nationals

Nationals trim roster to 37

March 18, 2012, 1:23pm

The Washington Nationals today optioned catcher Jhonatan Solano, first baseman Tyler Moore and outfielder Bryce Harper to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Additionally, the National reassigned infielder Mark Teahen to minor-league camp. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. The Nationals currently have 37 players in their big league camp.

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Rocky outing for Jackson vs. Detroit

March 18, 2012, 10:44am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Chad Durbin has come out for the top of the fifth inning, meaning Edwin Jackson's day is done. The results weren't all that pretty for Jackson in his four innings of work, as the Nationals righty allowed four runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Ten baserunners in four innings? Probably not what Jackson wanted, although I guess it fits his history. Jackson threw 71 pitches, 41 for strikes. He got through the first two innings without allowing a run and...

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Nats sign Xavier Nady to minor league deal

March 18, 2012, 6:37am

Nationals

Nats sign Xavier Nady to minor league deal

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have signed outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady to a minor league contract, general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed. Nady, a 33-year-old who has spent time with six major league teams, has reported to minor league camp and will start the season at Triple-A Syracuse. It's a straight minor league deal and has no outs. "He's a player I've always had interest in," Rizzo said. "He's coming off a few injury-plagued seasons. He's motivated and he's coming into camp...

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Lingering foot injury continues to bother LaRoche

March 18, 2012, 8:11am

Nationals

Lingering foot injury continues to bother LaRoche

VIERA, Fla. - Unfortunately for Adam LaRoche, this spring is showing a lot of similarities to last, when he came down with a shoulder injury which just kept hanging around. LaRoche tried to battle through the discomfort, but eventually, he needed season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. This year it's a foot injury which is lingering, and LaRoche can just hope that his fate is a little better this time around. "It's scary how much it sounds like last spring training, when it was...

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Today's Nats lineup plus Ankiel note (updated)

March 18, 2012, 6:05am

Nationals

Today's Nats lineup plus Ankiel note (updated)

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals take on the Tigers today at Space Coast Stadium, with Edwin Jackson heading to the bump for the Nats. Bryce Harper is back in right field today, while Jayson Werth slides over to center. Here's manager Davey Johnson's lineup for today's game: SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa 3B Ryan Zimmerman CF Jayson Werth DH Chad Tracy C Jesus Flores RF Bryce Harper 1B Tyler Moore LF Roger Bernadina Here's a good sign for outfielder Rick Ankiel, who's been battling a...

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Don't forget about Detwiler

March 17, 2012, 7:50am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - While it's widely assumed that Chien-Ming Wang's hamstring injury might have opened up a spot in the Nationals rotation for John Lannan, we shouldn't necessarily forget about Ross Detwiler. Yes, Lannan led the Nationals in wins last season and is owed $5 million this season. He's a consistent performer, eats innings, and the Nats would not be in bad shape, to say the least, if he opens the season as their fifth starter. But Detwiler has put together a pretty strong spring,...

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Zimmermann: "It's getting better and better every day" (Nats tie Marlins 1-1)

March 17, 2012, 11:41am

Nationals

Zimmermann: "It's getting better and better every day" (Nats tie Marlins 1-1)

VIERA, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman was drilled by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth, and after jogging down to first base, was immediately replaced for a pinch runner. Asked by reporters shortly thereafter if he's OK, Zimmerman turned towards the group with a wry smile on his face. "4-6 weeks, hip," he said. Yeah, he'll be fine. Jordan Zimmermann was happy with his outing today, saying he feels like he's making definite progress each time he takes the mound this spring. "It's getting...

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Four scoreless for Zimmermann, extra bases for Harper

March 17, 2012, 10:37am

Nationals

Four scoreless for Zimmermann, extra bases for Harper

VIERA, Fla. - With four innings in the books and 72 pitches under his belt, Jordan Zimmermann is done for the day. Zimmermann, making his third start of spring, did not allow a run today, scattering six hits and striking out three. Of his 72 pitches, he threw 50 strikes - by my count, at least. Zimmermann didn't have his best stuff today, but he showed off a very sharp slider on a few occasions, and threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of the 17 batters he faced. So far this spring, the righty...

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Injuries still limiting Morse, LaRoche

March 17, 2012, 7:07am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Another day, another game without Michael Morse in the Nationals' lineup. The Nats' left fielder, who has spent the last couple weeks battling a lat strain, underwent an MRI to see if there was anything more which was causing him discomfort when he throws. The test confirmed the lat strain and didn't reveal any further issues, but Morse will continue to be held out of the lineup for now. He'll be allowed to get some swings on a side field, but will not play in Grapefruit...

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Wrapping up the Nats' 4-3 loss

March 16, 2012, 3:20pm

Nationals

TAMPA, Fla. - The Nationals and Yankees needed an extra frame to settle things today, and the pinstripes earned a 4-3 walk-off win when catcher J.R. Murphy drove in former Nat Justin Maxwell with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th. Atahualpa Severino gave up the game-winning run. And the excitement was palpable at George Stenibrenner Field. Kidding. There were a couple handshakes and that was about it. Nats catcher Jesus Flores appeared to get hit by a foul ball in the one place no...

