nationals

With Thames on roster, Nats well-positioned for everyday DH role

June 25, 2020, 6:43pm

Major League Baseball has announced that the abbreviated season tentatively set to begin on or around July 23 will have a few changes to rules many fans have gotten accustomed to in the National League. The main difference between the American League and the NL is the designated hitter. During the proposed 60-game season, both leagues will employ the DH instead of the pitcher batting for NL teams. This puts the AL at a distinct advantage in this shortened season, because even though the NL will...

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Nats need to stick with big four to repeat 2019 ending

June 27, 2020, 2:53am

Nationals

Nats need to stick with big four to repeat 2019 ending

With the announcement that Major League Baseball will schedule 60 games in a shortened 2020 campaign, the Nationals now must decide how they can best implement one big advantage they have had over other teams: their top four starting pitchers. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez were so good last season that they ranked in the top 25 in ERA in the major leagues, top 24 in WAR, top 48 in K/9 and top 35 in WHIP. The Nats' top four starters combined for 65...

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Nats to open against Yankees in prime time

June 28, 2020, 2:46am

Nationals

Nats to open against Yankees in prime time

The Nationals will open defense of their 2019 World Series title on July 23 at Nats Park against the New York Yankees, according to broadcast sources. The likely first pitching matchup is tantalizing, with former Astros star Gerrit Cole taking on Nats ace Max Scherzer. This was supposed to be the World Series Game 5 matchup until Scherzer had to be scratched due to back and neck spasms. Cole was the top offseason free agent acquisition for the Yankees. He is a three-time All-Star whose 2.50 ERA...

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Nats' 60-man player pool includes first-round picks Rutledge, Romero

June 28, 2020, 1:30pm

Nationals

Nats' 60-man player pool includes first-round picks Rutledge, Romero

The Nationals this afternoon announced their 60-man player pool for the 2020 season and it includes 2019 first-round pick Jackson Rutledge and 2017 top draft selection Seth Romero. Of the 60 players in the pool, 22 are non-roster invitees. While some teams like the Astros (56) and Red Sox (47) have opted to not announced full 60-man player pools, the Nats have exactly 60 on their roster. Opening night is expected to be July 23 against the Yankees with spring training 2.0 presumably beginning...

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Torres felt "natural knack for catching" early on

June 30, 2020, 3:25am

Nationals

Torres felt "natural knack for catching" early on

Last week, we had San Jacinto College North baseball coach Tom Arrington preview catcher Ray Torres IV, who has reportedly agreed to join the Nationals organization as an undrafted free agent. Torres got the call from the Nats after the draft and agreed to terms, forgoing a scholarship offer to LSU. He told me he was ready to go pro after high school last year, but opted instead to get better and hone his skills at San Jacinto this past season. The 20-year-old Torres is now back home in...

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Updates on Nats pitching prospects Denaburg and Parker

July 01, 2020, 3:40am

Nationals

Updates on Nats pitching prospects Denaburg and Parker

More on Nationals pitching prospects from undrafted free agent Ray Torres IV. The catcher agreed to a deal with the Nats last week out of San Jacinto College North. Torres played for the Central Florida Gators, an elite travel team that included several top selections in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. The Gators boast two national titles and 49 college commitments. One of the pitchers he caught was the Nationals' top 2018 selection, Mason Denaburg. In 2018, Central Florida had 13 players...

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Brzykcy brings 100 mph fastball to future Nats bullpen

July 02, 2020, 3:49am

Nationals

Brzykcy brings 100 mph fastball to future Nats bullpen

The Nationals confirmed Wednesday that they have agreed to terms with nine undrafted free agents, including Virginia Tech right-handed fireballer Zach Brzykcy. The others agreeing to deals with the Nats were catcher Ray Torres IV, infielders Quade Tomlin, Gio Diaz and Brian Klein, right-hander Edward UreÃ±a, outfielders Zach Cornell and Landon Dieterich, and slugging first baseman Jackson Coutts. Brzykcy springboarded into his junior season in Blacksburg, Va., with outstanding work as a...

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All in the family as Quade Tomlin signs with the Nats

July 03, 2020, 2:57am

Nationals

All in the family as Quade Tomlin signs with the Nats

The Nationals stayed in the family when they signed middle infielder Quade Tomlin as an undrafted free agent this week. Tomlin's father, Randy Tomlin, was the pitching coach for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators in 2011, spending many years working with Nats prospects. Randy Tomlin was his son's coach at Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, Va. During his tenure as coach, the high school has won three Virginia state championships and had been to the state finals during one run five years in...

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Martinez and Rizzo emphasize player safety during day one of return

July 03, 2020, 11:35am

Nationals

Martinez and Rizzo emphasize player safety during day one of return

Nationals manager Davey Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo understand that being successful in the world of Major League Baseball during the coronavirus pandemic boils down to two main challenges: staying safe and playing good baseball. From day one of summer training at Nats Park today, the skipper for the defending world champions already feels the difference in playing baseball during a pandemic. "We have to be socially distant, so that's one thing," Martinez said during his...

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Martinez going with a five-man rotation to begin shortened season

July 04, 2020, 2:50am

Nationals

Martinez going with a five-man rotation to begin shortened season

The Nationals enter day two of summer training at Nats Park with the schedule spread out over 11 hours so the players and coaches are never in big groups. General manager Mike Rizzo said his pitchers hit the ground running on Friday and returned looking like they had taken advantage of the three-and-a-half-month pause due to the coronavirus shutdown, especially Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. "The important thing is we came into spring training 2.0 in good shape," Rizzo...

