The Nationals lamented losing outfielder Erik Komatsu to the Cardinals in the Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, posturing that he was an important piece of organizational depth. Now, they might have another crack at reacquiring the 24-year-old, who came to Washington from the Brewers in exchange for utility man Jerry Hairston Jr., last July 30.
This morning, the Twins designated Komatsu for assignment to open up a roster spot, meaning he will have to pass through waivers in order...
It has not been the start Ryan Zimmerman wanted to have this season. Recovering from an injury and mustering only eight extra-base hits, his average has hovered below .250 in 30 games. You could tell the veteran was waiting for a game or an at-bat to break out of it.
Baseball is a game of opportunity. That chance knocked on the door in the latter stages Friday night in Atlanta. Zimmerman had the answer.
Braves starter Tim Hudson got into trouble in the seventh inning. Down 4-3 with two outs,...
Not so slowly, Steve Lombardozzi's story is becoming more than a feel-good local angle.
As Lombardozzi continues to perform, his role with the Nationals appears to be increasing.
The Maryland native was back in the lineup Friday in Atlanta, leading off and playing left field for his third start in four games and fourth in six contests. He had started just 13 of the team's first 39 games this season.
The versatile 23-year-old has played second, third, short and left for the Nats so far this...
Stephen Strasburg wasn't at his best and pinch-hitting ace Chad Tracy hurt himself on the same play he drove in the eventual winning run.
But that might've been the extent of the negative for the Nationals in Saturday's series-clinching 8-4 win over the Braves in Atlanta.
Every Nats starter other than Tyler Moore had at least a hit with Danny Espinosa's three-run homer being the big knock. Adam LaRoche added two RBIs while Bryce Harper hit his third homer and first since May...
Continuing to display the promise demonstrated in his Nationals late-season introduction, left-hander Tommy Milone is off to a great start with the Oakland Athletics.
Through nine starts, the former Nationals hurler has gone 6-3 with a 3.75 ERA, recording 32 strikeouts to lead the Athletics.
The southpaw has adjusted well, returning to his home state in a trade with pitchers Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, and catcher Derek Norris, during the offseason. The Nationals received pitchers Gio...
For the first time since last Sunday, Tyler Moore is back in the Nationals' lineup, batting seventh and playing left field. Moore hasn't touched the field since starting the Nats' series-ending rout of the Orioles.
Moore has been with the Nationals since being called up April 29, but has been seldom used. Today marks just his fifth start and 12th appearance overall. The 25-year-old utility man has struggled at the plate in his limited chances, batting .176 (3-for-17) with no walks, no...
Nationals manager Davey Johnson said he got some "good news" today regarding third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who has been sidelined because of right shoulder inflammation.
Zimmerman rigorously threw today and hit off a tee at about 75 percent force, Johnson said, and felt no discomfort. The 27-year-old will take part in batting practice tomorrow, and the Nats will see how he feels.
Zimmerman is eligible to come off the disabled list Sunday. Johnson said he "wouldn't be averse" to...
One week after his last extended spring training game, left-hander Matt Purke took to the mound yesterday in Viera, Fla., for six innings and a club official said he "pitched well." Purke threw five innings last week, according to a club source, and his fastball hit 92 mph.
On Thursday, Purke threw one more inning than last time and his velocity was "good," the official said. The Nats will wait a few days to decide what the next move would be.
But I imagine if Purke can throw six innings,...
Fresh off taking two of three from the Phillies, the Nationals venture to Turner Field tonight to take on the Atlanta Braves. Here is Davey Johnson's lineup:
Steve Lombardozzi LF
Bryce Harper RF
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Adam LaRoche 1B
Ian Desmond SS
Danny Espinosa 2B
Rick Ankiel CF
Jesus Flores C
Ross Detwiler LHP
Detwiler is 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA. This will be his ninth start of the season. He has lost three of his last four decisions. Detwiler is 1-0 with a 3.26 ERA against the Braves in six games...
Ross Detwiler's first six outings of this season were about as good as the Nationals could have hoped for when they named the lefty their No. 5 starter at the end of spring training.
Over those six starts, Detwiler pitched to a 2.10 ERA, posted a 1.02 WHIP by allowing just 35 baserunners in 34 1/3 innings, and held opponents to just a .208 average and a lowly .280 slugging percentage.
