27, 2013, 6:58am

Nationals

Pregame notes on Zimmerman, Ramos, Kimball (plus lineups)

VIERA, Fla. - The Marlins have arrived at Space Coast Stadium, and after all the roster turnover that team underwent this offseason, Davey Johnson doesn't really know exactly what he's looking at. "I'm still trying to learn their names," Johnson said. "And I'm not even sure what position the names are going in." The Marlins will have Donovan Solano starting at second base today -he's the brother of Jhonatan Solano, a catcher in the Nationals' system. Other than that, there are very...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko davey johnson lineups marlins nationals bryce harper cole kimball featured_sidebar ryan zimmerman wilson ramos frontstory_nationals3

It's only spring training, but Harper wants in

February 27, 2013, 2:58am

Nationals

It's only spring training, but Harper wants in

VIERA, Fla. - After having a rain delay of at least an hour disrupt two of the Nationals' last three games, it looks like we're in the clear for today's 1 p.m. game against the Marlins at Space Coast Stadium. That is, unless I've jinxed us. If it starts pouring this afternoon, I'll have no one to blame but myself. Dan Haren will get the ball today for his first spring start in a Nationals uniform. After a recent live batting practice session in which Haren was admittedly a bit too amped...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper dan haren dan kolko nationals spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Young, Soriano throw live BP, Rodriguez is next (with Vasquez note)

February 27, 2013, 7:44am

Nationals

Young, Soriano throw live BP, Rodriguez is next (with Vasquez note)

VIERA, Fla. - Javier Vasquez has pulled out of the World Baseball Classic and decided not to pitch in the major leagues this season, according to El Nuevo DÃƒÂa, a Puerto Rican newspaper. The Nationals had scouted Vasquez in Puerto Rico this offseason prior to the veteran right-hander suffering a meniscus injury. General manager Mike Rizzo went down to watch Vasquez in person, and had been considering Vasquez as an option to give the Nationals increased starting pitching depth within the...

Comments

Tags:

chris young dan kolko henry rodriguez nationals rafael soriano spring training frontstory_nationals1

A look at a stacked rotation and another possible innings limit dilemma

February 27, 2013, 4:37am

Nationals Orioles

A look at a stacked rotation and another possible innings limit dilemma

When it comes to baseball's best rotations, the Nationals, Phillies, Giants and Braves are usually the four teams mentioned first. But the team with the deepest rotation is usually overlooked. We're talking about the Reds. With Aroldis Chapman, a lefty reliever who can throw 100 mph, moving from closer to the rotation, the Reds have six quality starters. Like the Nationals' John Lannan a year ago, one talented Reds pitcher with nothing to prove will start the season at Triple-A. The Reds...

Comments

Tags:

frontstory_nationals4 frontstory_orioles4 mel antonen nationals orioles

Johnson talks Detwiler, Harper, Perry

February 26, 2013, 12:41pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Had the rain postponed today's game between the Nationals and Braves, Ross Detwiler's pitching schedule would have gotten thrown all out of whack. Detwiler was scheduled to start today and then get one more outing with the Nats on March 3 before joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic on March 4. If the rain that fell heavily from about 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. had forced a postponement and not just a one-hour delay, the Nationals would have needed to...

Comments

Tags:

bryce harper dan kolko davey johnson nationals ross detwiler ryan perry featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Nationals' top prospects fortified by "second wave" of talent

February 26, 2013, 6:44pm

Nationals

When the Nationals beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Monday with a roster filled with the future of the organization, the team's development staff had to be beaming with a sense of pride and accomplishment. It wasn't too long ago the Nationals would bring 80 guys to camp and didn't know if they had a handful of major leaguers in that lot. The entire starting lineup Monday night featured the best the minor league system had to offer, sprinkled with a couple of players already with the...

Comments

Tags:

anthony rendon byron kerr doug harris matt skole nathan karns nationals taylor jordan frontstory_nationals2 mark scialabba

Ramos closing in on a return to action

February 26, 2013, 4:37am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche are both scheduled to make their spring debuts tomorrow. Manager Davey Johnson has slotted Werth in right field (hitting third) and LaRoche at first base (hitting fourth) for tomorrow's home game against the Marlins, giving two of his most-tenured veterans their first action this spring. Dan Haren will start tomorrow for the Nationals. Chad Tracy, who didn't make the trip to Port St. Lucie yesterday because of a bruised arm, had a bat in his...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals spring training wilson ramos adam laroche featured_sidebar micah owings frontstory_nationals3

Karns makes quite an impression in first big league spring contest

February 26, 2013, 2:56am

Nationals

Karns makes quite an impression in first big league spring contest

VIERA, Fla. - If not for a dazzling defensive play from Mets outfield prospect Matt den Dekker, who scaled the center field wall at Tradition Field last night to bring in Anthony Rendon's deep fly, Rendon would have had himself two straight games with a two-run homer. The catch by den Dekker ended up as No. 3 on the top 10 plays on "SportsCenter" last night, and it limited Rendon to a 1-for-2 game. "Who does that?" Rendon joked after the game. "It's spring training!" A couple of...

