PHOENIX - For two days, the Nationals hoped Howie Kendrick and Roenis Elías had suffered mere leg cramps and not hamstring strains. On the third day, they conceded the ailments were severe enough to land both players on the injured list. Kendrick and Elías were formally placed on the 10-day IL before today's series finale against the Diamondbacks, and though club officials still believe neither injury is serious, both will miss at least another week, leaving the roster depleted. Javy...

The Washington Nationals made the following roster moves on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Javy Guerra from Triple-A Fresno Recalled outfielder Andrew Stevenson from Double-A Harrisburg Placed left-handed pitcher Roenis Elías on the 10-day Injured List with a right hamstring strain Placed infielder Howie Kendrick on the 10-day Injured List with a left hamstring strain...

PHOENIX - Hello one more time from Chase Field, where the Nationals and Diamondbacks wrap up their series this afternoon, each seeking to walk away having won two of three. And each sends a guy to the mound with a connection to the opposing team. Patrick Corbin makes his return to the desert, facing the organization that developed him into an All-Star, then watched him leave for Washington and $140 million. Corbin has enjoyed catching up with friends the last few days, but he's now all...

The Orioles are starting Gabriel Ynoa for Monday night's series opener against the Yankees at Camden Yards, with manager Brandon Hyde able to avoid using him last night while sorting through bullpen options. Miguel Castro is still sick and unavailable for today's series finale against the Blue Jays. An expanded pitching staff still feels a little short. Hyde isn't sure how long the Orioles will carry 14 pitchers and two bench players. "We'll see how today goes and then we'll make a...

The Orioles will go for a split of their four-game series against the Blue Jays today with no roster move announced. They apparently intend to keep a two-man bench and 14 pitchers. Jonathan Villar is the shortstop today and leadoff hitter. Jace Peterson is playing third base. Stevie Wilkerson is in center field. The bench consists of shortstop Richie Martin and catcher Pedro Severino. Trey Mancini is in right field. His four RBIs last night were a season high and ran his career total to...

PHOENIX - There have been 2,376 games in Nationals history, spread out among 15 seasons since baseball returned to Washington. And in only four of those games has the club's manager at the time resorted to handing the ball to a position player and asking him to pitch. It's an exceptionally rare occurrence for this team, and yet there's a bizarre common factor in almost every case: the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yes, three of the four games that have seen a Nationals position player pitch have...

The Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays wrap up their four-game series this afternoon at Oriole Park. Toronto posted wins by 11-2 and 5-2 Thursday and Friday. The Orioles won 6-4 last night as Trey Mancini hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs. Following today's game the Orioles play 10 straight games against American League division leaders. They host the New York Yankees for three and Houston Astros for three, before beginning a road trip with four games over three days at Yankee...

So the Orioles ended a losing streak with last night's 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Yep, they had lost the first two games of this four-game series. But two games doesn't make much of a losing streak. No, not that one. With that win, the Orioles snapped a 33-game losing streak when the opposing team records 10 or more hits and the Orioles record nine or fewer. They had won just one of the last 53 such games and that was on Mar. 30 at Yankee Stadium. That was the second game of this...

PHOENIX - Stephen Strasburg took the mound tonight at Chase Field looking to continue perhaps the best sustained stretch of his career. The right-hander had won seven consecutive starts and just completed a perfect a 5-0 July in which he drove in more runs (six) than he surrendered (four). And then the Diamondbacks dug in to face Strasburg and did what nobody else has done to him. Well, nobody else but themselves. Over the course of 4 2/3 harrowing innings in the desert, Arizona's lineup...

The Orioles could go back-to-back days with a roster move, which would be as surprising as cracking open a peanut M&M and finding a peanut. The only shocker yesterday was the use of a two-man bench after the Orioles designated José Rondón for assignment and recalled pitcher Branden Kline. Especially with Hanser Alberto and Stevie Wilkerson hobbled. Unusual and risky. Wilkerson wasn't supposed to be in the lineup ... until he started in center field. Alberto figured to be ready after...