nationals

Could Chien-Ming Wang be Nats' ace in the hole?

March 07, 2012, 2:58am

VIERA, Fla. - Two days ago, after watching Chien-Ming Wang throw two innings in an intrasquad game, manager Davey Johnson declared that the veteran right-hander looked to be stronger than he was at the end of last season, when he made 11 starts for the Nationals after recovering from a shoulder injury. "He looks like the old Chien-Ming," Johnson confidently stated. The old Chien-Ming was a workhorse, a top-of-the-rotation guy with the Yankees, who won 19 games in both 2006 and 2007,...

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Johnson talks Werth, DeRosa, Desmond's defense

March 06, 2012, 12:34pm

Nationals

Johnson talks Werth, DeRosa, Desmond's defense

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Two balls left Champion Stadium off Washington Nationals' bats this afternoon. The first came in the second inning when Jayson Werth smacked the first pitch he saw over the right field wall, perhaps benefiting slightly from a heavy wind going out to right. Regardless of whether the long ball was wind-aided, it was a shot, no doubt about that. Manager Davey Johnson will certainly take the power from Werth, but Johnson couldn't help but laugh when talking about the...

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Report: Nationals in talks with Lee County over City of Palms Park

March 06, 2012, 12:42pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals appear to be taking tentative steps toward moving their spring training home from Space Coast Stadium to Fort Myers, Fla. According to this tweet from Peter Gammons of the MLB Network and MLB.com, the Nationals have given Lee County their plans for a reconstruction of City of Palms Park, the former spring base of the Red Sox. Boston moved into JetBlue Park this spring, leaving their old facility empty and with an unsure future. The key will be whether...

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Radar readings nearly as impressive as Gonzalez's stuff

March 06, 2012, 11:57am

Nationals

Radar readings nearly as impressive as Gonzalez's stuff

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - On Gio Gonzalez's first official pitch of spring training, the radar gun on the scoreboard at Champion Stadium read 94 mph. On his final pitch of his first inning of work, the gun flashed 95 mph. Gonzalez doesn't buy those figures. "I think these guns were juiced a little bit," Gonzalez laughed. "I don't know if it was really 95." Not everyone agreed. Asked if he felt the radar readings might have been accurate, catcher Wilson Ramos nodded his head. "Oh,...

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Nats not concerned about Morse's injury (Nats win 5-2)

March 06, 2012, 10:34am

Nationals

Nats not concerned about Morse's injury (Nats win 5-2)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It appears Michael Morse's injury isn't anything to worry about. Morse was pulled from the Nationals' lineup less than an hour prior to this afternoon's game against the Braves because of a lat strain, an injury which can sometimes sideline players for multiple weeks. But the Nationals' left fielder, who led the team in home runs, RBIs and batting average last year, says he's not concerned about missing more than a couple days because of the injury. "I'm not...

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Gonzalez makes a strong first impression

March 06, 2012, 9:03am

Nationals

Gonzalez makes a strong first impression

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez looks pretty darn good in a Nationals uniform. Making his Nats debut today, Gonzalez looked very sharp, going three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out two. The power lefty threw 41 pitches, 23 of which were strikes. He sat 91-94 MPH with his fastball, and touched 95. Gonzalez struck out Braves left fielder Matt Diaz with a nasty knee-buckling curveball to lead off the top of the second inning, and then got center fielder...

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MASN announces 2012 Nationals broadcast schedule

March 06, 2012, 9:48am

Nationals

MASN, the television home of the Washington Nationals, today announced its Major League Baseball schedule for the 2012 season. Once again, all Nationals games broadcast by MASN will be available in crystal-clear high definition, including the April 5 season opener in Chicago against the Cubs, the April 12 home opener against the Cincinnati Reds, and interleague series against the Baltimore Orioles (May 18-20, June 22-24), Boston Red Sox (June 8-10), Toronto Blue Jays (June 11-13), New York...

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Morse pulled from lineup with lat strain; Harper to start

March 06, 2012, 7:45am

Nationals

Morse pulled from lineup with lat strain; Harper to start

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Michael Morse was scheduled to get his second start of spring this afternoon against the Braves. That won't be happening. Morse has been pulled from today's lineup because of a lat strain. According to the team, Morse is listed as day-to-day. Manager Davey Johnson worked around the Morse injury by moving Brett Carroll from right field to Morse's left field spot and inserting Bryce Harper into the starting lineup in right field. This will mark the fourth time in...

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Werth goes yard, Harper goes too far (updated)

March 06, 2012, 8:48am

Nationals

Werth goes yard, Harper goes too far (updated)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Jayson Werth smacked the first pitch he saw today on a line over the right field wall, giving the center fielder his first hit of spring and giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead over the Braves. The ball got out of here quickly, and while it might have been wind-aided, it was definitely struck well. Two batters later, right fielder Bryce Harper - who was a late addition to the lineup today after Michael Morse was pulled because of a lat strain - smoked a line drive single...

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With Johnson as instructor, second base will become classroom

March 06, 2012, 7:09am

Nationals

With Johnson as instructor, second base will become classroom

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The class will convene sometime in the next couple of days on the half field at Space Coast Stadium. Nationals manager Davey Johnson will assume the role of teacher, working with several players on how to be a better second baseman. It's Johnson's positional version of post-graduate study for guys like Anthony Rendon, a natural third baseman currently blocked by Ryan Zimmerman on the Nationals' depth chart, and Zach Walters, a farmhand who figures learning a new...

