nationals

Quick hits plus today's lineup

March 08, 2012, 5:49am

VIERA, Fla. - Manager Davey Johnson says that left fielder Michael Morse is feeling better after dealing with a lat strain the last few days, and he while he isn't ready to return to Grapefruit League action yet, he will get some extra hitting in during the next three to four days. Same for Adam LaRoche, who will hit and run the bases today during an intrasquad minor league game after just taking some cuts during an intrasquad contest yesterday. I'm going to pop over to the side fields in a...

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Desmond finds his way into the hit column

March 07, 2012, 11:59am

Nationals

Desmond finds his way into the hit column

VIERA, Fla. - Davey Johnson hopped out of the dugout with a few innings left in this afternoon's game with the Cardinals and told home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom that he only had enough pitching to last nine innings. Cederstrom informed Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, who agreed to end the game after nine innings if the two teams happened to be locked in a tie. That's exactly how things played out. Catcher Carlos Maldonado blasted a two-run home run off Cardinals righty Lance Lynn in...

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An impressive first turn through the rotation

March 08, 2012, 3:23am

Nationals

An impressive first turn through the rotation

VIERA, Fla. - The first stage of spring training is now behind us. You know, the stage where each starting pitcher goes out and fires two or three innings, and then says he felt good regardless of the results. "Oh, I gave up six runs in two innings? I was just trying to throw strikes, so mission accomplished." "My curveball looked flat? Well I just wanted to get a feel for the ball again." So far, Nationals starters have needed to make very few excuses. The quintet of hurlers who have...

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Zimmermann fights lack of fastball command in scoreless outing (3-3 final)

March 07, 2012, 10:46am

Nationals

Zimmermann fights lack of fastball command in scoreless outing (3-3 final)

VIERA, Fla. - All three of Jordan Zimmermann's strikeouts during his three scoreless innings this afternoon came on sliders. But while the slider was working today, the Nationals' starter was less than thrilled with his fastball command in his spring training debut. "I felt OK," Zimmermann said. "I had a rough time locating the fastball today, but I threw some good ones when I needed to. The breaking pitches were pretty good. It's tough to throw them in this wind, but the ones I did...

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Brett Carroll looking to make big impression with Nationals

March 07, 2012, 7:08pm

Nationals

Outfielder Brett Carroll has bounced around a lot the last couple of seasons, so he is thrilled with the chance to impress on one team this spring training and work to secure a spot on the Nationals' 25-man roster. "The last four years I have been up and down in that fourth outfield role," the 29-year old Carroll said. "It has been a great experience, a blessing and it's been a grind. It was a lot of learning. There is a lot of adversity through that kind of role when you are used to...

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Power slowly starting to return for DeRosa

March 07, 2012, 9:54am

Nationals

Power slowly starting to return for DeRosa

VIERA, Fla. - Much like ligament replacement surgery in the elbow is named after a pitcher who underwent such a procedure, Mark DeRosa thinks wrist surgeries should have his name attached to them. "They named Tommy John (surgery) after him," DeRosa joked. DeRosa has probably earned that right. His left wrist has been under the knife enough times that the 37-year-old could probably perform the procedure on himself if he needed it again at any point down the road. Good thing DeRosa's a...

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Another Nats starter looks good in spring debut

March 07, 2012, 9:09am

Nationals

Another Nats starter looks good in spring debut

VIERA, Fla. - These Nationals starters keep matching each other. It'd be nice if they can do it when the games count, as well, but manager Davey Johnson will take strong innings anytime he can get them. Jordan Zimmermann is done after three scoreless frames this afternoon. The righty allowed three hits and a walk and hit a batter, but struck out three, including a third-inning punch-out of Cardinals third baseman Eugenio Velez on a filthy slider. Zimmermann threw 44 pitches, 25 of which...

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At-bats for LaRoche plus today's lineup

March 07, 2012, 6:48am

Nationals

VIERA, Fla. - Pitchers don't start hitting during Grapefruit League games for another week or so, but this morning, they got a chance to place orders for what type of bat they'd like to use. The result was a few blank stares and some general confusion in the Nationals clubhouse about what style and model number each guy should go with. Reliever Brad Lidge joked that while he knew the type of the bat he swings, he's less certain of how to, you know, use it. That's kinda the important...

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

March 07, 2012, 2:58am

Nationals

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

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,...