The Nationals look for their eighth straight win against the Braves this season in D.C. as they take to the field Friday night. Right-hander Tanner Roark will put on his starter cap for only the seventh time in 2015 tonight against Atlanta so Stephen Strasburg can have a couple of more days to rest. Last season, Roark won 15 games as a starter. Roark is 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA in 10 games (five starts) against the Braves. He is 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA at home against Atlanta in five games (two starts)....

TORONTO - The Orioles fully expect J.J. Hardy to be back in their lineup on Tuesday when he is eligible to come off the DL. He went on the disabled list Aug. 24 with a left groin strain. "He's doing good and hopefully will be playing shorstop for us Tuesday in New York," manager Buck Showalter said this afternoon. "He's very close now. Brady (Anderson) has had him doing a lot of stuff that you all may not see. He's been going almost full tilt. Today is the day we will push it a lot and...

Center fielder Michael A. Taylor is getting one more day off to rest his right knee and is not in the starting lineup. Taylor originally hurt the knee last weekend and then banged it again early in the week in the series at St. Louis. Manager Matt Williams said the move is precautionary. "We got to make sure," Williams said. "Yesterday, when we showed up here he wasn't feeling really good. We want to side on the cautious side on that one. Because having that injury, then being able to play,...

TORONTO -- Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez officially went on the disabled list today, retroactive to Monday, with right shoulder tendinitis. He still intends to pitch again this year and hopes to do some throwing sometime next week. "That's the goal," he said today in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre. "As soon as we start throwing, we'll see if I can get on the mound. Richie (Bancells, head athletic trainer) is just telling me to do things day by day. We don't want to rush...

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Tanner Roark from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Roark, 28, returns to the Nationals starting rotation after making two Minor League starts for the Single-A Potomac Nationals and the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. He recorded a 1.50 ERA (1 ER/6.0 IP) while striking out seven and surrendering just five hits across the two starts. On August 26 vs. Frederick...

Tanner Roark returns from his short stint in the minors to make his first start for the Nationals since taking a loss to the Phillies on June 28. Working mostly out of the bullpen this year, Roark is 3-1 with a 5.61 ERA as a starter. His ERA is slightly misleading because eight of his earned runs came in his abbreviated start in Philadelphia. Nationals manager Matt Williams anticipates getting five innings or around 85 pitches out of Roark tonight. Michael A. Taylor will miss his third straight...

Matt Wieters is catching tonight for the third time in four nights as the Orioles open their three-game series in Toronto. Manny Machado is playing shortstop and Ryan Flaherty is starting at third base. Jimmy Paredes is serving as the designated hitter. The Orioles made their roster moves official. Junior Lake, Jorge Rondon and Mike Wright are back with the team and Miguel Gonzalez goes on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 31 with right shoulder tendinitis. For the Orioles Manny...

The Orioles will announce their roster moves later today as they approach their series opener in Toronto. As I wrote yesterday, Miguel Gonzalez will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder and elbow. The move allows the Orioles to recall reliever Jorge Rondon in fewer than the 10 days required for an optioned player to remain in the minors. Also, the Orioles will recall outfielder Junior Lake and pitcher Mike Wright from Triple-A Norfolk. Wright is expected...

Coming off a division title and a postseason run that ended in a disappointing loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS, the 2013 Washington Nationals had high expectations. A disappointing start, an 11-16 July and a 48-47 first half put them in a hole, however, which eventually proved too much to recover from despite finishing strong, going 32-16 over the final 48 games. The Nationals finished ten games out in the National League East and four games out in the wild card standings. "I...

Oftentimes, starting pitchers say they don't let the amount of runs their offense is scoring during their outing alter what they are trying to do on the mound. But when your team scores 10 runs in the first three frames, it doesn't hurt. Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann struggled with his control a bit early, he allowed three walks to the first five Atlanta hitters he faced, but battled through in a 15-1 Nationals win over the Braves. Despite the four walks allowed overall, he only surrendered...