The Washington Nationals today recalled outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and placed outfielder Nate McLouth on the 15-day Disabled List (retroactive to Aug. 2) with right shoulder inflammation. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Souza, who rejoins the Nationals for his second Major League stint of the season, currently leads the International League in batting average (.354), on-base...

New Orioles pitcher Andrew Miller has made two impressive relief appearances for his new team. He got two key outs Friday night against Seattle in his O's debut and had a real strong outing Sunday. He came on in the eighth to protect a 1-0 lead and retired the side in order on 10 pitches with two strikeouts. He had some overpowering stuff. Like two other left-handers in the Orioles bullpen in Brian Matusz and Zach Britton, Miller is a former starter. But he didn't pitch nearly as well in...

The Nationals placed outfielder Nate McLouth on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon, and have recalled Steven Souza Jr. from Triple-A Syracuse to take McLouth's place on the 25-man roster. McLouth's DL stint is retroactive to Aug. 2. The veteran outfielder has struggled offensively this season, hitting .179 in 139 at-bats. He has stolen four bases, drawn 16 walks and played solid defense when called upon, but the playing time has been sparse of late for the 32-year-old. Souza has...

Manager: Buck Showalter, fifth year Record: 62-48 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: LF Nelson Cruz (.262/.332/.518, 19 doubles, 29 HR, 75 RBIs, 61 R); CF Adam Jones (.284/.311/.480, 21 doubles, 21 HR, 68 RBIs, 63 R); 3B Manny Machado (.276/.320/.432, 13 doubles, 11 HR, 28 RBIs); RHP Kevin Gausman (5-3, 3.70 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) Season series vs. Nats: 2-1, 14 runs scored, 11 runs allowed Pitching probable Aug. 4: Kevin Gausman vs. Tanner Roark, 7 p.m., MASN HD Series breakdown The Orioles and...

Don't look now, but the Nationals have their largest division lead since the end of the 2012 season. Yesterday's win over the Phillies coupled with Atlanta's loss to the Padres gave the Nats a 3 1/2 game lead in the National League East. That's the widest margin between a first- and second-place team in the NL. Currently, the Tigers are the only division-leading team in the majors with a larger lead. Detroit is five games up over the Royals in the American League Central. The Nats have...

Manager: Matt Williams, first year Record: 60-49 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 3B Anthony Rendon (.280/.338/.470, 29 doubles, 14 HR, 62 RBIs, 78 R); RF Jayson Werth (.278/.365/.433, 26 doubles, 12 HR, 61 RBIs, 62 R); SS Ian Desmond (.249/.301/.425, 18 doubles, 17 HR, 66 RBIs); RHP Tanner Roark (11-6, 2.74 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 1-2, 11 runs scored, 14 runs allowed Pitching probable Aug. 4: Tanner Roark vs. Kevin Gausman, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD Series breakdown Instead of resting...

We've all heard that it's better to be lucky than good, but a resilient Nationals team has offered proof over the past week that it's best to be both. The Nats were clinging to a 1 1/2 game lead over Atlanta in the National League East just a week ago. Since then, they have lost four of seven games, some in spectacular spirit-crushing fashion. Yet, they have added two games to their lead over the Braves, who may be flatlining at an opportune time. Is that luck, grit or a little bit of...

Over the next two months, you are going to hear a lot about the playoff races throughout baseball. There will be talk of who can win the National League pennant. Will the Dodgers pull it off through high expectations? Can the Cardinals make a return trip to the World Series? There's plenty of intrigue to go around on the Senior Circuit. There's a big difference when you look at the American League, at least in the eyes of most of the population. Most of the country will view the next two...

For Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey, it had to feel strange. He had never been injured or had any arm problems before. But as he pitched for Single-A Delmarva on July 25 in Rome, Ga., that changed. "In my last start, it didn't really hurt, it just felt tight. It actually feels really good now," Harvey said. "No issues before that, felt pretty good all year. But I felt it four or five times throughout that start." At that point, the Orioles were not going to take a chance with a...

Orioles pitching rehab coordinator Scott McGregor left Baltimore today and is headed to Sarasota, Fla., to watch reliever Jim Johnson throw a bullpen session Monday at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Johnson, who lives in Sarasota, is free to sign with any team after the Athletics released him over the weekend. Manager Buck Showalter spoke of the Orioles' interest in Johnson and the former closer's solid relationship with McGregor, who spent the past two days filling in as pitching coach...