nationals

Joe Drugan: Cruel and unusual punishment

May 15, 2012, 5:52am

The Nationals are dealing with lots of injuries. I mean, lots and lots of injuries. If you look at the list of Nats players that are down and out, it would be comical if it weren't so brutally sad and frustrating. Let's remind ourselves of these injuries, consider how ridiculous it is that the team is somehow still 22-13 and evaluate the biggest need for the team. Wilson Ramos, Sandy Leon: This is quickly becoming the biggest storyline for the Nats. Catchers are always a commodity for a...

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How close was Stephen Strasburg to being a Padre?

May 14, 2012, 8:52pm

Nationals

How close was Stephen Strasburg to being a Padre?

It was the close of a miserable 2008 campaign. The Nationals were in the midst of losing 14 of their final 17 games en route to dismal 59-102 overall mark. In late September 2008, the San Diego Padres traveled to D.C. for a three-game set against the Nationals. The Padres swept the Nationals - winning 11-6 in 14 innings, 6-1 and 6-2 during a weekend series from Sept. 19-21, 2008. Following that sweep, the Padres went 2-4 the rest if the way. The Nationals went 1-4. San Diego finished...

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Harper on first home run: "Hopefully, it's one of many"

May 14, 2012, 9:01pm

Nationals

Harper on first home run: "Hopefully, it's one of many"

With it being a Monday night and rain falling throughout the afternoon and into the evening, there wasn't a huge crowd on hand at Nationals Park Monday. But in the third inning, when Bryce Harper bounded into the dugout after his first major league home run, those in attendance stayed on their feet, kept clapping and called for the 19-year-old rookie to take a bow. It was all set up to be a great Nationals moment, similar to the one Stephen Strasburg had when he took his curtain call out of...

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Leon has high ankle sprain, Maldonado to be called up

May 14, 2012, 7:51pm

Nationals

Leon has high ankle sprain, Maldonado to be called up

A player's major league debut is supposed to be a thrilling time in his life, a day he'll never forget. Unfortunately, years from now, Sandy Leon will not look back too fondly on his first-ever game in the big leagues. Manager Davey Johnson announced after today's game that Leon suffered a high right ankle sprain when he was run into at the plate by Padres third baseman Chase Headley in the fourth inning, an injury which will land Leon on the DL just a day after he was officially activated...

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Nats win a wild one, 8-5

May 14, 2012, 6:14pm

Nationals

It was a wacky night in the nation's capital. We had four errors (one of which scored a run), another Nationals catcher leave with an injury, a phenom hit his first major league home run, a journeyman hit a big pinch-hit homer and a total of 13 runs score in a game played between two of the worst offensive teams in baseball. In the end, the Nats escaped with an 8-5 win, with Sean Burnett bailing out Henry Rodriguez to earn the save. It wasn't easy, though. Rodriguez walked the bases loaded...

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Harper not embarrassed by bat-to-face incident

May 14, 2012, 7:50pm

Nationals

Harper not embarrassed by bat-to-face incident

Before Monday's series opener against the Padres, Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper said his left eye was feeling better three days after he struck himself with his bat off a runway wall in the Cincinnati visitors' clubhouse. The pain had subsided and he didn't have to sleep a certain way to avoid laying on his left side. When asked if the injury was embarrassing, Harper said, "No, I'm not embarrassed." He said the incident would not make him change his future reaction to a bad game...

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Burnett saves H-Rod and roller coaster night at Nats Park

May 14, 2012, 7:47pm

Nationals

Burnett saves H-Rod and roller coaster night at Nats Park

The Nationals lost another catcher. Bryce Harper hit his first major league homer. Down 5-4, Ian Desmond smacked 2-run double. Chad Tracy and Xavier Nady added insurance solo shots. Nationals led 8-5. Someone please find the off switch for this roller coaster. This is Nationals Park not Kings Dominion. Showing confidence again in his young closer, manager Davey Johnson summoned Henry Rodriguez for the ninth frame. Not feeling confident, Rodriguez walked the bases loaded. With one out,...

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Report: Rendon's season "likely over" due to ankle injury (with Nationals' response)

May 14, 2012, 6:09pm

Nationals

High Single-A Potomac Nationals third baseman

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Rookie Leon helped off after injuring right leg (updated twice)

May 14, 2012, 4:32pm

Nationals

Rookie Leon helped off after injuring right leg (updated twice)

A cool moment - Bryce Harper's first major league home run - is quickly trumped by a sad one. Nationals catcher Sandy Leon, making his major league debut tonight, was run into by Padres third baseman Chase Headley as Headley was trying to score from second on a fourth-inning single to right-center. Leon's right leg got bent back, and he was clearly in pain after Headley touched home to make it a 4-3 game. It was a clean play by Headley, as Leon was blocking almost the entire plate, but the...

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Harper blasts his first career home run

May 14, 2012, 4:19pm

Nationals

The kid is in the home run column. It took Bryce Harper 15 games, but with no one on and two outs in the bottom of the third inning tonight, he smacked his first career major league homer to dead-center field, the ball rolling about a quarter of the way up the batter's eye. The home run came on a 2-1 pitch from Padres righty Tim Stauffer and gave the Nationals a 4-1 lead. Harper motored around the bases in a hurry and returned to smiles and high fives in the Nationals' dugout. The sparse...

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Wang to make at least one more rehab start

May 14, 2012, 3:05pm

Nationals

Wang to make at least one more rehab start

Even after going eight strong innings for Triple-A Syracuse in a rehab start earlier today, Chien-Ming Wang will not rejoin the Nationals just yet. Manager Davey Johnson said that Wang will make at least one more rehab outing before the Nats decide to activate him and have him join their rotation. "He should for sure get one more start down there, and then we'll go from there," Johnson said. Wang, who suffered a left hamstring injury during a spring training start on March 15, is allowed...