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Denaburg recovering from shoulder cleanup: "All reports have been positive"

July 04, 2020, 10:09am

Nationals

Denaburg recovering from shoulder cleanup: "All reports have been positive"

Right-hander Mason Denaburg, the Nationals' top overall selection from the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, has been been progressing well from a shoulder cleanout we reported earlier this winter. Three of the Nats' top four first-round selections the past four drafts are in the current 60-man player pool, including Cade Cavalli, Jackson Rutledge and Seth Romero. Because he is undergoing rehab following the procedure on his right shoulder, Denaburg is not in camp. The arthroscopic cleanout did...

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Martinez on leadership, new extra-inning rule and more

July 04, 2020, 10:59am

Nationals

Martinez on leadership, new extra-inning rule and more

The Nationals had the oldest clubhouse in the major leagues last season. That type of experience and leadership was important to their success. This season, many of those same veterans are back, but the club must adjust without guys like Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman. Manager Davey Martinez was asked Saturday who he felt might step up to take on a more vigorous leadership role on this 2020 version of the Nats? Martinez believes a soft-spoken veteran shortstop might be in line to take on a...

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Martinez eager for full team practices, but understands current safety limits

July 05, 2020, 9:45am

Nationals

Martinez eager for full team practices, but understands current safety limits

Nationals manager Davey Martinez said one major issue with trying to play baseball amid the coronavirus pandemic is that he cannot yet get the entire team together on the field at one time. The "circle of trust" was a big rallying cry for the club the last couple of spring trainings under Martinez's direction, but with current safety protocols in place, it just isn't possible. "For us, we are basically working in groups," Martinez told reporters during a Zoom video call Sunday. "This is...

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Nats' taxi squad set to practice at new Fredericksburg stadium

July 06, 2020, 10:31am

Nationals

Nats' taxi squad set to practice at new Fredericksburg stadium

The Fredericksburg Nationals announced today that the parent Nationals' alternate site for summer training player workouts will be at the new ballpark in Fredericksburg, Va. The club announced the first practice for the Nats' taxi squad is scheduled for tomorrow in Fredericksburg. The Nationals began summer training Friday at Nats Park. Opening day is scheduled for July 23. The new ballpark in Fredericksburg is the home stadium for the high Single-A FredNats, who were expected to begin play...

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Denaburg on his right shoulder recovery: "I feel like myself again"

July 06, 2020, 3:07pm

Nationals

Denaburg on his right shoulder recovery: "I feel like myself again"

Nationals 2018 first-round selection Mason Denaburg told me his recovery from a right shoulder cleanout last October is progressing nicely. After the Nats decided to take a precautionary step of slowing down his rehab during spring training, the right-hander is now doing so well that he is about to take that next step in his rehab throwing program. "I should be throwing bullpens in the next three weeks," Denaburg said. "I go 150 feet throwing-wise, the next week 180 feet and then the week...

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Turner tries out cold-weather field mask during Tuesday workout

July 07, 2020, 10:14am

Nationals

Turner tries out cold-weather field mask during Tuesday workout

Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was part of the infield group that got in a good workout Tuesday during summer training at Nats Park. On the field he wore his red field mask, covering his mouth, nose, ears and hair. Players normally wear that sort of gear only in cold weather. "Just messing around with that," Turner said during a Zoom video call with reporters. "I hadn't thought about it until today. "For me, I try to save my masks and not get them so dirty. This is a mask I wear to and...

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Scherzer grunts his way through three innings in Nats' first sim game

July 08, 2020, 10:30am

Nationals

Scherzer grunts his way through three innings in Nats' first sim game

The Nationals took their first big step back to live baseball today with an intrasquad game in the early afternoon at Nats Park. The highlight was watching three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, in his home white uniform with red numerals and blue trim, on the bump grunting his way through each pitch for three innings, firing 48 pitches. "He looked good," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez on a Zoom video call. "He threw 48 pitches. We wanted to keep him right at 50, three full...

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Martinez details plan for first week of intrasquad games

July 09, 2020, 2:41am

Nationals

Martinez details plan for first week of intrasquad games

The Nationals gave a glimpse of how they run mini sim games on Wednesday at Nats Park, the highlight being a chance for Max Scherzer to pitch for three innings with teammates taking at-bats against the three-time Cy Young Award winner. Eric Thames, Trea Turner, Adam Eaton, Michael A. Taylor and others got at least three at-bats apiece to feel what it would be like against live pitching as they count down to a July 23 opening night against the Yankees. "We're trying to get as many at-bats as...

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Players, staff respond with joy at finally receiving World Series rings

July 09, 2020, 11:23am

Nationals

Players, staff respond with joy at finally receiving World Series rings

It was another special day for the Nationals at Nationals Park, as players and staff received their 2019 World Series championship rings prior to Thursday's batting practice and on-field workouts. Left-hander Patrick Corbin unveiled his ring on Twitter and outfielder Adam Eaton had his reveal recorded and put up on his Instagram account. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg received his ring, too, but admitted he was worried when he saw the name on the outside of the gift box. "It was very special...

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Martinez impressed with how well the big four stuck to shutdown plan

July 10, 2020, 3:21am

Nationals

Martinez impressed with how well the big four stuck to shutdown plan

Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer looked ready to go with his 48 pitches in his first summer training sim game at Nats Park. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has his sim game today. Right-hander AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez threw more than 60 pitches on Thursday. Left-hander Patrick Corbin is expected to throw tomorrow. The Nationals want to make sure their big four are good to go for the 2020 season, and manager Davey Martinez said the guys came to summer training ready. He knows the starting...