Stephen Strasburg (April), Gio Gonzalez (May) and Jordan Zimmermann (July) have all now been named National League Pitcher of the Month this season. That leaves Ross Detwiler and Edwin Jackson as the only two Nationals starters yet to win the award. "I've got to beat Edwin to the punch, then," Detwiler said after tonight's 3-0 win over the Phillies. It'd be fair to say he's off to a good start in August. Detwiler worked seven scoreless innings tonight, allowing just three hits and two...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jake Arrieta allowed one run tonight for Triple-A Norfolk. That's a good thing. Arrieta failed to complete six innings again because of his high pitch count. That's a bad thing. Greg Burke replaced Arrieta with the bases loaded and two outs, and he walked Columbus' Matt Pagnozzi to force in a run. Arrieta is charged with two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, with four walks, five strikeouts, a wild pitch and a hit batter. He threw 116 pitches, 64 for strikes. The...

Tom Winegardner was not selected by any team in the 2011 draft, but the Orioles signed him as a middle infielder after the draft. He went to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League and short-season Single-A Aberdeen and combined to hit .188 in 45 games. This year, the 22-year-old Winegardner was batting .174 in 28 games with Single-A Delmarva and .207 in eight games at Aberdeen. It was pretty clear that he was going to have a hard time making it as an infielder with such a low batting average. But...

Finally, the middle of the Nationals' lineup looks like Davey Johnson thought it would back in spring training. Ryan Zimmerman is in the No. 3 spot, Michael Morse is hitting cleanup, Adam LaRoche is batting fifth, and Jayson Werth is back in there hitting sixth. And the Nationals are reaping the benefits of having their big hitters all healthy. Zimmerman, Morse, LaRoche and Werth are a combined 5-for-7 with three RBIs so far tonight as the Nationals lead the Phillies 3-0 in the fifth. Two...

Despite battling some shoulder inflammation, which has made it tough for him to get loose before games, Jordan Zimmermann still pitched well enough in six July starts in order to earn National League Pitcher of the Month honors. Zimmermann becomes the third different Nationals starter to win the Pitcher of the Month award this season, joining Stephen Strasburg (April) and Gio Gonzalez (May). It's time for Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler to step it up, I guess. The three Nationals hurlers...

The Washington Nationals today returned from rehab and reinstated outfielder Jayson Werth from the 60-Day Disabled List and placed right-handed pitcher Henry Rodriguez on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to Aug. 1, with a low back strain. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Werth, who missed the last 75 games with a left radius fracture, is batting .276 (27-for-98) with five doubles, a triple, three home runs, 12...

Washington Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann has been voted National League Pitcher of the Month for July, becoming the third different Nationals hurler to earn N.L. Pitcher of the Month honors this season, which is the most since 1979, when Houston Astros pitchers Ken Forsch (April), Joe Niekro (May), Joaquin Andujar (June) and J.R. Richard (September) all won monthly honors. This is Zimmermann's first monthly award. In six July starts, Zimmermann led qualifying Major League pitchers with...

Less than three months after breaking his left wrist in a game against Cole Hamels and the Phillies, Jayson Werth is back in the Nationals' lineup and will start in center field against Hamels and the Phillies. It all comes full circle. Manager Davey Johnson announced minutes ago that Werth has been activated off the 60-day disabled list. Reliever Henry Rodriguez will land on the 15-day DL with a lower back injury, clearing space on the 25-man roster for Werth. Werth, who has missed 75...

Nationals prospect Anthony Rendon had one of his best all-around games of his rehab stint Thursday, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles and an RBI in short-season Single-A Auburn's 11-3 rout of the Staten Island Yankees. Rendon played third base until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh, replaced by Khayyan Norfork. Rendon was hit by a pitch on his surgically repaired left ankle in Wednesday night's game, and left the contest early for precautionary reasons. Despite...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It's time for the next leg of this two-city road trip. I'm grateful to have made it out of LaGuardia Airport. I had reached a point where I intended to find a comfortable place in the security line to blog and tweet for the next four days. Outfielder Nate McLouth isn't in Triple-A Norfolk's lineup tonight. He can opt out of his contract tomorrow and the Orioles want to keep him. Could he be joining them in St. Pete? While we've been kicking around ideas for...