He was pitching exceptionally well, making Nats fans forget about Chien-Ming Wang, who was rehabbing a left...
Memorial Day weekend traditions abound in the Washington area. From tributes to America's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery and other resting places to the rumble of Rolling Thunder motorcyclists honoring MIAs to parades, picnics, pool openings and beach vacations, we have our own ways of marking the unofficial start of summer.
Now, thanks to the Nationals' surprising play this season, we have a new one: watching meaningful baseball.
Until now, this was usually the weekend when...
Every year, as the All-Star Game chatter gets going, the talk in Nationals nation is who they hope might get asked to be invited as a manager's choice, not which Nationals will actually be voted in or even how many will go.
And usually the conversation centers around a Ryan Zimmerman or a Drew Storen. Every once and awhile a deserving Tyler Clippard or Dmitri Young gets the call.
Not this season.
There is an incredible Nationals buzz about this team throughout the league.
This year's...
You know what's fun?
Being around opposing team's reporters and members of the national media and hearing them discuss Bryce Harper.
Those of us who watch the 19-year-old play every day are accustomed to his speed, power, baseball awareness (most of the time) and hustle. Those who haven't witnessed Harper in action as much are wowed by what they see even on days when the youngster doesn't light up the stat sheet.
As I wrote last night, Harper's statistical performance in yesterday's...
PHILADELPHIA - After a bit of a shaky start, Edwin Jackson settled down and ended up allowing just three runs over seven innings in tonight's loss to the Phillies.
Jackson just got out-pitched by Cole Hamels, who held Nationals hitters in check for a second straight start.
"I thought Edwin pitched a damn good ballgame, we just couldn't get nothing going against Hamels," manager Davey Johnson said. "You've got to give him credit. Pitched a good ballgame, and by the time we got something...
I usually use this space to delve into something that's caught my eye in the previous week of Nationals baseball. I try to examine whatever that might be using statistics, either the boxcar stats that come in the daily paper (you still read box scores, right?), or advanced stats, which really aren't all that advanced (it's still add, subtract, multiply and divide, just using some concepts you might not have thought about too much).
But this week, I'm going to forget the statistics and...
I have some updates on the pitching staff at Double-A Harrisburg, with a focus on the bullpen. The Senators swept a doubleheader from Altoona on Wednesday, once again thanks to the pitchers keeping the score down, 5-3 and 3-2.
A lot of talk has surrounded the emergence of former Yankees prospect right-hander Christian Garcia, who has fought back from a pair of Tommy John surgeries. He recorded his sixth save of the season in game one.
Senators pitching coach Paul Menhart said Garcia has...
PHILADELPHIA - Bryce Harper was asked after tonight's game whether he got the feeling early on that his old buddy Cole Hamels was going to keep the Nationals off-balance all night.
"Um, me personally, no," Harper said. "But maybe for everybody else, I guess. I felt good against him."
Harper went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk against Hamels tonight, but it was his first at-bat that he was lamenting after the game. The Nats right fielder took a 90 mph cutter out to deep left in the...
PHILADELPHIA - Nationals players aren't the only ones dealing with injuries.
Their manager is, too.
Davey Johnson has been battling a toe injury which originally came about back in his football playing days, but has cropped up recently. He's going to see a toe specialist in Baltimore during the Nats' off-day, but scoffed when asked if there's a chance of him missing any games.
"I'm not missing no games," Johnson said. "I'm missing my day off and playing golf and hustling some of the...
PHILADELPHIA - While Cole Hamels' actual outing against the Nationals back on May 6 might have gotten overlooked because of the Bryce Harper plunking, the Phillies lefty dominated Nats' hitters that day, allowing just one run and five hits over eight innings.
Hamels has continued that dominance tonight.
The Nats have yet to record a hit off Hamels through five innings, and they've been set down on strikes five times. Hamels has walked three Nats, but the scoreboard at Citizens Bank Park...
PHILADELPHIA - Stephen Stasburg threw a bullpen session earlier today at Citizens Bank Park, and all went well.
The Nationals' ace felt no effects from his last outing, in which he was pulled after five innings due to fatigue, and said he felt "great" during today's mound session. He will make his next planned start, this Saturday against the Braves.
Strasburg thinks that if he wasn't coming back off Tommy John surgery, he would've been allowed to stay in the game on Sunday, even after...