VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager Davey Johnson had said that Stephen Strasburg was on a 45-pitch limit today. Strasburg's 44th pitch of the afternoon set down Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez swinging, and that marked the end of his day. The right-hander finishes having thrown 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a wild pitch. Strasburg had three strikeouts, two of which were swinging. He allowed a solo home run to catcher Chris Snyder with one out in the second, and was on the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Manager Buck Showalter said pitcher Zach Britton and reliever Jim Johnson are "right where they need to be." And he didn't mean Sarasota. Also, pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada played catch again today and will throw off flat ground from 120 feet tomorrow and throw off a half mound. Exactly one week ago, he had his left elbow drained and received a cortisone injection. Time flies. "His arm was working uninhibited today," Showalter said. Showalter still isn't ready to name a...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have released pitcher Dennys Reyes for failure to report to camp. That'll do it. Reyes was having visa issues and the club hadn't been in contact with him. At least they've spoken to catcher Ronny Paulino, whose car showed up without him. If you're keeping tabs on the spring training roster, Paulino is a no-show, Reyes has been released, pitcher Ryan Edell retired and catcher Dane Sardinha failed his physical. Reliever Jim Johnson threw another bullpen...

VIERA, Fla. - It might be his first game action this spring, but Stephen Strasburg looked like Stephen Strasburg in his first inning of work this afternoon. Strasburg set the Astros down in order in the top of the first, retiring Jordan Schafer on a fly ball to right, getting Marwin Gonzalez on a first-pitch grounder to first base, and striking out Brian Bogusevic swinging. Strasburg tossed 14 pitches in the first inning, eight of which were for strikes. He threw mostly fastballs, but looked...

Teenagers have attitudes. Senior citizens have attitudes. Yours truly stuck in Beltway rush hour gridlock has an attitude. But Natitude? That's all you, Nationals fans. We're only a few weeks away from the start of the 2012 regular season and the buzz in the nation's capital is fierce. This year's squad is young, they're hungry and they're in prime position to reach the postseason for the first time since coming to D.C. And in honor of the impending rise of Nationals baseball, the...

VIERA, Fla. - Not too long ago, Jesus Flores was viewed as the Nationals' catcher of the future. Now, he's just trying to prove he can stay healthy for a full season and contribute at the big league level. Right shoulder problems - a fractured shoulder blade and a torn labrum - have in many ways wiped out the 27-year-old's last three seasons. He played in just 29 games in 2009 and missed the entire 2010 campaign due to the injury, then struggled in 2011, hitting just .216 in 86 games...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Zach Britton and Jim Johnson threw their bullpen sessions side-by-side this morning before heading indoors for a team meeting. Both pitchers are progressing as the club had hoped. So far, there haven't been any setbacks. Britton was throwing off a regular mound for the second time this spring. He pushed his pitch count beyond 30 and mixed in his slider and changeup. "I think it was a lot better than the first one," he said. "I felt more comfortable on the mound today. I...

VIERA, Fla. - The call may not come tomorrow, or even in the next week or the next month. But Jordan Zimmermann is sure he'll pick up his cell phone sometime in the near future and punch in Sammy Solis' phone number. When Solis picks up, he'll have a lifeline to someone who's gone through what he's facing. Solis, a promising left-hander, will undergo Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday, with Dr. Lewis Yucom performing the operation that will rebuild Solis'...

VIERA, Fla. - They just pulled the tarp off the field here at Space Coast Stadium, and the rain appears to be gone for the rest of the day. We're just left with 56-degree temperatures and a strong wind. For those of you up north who are rolling your eyes right now, I'm not complaining, I'm just saying. Stephen Strasburg will take the mound for the Nationals today, but the righty shouldn't have a problem with these conditions. It seems like every time he takes the mound, it's cool and...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Left-hander Zach Britton will throw his bullpen session this morning, a day earlier than he originally expected. "I was feeling good and they had a couple different plans mapped out, depending on how I felt," Britton said. "This probably gets me on a mound for a game a little sooner." Britton will do some light tossing tomorrow and is expected to throw again on Tuesday, either in the bullpen or for batting practice. Meanwhile, Wei-Yin Chen didn't sound discouraged...