Felix Pie said there's "no question in my mind" that he'll be ready for Opening Day after being hit near the right ankle by a Mariano Rivera pitch during yesterday's game in Tampa. Pie said the ball struck the edge of his shin guard. X-rays taken on his ankle were negative. "I feel a lot better," he said. "There's a little pain when you touch it, but I'm OK." Pie thought he might have broken a bone until being examined. Though he's not in today's lineup, Pie said he could swing...

Brian Roberts 2B Adam Jones CF Nick Markakis RF Miguel Tejada 3B Luke Scott LF Matt Wieters C Nolan Reimold DH Garrett Atkins 1B Cesar Izturis SS Brian Matusz LHP Kam Mickolio will throw another bullpen session today and pitch in an intrasquad game tomorrow. "From there," he said, "I have no idea."

One of the biggest sports thrills of my life, and it may rank No. 1, was attending the final game at Memorial Stadium and choking back tears as the Field of Dreams music played and the four 20-game winners from the '71 season stood together on the mound. I can't believe only one of them is still with us. We lost Mike Cuellar today after a courageous battle with stomach cancer that he never had a chance to win. I guess heaven needed another crafty left-hander. David McNally passed away in...

For all the energy and enthusiasm Nyjer Morgan adds to the team, he brings something else as well. The fun-loving outfielder has a big heart and he wants to do his part to be a positive influence on the African American community, especially in the nation's capital. Morgan was involved with Kidney Foundation awareness events and fundraising throughout the winter. The speedster hopes to start another campaign to donate money for each of stolen bases this season, but it's still in the works....

The dog days of summer are coming to a close, but not before the Nationals welcome our four-legged friends to Nationals Park to enjoy the national pastime for a weekend. Today and tomorrow, fans can bring their furry friends to watch the Nats take on the Marlins from the Left Field Mezzanine. The team has set up a relief station with water and pet sitters near Section 201. MASN's Rob Dibble wished he could have brought his three dogs -- Kobe, Samson and Delila -- to the Nats inaugural...

Today, the University of Virginia Cavaliers traveled to Nationals Park to be honored by the Nats. The team met with Ryan Zimmerman on the field and watched the game from the PNC Diamond Club. And leave it to Ryan to send them home happy with a walk off home run against the Marlins. Last spring, Virginia competed in their first College World Series and captured the school's third ACC championship. They were 49-15-1 for the season. Much of their recent success has been attributed to...

Elijah Dukes knows a little something about hitting a home run during a Major League debut. In April of 2007, in the fifth inning of the Rays season opener, a then 23 year old Dukes took Yankees starter Carl Pavano deep in his first official at bat. Fortunately, the ball lodged itself in Yankee Stadium's center field wall and Dukes had no trouble recovering it as a keepsake. "Nothing can compare to that [experience]," Dukes said tonight after watching his 23 year old teammate accomplish...

Before receiving his recent injury news, catcher Jesus Flores agreed to help Nationals Buzz readers learn some basic Spanish words about baseball. The young catcher grew up in Venezuela and signed with the Mets in 2002. The Mets organization provided regular classes to the Hispanic players to help them learn the new language. Since arriving in Washington, Flores has worked hard to improve his speaking and writing ability in English, seeking out both a private tutor and opportunities to...

Josh Willingham and his wife Ginger have launched an important foundation dedicated to serving children and families in need in Alabama. The first project of the Josh Willingham Foundation will be building a playground for under-served children in their hometown of Florence, Alabama, but they also hope to help families in need around the holidays. "We started the foundation because we've had so much support from our family, our hometown and our friends back home," said Ginger Willingham. ...

A fan favorite player during his time in Washington, Ryan Church talked before Sunday's game about missing his teammates and fans in the nation's capital, but being thrilled to be part of the Braves organization. "Words can't describe it," Chuch said of playing for a franchise steeped in history and tradition with legendary manager Bobby Cox at the helm. Church described the Braves organization as low-key and very different from the high-pressure atmosphere in New York. "They have the...