Jonathan Papelbon cruised through a 1-2-3 inning in the first minor league rehab appearance of his career, moving a step closer to rejoining the Nationals bullpen. Pitching for high Single-A Potomac, Papelbon retired the side in the top of the first inning against Winston-Salem. Given a chance to start and get his work in quickly before making the short drive back up Interstate-95 to Washington, Papelbon recorded a flyout to center field, a swinging strikeout and then a groundout to second...

Manager: Andy Green (1st season) Record: 33-44 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 1B Wil Myers (.282 average, 17 HR, 50 RBIs); CF Jon Jay (.296 average, 24 2B, 80 hits); LF Melvin Upton (.261 average, 11 HR, 17 SB); SP Christian Friedrich (4-2, 3.60 ERA); RP Kevin Quackenbush (5-3, 3.77 ERA). Season series vs. Orioles: 1-1 Pitching probables: June 28: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. RHP Erik Johnson, 10:10 p.m., MASN2June 29: RHP Yovani Gallardo vs. LHP Christian Friedrich, 3:40 p.m., MASN Inside the...

On the day they announced the promotion of their top pitching prospect to the big leagues, the Nationals also made an unconventional move that may be a precursor to a promotion of their top position player. Trea Turner, an infielder throughout his amateur and minor league career, is starting in center field tonight for Triple-A Syracuse. And the 22-year-old figures to see significant action there in the next week, with the Nationals strongly considering him for use in the big leagues as an...

The Nationals had seen enough of Lucas Giolito in recent weeks to believe he was ready for a promotion. To Triple-A Syracuse, not the big leagues. But when Stephen Strasburg's lingering back injury opened up a spot in their rotation, the Nationals decided to go ahead and promote their top pitching prospect all the way up from Double-A Harrisburg and send him to the mound Tuesday night against the Mets. "We figured he gave us the best option to win the game tomorrow," general manager Mike...

Manny Machado remains the only Orioles player leading at his position in American League All-Star voting. Machado is first among third basemen with 2,196,732 votes to stay ahead of the Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson (1,590,183). Mark Trumbo, who leads the majors with 22 home runs, has dropped from fourth to fifth among outfielders with 1,801,969 votes. The Angels' Mike Trout is first with 2,972,582 votes, followed by the Red Sox's Jackie Bradley Jr. with 2,184,884, the Red Sox's Mookie Betts...

The Nationals announced that right-hander Lucas Giolito will be recalled to start Tuesday. The minor league system had some other major movement on Monday. The Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs announced the addition of second baseman Chris Bostick, outfielder Zach Collier and right-handed pitcher Reynaldo Lopez. The team will also have Trea Turner play center field. Double-A Harrisburg will receive outfielder Andrew Stevenson, third baseman Drew Ward, and right-handers Ryan Brinley and Boone...

The long wait is finally almost over as top Nationals pitching prospect Lucas Giolito will make his major league debut and start Tuesday against the Mets, manager Dusty Baker confirmed today in his pregame press briefing. The announcement comes after much speculation that the Nats would recall either the right-handed Giolito or 24-year-old right-hander Austin Voth to make a spot start with Stephen Strasburg landing on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with an upper back strain. With Giolito...

Why does it feel like it's been ages since the Nationals last played a game here on South Capitol Street? OK, maybe it hasn't been ages in the technical sense, but it has been a full 12 days since Jayson Werth's walk-off single beat the Cubs and sent the Nats out west flying high for the moment. They return now after winning yesterday in Milwaukee to snap a seven-game losing streak, with Stephen Strasburg on the disabled list, a bullpen still trying to cobble things together minus Jonathan...

The Nationals called up right-hander Rafael Martin from Triple-A Syracuse, giving themselves another reliever for tonight's series opener against the Mets but still leaving the question of Tuesday night's starter unanswered for now. Martin becomes the eighth member of the Nationals bullpen, but his stay in D.C. could be brief. Unless the club intends to use long reliever Yusmeiro Petit as Stephen Strasburg's replacement in the rotation - and manager Dusty Baker said Sunday in Milwaukee that...

The Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Rafael Martin from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, adding him to the active roster in the space that was vacated when right-hander Stephen Strasburg was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain (retroactive to June 16) on Sunday, June 26. Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Martin, 32, joins the Nationals for his first major league assignment of the season. The right-hander...