VIERA, Fla. - Twenty-three strikeouts in 63 spring at-bats - that's cause for concern. Nine strikeouts in his most recent 16 at-bats - that's cause for concern. So why isn't Danny Espinosa concerned when he's the owner of the above statistics? Because the Nationals second baseman feels that once the regular season starts, or more specifically, once he gets away from Space Coast Stadium, he's bound to start swinging the bat more effectively. Espinosa, a switch-hitter, has a theory for...

VIERA, Fla. - For the record, I'm still not used to typing the "Miami" Marlins. It's still weird to me. That is all. As reporters were down in the clubhouse postgame, we overheard a quote from Ian Desmond talking with Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight on MASN's "Nats Xtra." Desmond was discussing his first-pitch home run hit off Marlins righty Josh Johnson leading off the bottom of the first inning tonight. The homer cut through a breeze and banged off a light pole over the left-center...

VIERA, Fla. - Back in July 2010, Stephen Strasburg was scratched from a start just minutes before first pitch because of shoulder tightness, forcing Miguel Batista to the mound. That turn of events didn't please the tens of thousands of fans who had come out to Nationals Park not to see Batista, but the flame-throwing rookie phenom whom he replaced. As Ross Detwiler started going through his pre-start routine earlier today, he couldn't help but think that he was today's Miguel...

SARASOTA, Fla. - An industry source has confirmed that the Orioles have placed pitcher Alfredo Simon on waivers. Simon entered spring training as a candidate for both the rotation and bullpen, but he was slowed by a groin injury and allowed six runs and six hits over two innings upon his return on Wednesday in Dunedin. Simon is likely to be claimed by another team because of his upper-90s fastball and versatility. The Orioles need to clear room on their 40-man roster with the expected...

VIERA, Fla. - Good thing it's still spring. Otherwise, it'd be time to start getting a little worried. Danny Espinosa has struck out in both of his at-bats against Marlins starter Josh Johnson tonight, going down swinging each time. The Nationals second baseman and No. 2 hitter now has 22 strikeouts in 62 spring at-bats, and if that wasn't bad enough, he's gone down on strikes in 10 of his last 20 ABs. Manager Davey Johnson has said repeatedly that he likes where Espinosa is at this...

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals continue to be pleased with Chien-Ming Wang's progress as the righty works back from a left hamstring injury. Wang threw from 300 feet yesterday and "looked great," according to manager Davey Johnson. As a result, the Nats skipper has decided to bring Wang north with the club when camp breaks. "He looked great throwing the ball," Johnson said. "So I just want to keep looking at him for another four or five days." It's still unclear whether Wang will...

VIERA, Fla. - Major league teams will scour the free agent market and waiver wire over this next week, checking to see if players cut by other teams are worthy of adding to their own roster. The Nationals will obviously be among the teams monitoring the transaction wire leading up to opening day, but according to general manager Mike Rizzo, they don't plan on bringing in anyone from the outside to fill out their 25-man roster. "Barring something out of the ordinary, I think you're looking...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Every kid in Detroit will wake up tomorrow wanting to be Tony Plagman. Plagman didn't start today, but he was a strong finisher. He tied the game in the seventh inning with a home run off Luis Ayala and won it for the Tigers in the ninth with a two-out, two-run triple off Jim Johnson. Baseball America rates Plagman as the fourth-ranked first baseman in the Tigers' organization. Johnson walked two more batters today, giving him five in seven innings. He's 0-3 with a 7.71...

The Washington Nationals today selected outfielder Rick Ankiel to their 40-man roster. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The Nationals 40-man roster now includes 39 players.

VIERA, Fla. - In the least surprising move of camp, the Nationals have added center fielder Rick Ankiel to their 40-man roster. Ankiel, signed to a minor league deal this offseason, is set to be the Nats' opening day center fielder, if healthy. "He had a nice year for us last year," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "He's a terrific teammate to have around and his defense kind of spoke for itself last year. We feel really good where he's at with the bat right now. He's put in a lot of...