KANSAS CITY – As mock lineups go, this one seemed to border on the absurd. MLB Network made a stop in Sarasota on its camp tour last month and took a shot at a potential order for the Orioles. Gunnar Henderson leading off and Adley Rutschman batting second were indisputable given the past, but Cedric Mullins hitting third seemed, to put it kindly,

KANSAS CITY – Tomoyuki Sugano has made two starts in the majors and pitched with the roof closed in Toronto and with a game-time temperature of 47 degrees at windy Kauffman Stadium. His exposure to intense heat and humidity is coming in the summer months. He’s going through a cooling down period before he ramps up. Sugano didn’t experience any cram

The Nationals finally broke through last night with the offensive output they’ve been desperately looking for in the new season’s first week. They just couldn’t sustain it throughout the full nine innings in a series-opening loss to the Diamondbacks. Then today, after the inaugural 2005 team was inducted into the Ring of Honor in front of 25,916 fa

John Patterson hadn’t been back to Nationals Park since the final day of the 2007 season, a day he didn’t know at the time would be his final day in the major leagues. The lanky right-hander has built a whole new life since, running a real estate company with his wife outside Dallas, coaching his 8-year-old son’s baseball team. His long, flowing ha

KANSAS CITY – Among the series of pregame drills this afternoon at bitter-cold Kauffman Stadium was outfielder Tyler O’Neill throwing to the bases. The early work is done to sharpen skills and that’s an area where the two-time Gold Glove winner wanted to focus. The Royals sent nine batters to the plate last night in the eighth inning and scored fiv

KANSAS CITY – Tomoyuki Sugano gets his second chance in the majors this afternoon after leaving his debut with cramping in both hands. Sugano allowed two runs and four hits in four innings at Rogers Centre in Toronto in the fourth game of the season. He faces the Royals today in the bitter cold, but at least it's dry. Gunnar Henderson is serving as

The Nationals, plain and simple, need a win. They’re 1-6 to begin the season, and though they’ve pretty much been in every game, they have not shown an ability to do what they need to do late in those games to emerge victorious. They’ll give it another shot this afternoon against the Diamondbacks, perhaps inspired by the pregame induction of the in

Jackson Rutledge was called into Davey Martinez’s office April 26, the day before Opening Day, and informed he would not be returning to Nationals Park the following morning but rather heading to Rochester to open another season at Triple-A. Rutledge wasn’t shocked by the decision. And if nothing else, he was encouraged by the message he received f

Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday.  Three players who were top prospects in baseball. Two of whom were quite literally the best prospects in the game. All were drafted as shortstops.  Even as they developed into future franchise cornerstones, they still didn’t settle into one position. Holliday played second base, third base and s

KANSAS CITY – Having Gunnar Henderson back on the active roster creates a ripple effect that pushes an infielder to the bench. No one is making waves over it. That’s just how it works with a full-time, All-Star shortstop in the lineup. Jackson Holliday returned to second base last night in the series opener against the Royals, and Jordan Westburg m