Comments

Tags:

anthony rendon dan kolko nathan karns nationals spring training frontstory_nationals3

Nats hoping to play through the drops, plus lineups

February 26, 2013, 7:26am

Nationals

Nats hoping to play through the drops, plus lineups

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The tarp is on the field here at Champion Stadium at ESPN's Wide World of Sports, and the skies have opened up. They're calling for some pretty heavy showers here this afternoon and I've even heard rumblings of a tornado watch, but the Nationals are really hoping to get today's contest in, largely because they want to get Ross Detwiler into a game. Detwiler is scheduled to leave the Nats on March 4 to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. He'll get a...

Comments

Tags:

braves dan kolko davey johnson lineups nationals spring training frontfeatured_nationals

Nationals seeking anthem performers for 2013 season

February 26, 2013, 7:08am

Nationals

Oh, say, do you think you can sing the national anthem before a game at Nationals Park? If so, warm up your vocal chords. The Nationals would like to hear - and hear from - you. Beginning today, the first 50 people who submit their resume (performance or otherwise) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. will be invited to auditions at the ballpark on Saturday, March 9. Anthem performers must meet the following prerequisites: * The anthem should take no longer than 90 seconds to sing. * The anthem must be...

Comments

Tags:

nationals nationals buzz pete kerzel

Washington Nationals seek national anthem performers

February 26, 2013, 7:00am

Nationals

Talented Washington Nationals fans who are interested in performing the national anthem throughout the 2013 season are invited to submit their applications beginning today. The first 50 anthem hopefuls to submit their resume (performance or otherwise) and a recent photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. will be invited to audition live at Nationals Park on Saturday, March 9. Anthem performers must meet the following prerequisites: * The anthem should take no longer than 90 seconds to sing * The...

Comments

Tags:

Nationals News Release nationals

Johnson analyzes Gonzalez's outing, Nats' 6-4 win

February 25, 2013, 5:02pm

Nationals

Johnson analyzes Gonzalez's outing, Nats' 6-4 win

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - There wasn't much not to like about Gio Gonzalez's spring debut tonight at Tradition Field. He pitched two clean innings, worked on fastball command, showed off a sharp, bending curve and left his manager, Davey Johnson, impressed. "Gio was great," Johnson said. "He had a little rough first inning with an error behind him. He threw 25-something pitches in the first inning. But he was real efficient, more like himself in the second. And that was all he needed,...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko davey johnson nationals spring training frontstory_nationals3

Gonzalez shaky in first spring inning (but finishes strong)

February 25, 2013, 1:42pm

Nationals

Gonzalez shaky in first spring inning (but finishes strong)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Most pitchers throw fastballs almost exclusively in their first outing of spring in an attempt to build up arm strength and work on their location. Gio Gonzalez went a different route. Gonzalez leaned heavily on his curveball in his first inning of work, throwing at least six hammers, by my count, in a 23-pitch frame. The left-hander didn't have good fastball location, walking Brandon Hicks to put the first two batters on following a Zach Walters error, but man, his...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals spring training frontstory_nationals3

Gonzalez happy to hear "fans still support you and they still love you" (Nats win)

February 25, 2013, 3:28pm

Nationals

Gonzalez happy to hear "fans still support you and they still love you" (Nats win)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez was sporting a small scar on his forehead after his spring debut. Had he gotten hit on the head with a ball unbeknownst to reporters? Had he taken a tumble while taking part in fielding drills during a recent workout? Nope. Gonzalez said the scar was rug burn, the result of a bit of a wrestling match with his French Bulldog, Hollywood. Credit Hollywood with the pin. "She gave me a rug burn. I hate her," Gonzalez said. "And then I love her. And then I...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko nationals spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals1

Tracy, Owings battling bumps and bruises (plus two guys impressing Davey)

February 25, 2013, 12:40pm

Nationals

Tracy, Owings battling bumps and bruises (plus two guys impressing Davey)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Two Nationals that were scheduled to make today's trip to Port St. Lucie ended up staying in Viera. Chad Tracy is dealing with a bruise on his right triceps area after getting hit by a pitch yesterday against the Marlins, and manager Davey Johnson said the Nationals' plan is to keep him out of the lineup both today and tomorrow. Tracy's injury isn't thought to be serious. Same goes for Micah Owings, the former pitcher who is trying to reinvent himself as a position...

Comments

Tags:

dan kolko danny espinosa davey johnson nationals ryan zimmerman spring training wilson ramos frontstory_nationals3

Nats-Mets lineups for Gonzalez's spring debut

February 25, 2013, 10:38am

Nationals

Nats-Mets lineups for Gonzalez's spring debut

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Of the players the Nationals brought with them on today's road trip to Port St. Lucie, likely just three will find themselves on the opening day roster. Gio Gonzalez will get the ball against the Mets tonight, in a game being broadcast in the D.C. and Baltimore regions on MLB Network, but behind him will be a host of prospects with incredibly long odds at cracking the 25-man roster come April 1. Tyler Moore and Steve Lombardozzi made the trip, and veteran Chris Snyder...