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One thing the Nats want Harper to work on

March 06, 2012, 7:33am

Nationals

One thing the Nats want Harper to work on

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Greetings from the Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World, where the Nationals will take on the Braves in about an hour or so. I can neither confirm nor deny reports that I started crying tears of joy when I drove past the "Happiest Place on Earth" sign on my way in. Right-handed flamethrower Henry Rodriguez got some work in during in an intrasquad game yesterday, and after getting a chance to rest today and tomorrow, he'll likely make his Grapefruit League...

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Adam LaRoche feeling better, eyeing Wednesday return (Davey says no)

March 06, 2012, 4:18am

Nationals

Adam LaRoche feeling better, eyeing Wednesday return (Davey says no)

VIERA, Fla. - A week of rest has apparently benefited Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche, who says that both his surgically repaired left shoulder and his injured left foot are feeling strong after getting a handful of days off. "I feel better," LaRoche said moments ago in the Nats' clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium. "Last couple days, I feel a lot better. Just one of those little frustrating things that came out of nowhere and has kind of lingered a little bit. Fortunately it's early,...

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New plate approach paying dividends for Ankiel

March 05, 2012, 8:08pm

Nationals

New plate approach paying dividends for Ankiel

VIERA, Fla. - It was only fitting that Rick Ankiel went yard last night. The pride of Port St. Lucie High School had to put on a show back in his old stomping grounds. In front of a group of friends and some of his high school teachers, Ankiel smacked an opposite-field home run in his first at-bat against the Mets last night, sending a decent portion of the 5,021 in attendance at Digital Domain Park to their feet. "It was his hometown and he gave them something to cheer about," Nationals...

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Bryce Harper channels ... Ichiro?

March 05, 2012, 5:32pm

Nationals

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Another day, two more hits for Bryce Harper. The Nationals' top prospect is now an impressive 4-for-7 in Grapefruit League play after tonight's 3-1 Nats win over the Mets, a game in which Harper went 2-for-2 with a walk. But those four hits might not have come the way many people would expect. All four have been ground ball singles, not mashed home runs or smoked line-drive doubles. That's of no matter in Harper's mind. "They're hits. That's all that matters,"...

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First Wang, now Lannan

March 05, 2012, 12:51pm

Nationals

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A day that started with Chien-Ming Wang's strong intrasquad start continues here as the Nationals prepare to take on the Mets at Digital Domain Park. It was just a 75-minute drive south from the Nats' facilities in Viera here to the Mets' complex, which, from my perspective, is actually fairly nice considering I had multiple people tell me it's "a dump" on my way in. To be fair, though, this is only the third spring training stadium I've stepped foot in since...

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Spring competition begins for Lannan (Nats win 3-1)

March 05, 2012, 3:35pm

Nationals

Spring competition begins for Lannan (Nats win 3-1)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - This spring is a little different for John Lannan. Instead of going into Grapefruit League competition knowing that he's got a spot in the Nationals' rotation all but guaranteed, Lannan is now aware that his chances of making the Nats' starting five are dependent on how he performs in spring training. Still, Lannan says he's approaching this spring as he would any other. "I compete every year," Lannan said in the Nationals clubhouse moments ago. "I've competed...

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Johnson on Chien-Ming Wang: "He's back"

March 05, 2012, 9:26am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Both right-hander Chien-Ming Wang and manager Davey Johnson were pleased with the two-inning effort turned in by the Nationals starter during a minor league intrasquad game this afternoon. "I liked what I saw," Johnson said. "He's obviously stronger than last year, even in his warm-ups. He looks like the old Chien-Ming." Wang, who had been dealing with some stiffness in his throwing shoulder, allowed one unearned run in his two innings of work. He gave up three hits - a...

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Lannan done after three innings, Ankiel goes yard

March 05, 2012, 2:29pm

Nationals

Lannan done after three innings, Ankiel goes yard

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - All things considered, John Lannan's first start of spring went just fine. It wasn't great, it wasn't terrible, but Lannan worked his way through three innings tonight against the Mets, allowing one run and three hits, walking one and striking out one. The run came in the first when Lannan allowed a leadoff walk to Mets center fielder Andres Torres, allowed Torres to steal second base and then gave up an RBI single to second baseman Daniel Murphy. But Lannan settled...

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Nationals' Rosenbaum focusing on fastball start of camp

March 05, 2012, 10:57am

Nationals

Single-A Potomac Nationals Player of the Year Danny Rosenbaum is getting a lot of attention as spring training moves along and with good reason. The Xavier Musketeer southpaw put up top numbers in the Nationals' system in 2011, going a combined 9-6 with a 2.52 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) and 171 1/3 innings, striking out 135 and walking 52. Rosenbaum told me in last month he wanted to come into camp slimmer and was excited to get this season started. Double-A Harrisburg Senators pitching...

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Waiting on Wang in intrasquad (plus tonight's lineup)

March 05, 2012, 6:48am

Nationals

Waiting on Wang in intrasquad (plus tonight's lineup)

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have a night game in Port St. Lucie tonight, but there's still action around Space Coast Stadium early this afternoon. Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang will take the mound in the Nationals' intrasquad game at 1 p.m., which will be the veteran's first time throwing to hitters since last Monday's live batting practice. Wang is working through some stiffness in his pitching shoulder, but assuming all goes well today, he's scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League...