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Rush defense: Nationals' Jackson focusing on stopping the run

March 17, 2012, 4:34am

Nationals

One issue Nationals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson may want to concentrate on is how easy it was for opposing hitters to steal second base on him last season. According to "The Fielding Bible, Volume III," Jackson struggled holding runners at first base in 2011. It is a problem that has plagued Jackson for the past few seasons. "The Fielding Bible" has formulated the term defensive runs saved, or DRS, to show how valuable a player can be by preventing runs from scoring while he is in the...

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Gonzalez's first blemish a minor one

March 16, 2012, 1:40pm

Nationals

TAMPA, Fla. - All in all, Gio Gonzalez's third spring start wasn't all that bad. The Nationals' lefty went just 3 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and three walks and throwing 69 pitches in that time. But he allowed only a single run (his first given up this spring) and struck out six Yankee hitters, including three in a row at one point. Still, Gonzalez wasn't thrilled with his outing, calling it "a minor setback." There were highs for Gonzalez, like the perfect second and third innings...

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Chien-Ming Wang discusses his injury

March 16, 2012, 2:10pm

Nationals

TAMPA, Fla. - You already know what Nationals manager Davey Johnson had to say about Chien-Ming Wang's hamstring injury. Now here are quotes from Wang about how he's holding up. The Nats righty told reporters back in Viera today that he isn't feeling any worse than he did after initially suffering the injury, which is a good thing, considering the day-after swelling that can often accompany a muscle pull. "After the issues, we had an MRI check it," Wang said through an interpreter....

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Nationals extend working agreements with four minor league affiliates

March 16, 2012, 11:19am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today announced they have agreed on two-year Player Development Contract extensions (2013-14) with the Syracuse Chiefs of the Triple-A International League, the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League, the Potomac Nationals of the Single-A Carolina League and the Auburn Doubledays of the Short-season Single-A New York-Penn League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Assistant General Manager and...

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Gonzalez settles in after rocky start (updated)

March 16, 2012, 10:26am

Nationals

Gonzalez settles in after rocky start (updated)

TAMPA, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez threw 32 pitches in a lengthy first inning, allowing two hits, a walk and a run. Since then, he's looked much more like the Gio Gonzalez that we've seen early in spring. Gonzalez retired all six Yankees he faced since that rocky first, throwing a total of 25 pitches, 18 for strikes. The Nationals lefty has five strikeouts through his three innings of work, four of which have been of the swinging variety. Bryce Harper, meanwhile, has gone 0-for-2 so far, striking...

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Harper in center, Nats grab early lead

March 16, 2012, 9:24am

Nationals

TAMPA, Fla. - The Nationals made a late change to their lineup - there have been a lot of those lately - a bit prior to first pitch, moving Bryce Harper from right field to center, and having Brett Carroll slide over to right. This marks Harper's second start in center field in the last three days; the 19-year-old was the Nats' starting center field against the Braves on Wednesday. Here's the Nats' updated lineup that is facing CC Sabathia: SS Ian Desmons 3B Steve Lombardozzi 1B Mark...

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Chien-Ming Wang expected to miss at least a couple weeks (plus Morse note)

March 16, 2012, 7:49am

Nationals

Chien-Ming Wang expected to miss at least a couple weeks (plus Morse note)

TAMPA, Fla. - Tests have confirmed that Chien-Ming Wang suffered a left hamstring strain yesterday, not a tear as some might have originally worried. Nationals manager Davey Johnson said prior to today's game against the Yankees that the hamstring injury will cause Wang to miss at least a couple of weeks. "The only thing I know - he was tested and it's a pull or a strain or whatever you want to call it," Johnson said. "It's going to be probably a couple weeks, minimum. He's done...

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Notes on Nats' cuts plus today's lineup

March 16, 2012, 4:28am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - I swung by Space Coast Stadium quickly before leaving for Tampa hoping to bump into Chien-Ming Wang in the locker room - not too forcefully, of course - but no such luck. Wang's injured hamstring was getting attention from the Nationals' training staff, so we'll have to wait until talking with manager Davey Johnson before getting any news on Wang's status. Left fielder Michael Morse (lat strain) and catcher Wilson Ramos (foot) are both on the trip to Tampa, indicating that...

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Bernadina feeling more pain, Lannan getting a mixed bag

March 15, 2012, 2:57pm

Nationals

Bernadina feeling more pain, Lannan getting a mixed bag

VIERA, Fla. - I wouldn't want to have been in Roger Berndina's shoes lately. Within the last week, the Nationals outfielder has been drilled by a pitch directly on his elbow, had a tooth pulled and gotten hit by another pitch just above the same elbow. Can't the baseball gods pick on somebody else for a while? Bernadina was a late scratch from last night's game against the Braves because he was still feeling light-headed as a result of having the tooth pulled. He shook off any lingering...

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Nats make roster moves, await testing on Wang's hamstring

March 15, 2012, 1:45pm

Nationals

Nats make roster moves, await testing on Wang's hamstring

VIERA, Fla. - Shortly after today's 8-5 loss to the Yankees, the Nationals made four roster moves, optioning right-handed pitcher Yunesky Maya to Triple-A Syracuse and outfielder Eury Perez to Double-A Harrisburg and reassigning right-handers Jeff Fulchino and Waldis Joaquin to minor league camp. The moves leave the Nats with 41 players in their big league camp. By the time the roster moves had been announced, Chien-Ming Wang was gone, the right-handed starter having been taken off-site for...