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Johnson on Rodriguez: "As far as I'm concerned, he's been great"

May 14, 2012, 1:46pm

Nationals

Johnson on Rodriguez: "As far as I'm concerned, he's been great"

Given the two blown saves Henry Rodriguez has put up over his last four outings and the spectacular manner in which the Nationals' closer has lost those games, manager Davey Johnson has been asked whether Rodriguez will continue to get the ball in save situations. He got that question after yesterday's 9-6 loss, in which Rodriguez allowed a walk-off grand slam to Joey Votto, and stated that he'll stick with the 25-year-old righty. Today, Johnson was asked whether he thinks Rodriguez's...

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A plethora of injury updates on Morse, Werth, Storen, Lidge, DeRosa

May 14, 2012, 2:29pm

Nationals

A plethora of injury updates on Morse, Werth, Storen, Lidge, DeRosa

I've got a ton of injury updates to pass along today, so I'll jump right into it. According to manager Davey Johnson, left fielder Michael Morse threw from about 50-60 feet without any problem today, and Morse said he plans to take some dry swings tomorrow, meaning he won't actually make contact with a ball. If Morse keeps progressing in his rehab from a strained left lat, the plan is for him to go on a rehab assignment and then rejoin the Nationals when they open interleague play on June...

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Sandy Leon earned promotion with play, not proximity to big league club

May 14, 2012, 1:51pm

Nationals

Sandy Leon earned promotion with play, not proximity to big league club

Nationals catcher Sandy Leon was all-smiles as he got dressed Monday in front of his locker, located between fellow Venezuelan receivers Wilson Ramos and Jesus Flores. Leon got the call to the big leagues from Double-A Harrisburg after an unfortunate right knee injury to Ramos, who may miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Leon was not selected because he was closer geographically to where the Nationals were playing the Reds in Cincinnati, Ohio, when the injury to Ramos occurred....

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Wang goes eight-plus innings in rehab start at Syracuse

May 14, 2012, 10:23am

Nationals

Wang goes eight-plus innings in rehab start at Syracuse

It's looking like Chien-Ming Wang is just about ready to return to the big leagues. Wang threw eight-plus innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse this afternoon, allowing four runs on 11 hits with a walk, a strikeout and a hit batter. The Chiefs beat Rochester 6-4 in a game that was aired on MLB Network. Wang had his heavy sinker working today, as he got 14 groundball outs and benefited from three inning-ending double plays. A number of the 11 hits he allowed were on ground balls or...

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Leon to make major league debut vs. Padres

May 14, 2012, 11:52am

Nationals

Leon to make major league debut vs. Padres

Sandy Leon will make his major league debut tonight as the Nationals host the Padres in the first game of a brief two-game series. He'll catch and hit eighth. Weather permitting, the game begins at 7:05 p.m. Here's the Padres lineup: CF Cameron Maybin RF Chris Denorfia LF Jesus Guzman 1B Yonder Alonso 3B Chase Headley C Nick Hundley 2B Orlando Hudson SS Jason Bartlett P Tim Stauffer Here's the Nationals lineup: SS Ian Desmond LF Roger Bernadina 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche RF Bryce...

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Latest updates on Purke, Rendon and Goodwin

May 14, 2012, 11:38am

Nationals

Latest updates on Purke, Rendon and Goodwin

According to a team source, prospect third baseman Matt Purke has thrown three innings within the last week in Florida and looks to be a couple of weeks from returning to the Nationals' minor league system. Purke has been lengthened out and is building strength as he gets ready to return, according to a Nationals team source. The reason for Purke's attendance in extended spring training has not been detailed but it's certainly a good sign that he's pitching again and could be back in late...

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Ted Leavengood: Guts and artistry

May 14, 2012, 6:46am

Nationals

Beneath the frustrating 9-6 loss to Joey Votto and the Reds, beneath the implosion of Henry Rodriguez, there were glimpses in Cincinnati of the team the Nationals are becoming. The weather Sunday was miserable thing and losing when the team scores six runs was a bitter blow, one that knocked Washington out of first place for the first time since the earliest days of the season. But it was a gutsy performance nonetheless after the bitter loss of Wilson Ramos on Saturday to come back and jump on...

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Hagerstown's Goodwin could be good to go by end of the week

May 13, 2012, 5:58pm

Nationals

Hagerstown's Goodwin could be good to go by end of the week

Ever since outfielder Brian Goodwin went down with a quad injury running to first base after a single April 9, many have wondered when the former Miami Dade College star would return to low Single-A Hagerstown. Goodwin was a prized 2011 draft selection by the Nationals and is still touted as a future leadoff hitter/center fielder with the speed and plus-plus tools to become and everyday major league contributor. In just five games, Goodwin showed he was ready to play well in the pros, able to...

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Ramos has torn ACL, Nats call up Leon

May 13, 2012, 7:00am

Nationals

The news is not good for Wilson Ramos. An MRI has revealed that Ramos has a torn ACL in his right knee, an injury which will likely sideline him for most, if not all, of this season. The Nationals have placed Ramos on the 15-day disabled list and called up catcher Sandy Leon from Double-A Harrisburg to back up Jesus Flores. Leon, who will wear No. 41, batted .319 with 10 doubles, one home run and 12 RBIs in 27 games this season with the Senators. He also has been strong behind the plate,...