Fedde, Rainey placed on COVID-19 IL after positive test (updated)

Fedde, Rainey placed on COVID-19 IL after positive test (updated)
The Nationals had to place pitchers Erick Fedde and Tanner Rainey on the COVID-19 injured list before tonight's game in Chicago after one tested positive for the coronavirus and the other was deemed a close contact to that player. The club didn't specify which of the two tested positive, but manager Davey Martinez said that player was vaccinated, is asymptomatic and is feeling fine. The player deemed a close contact, however, is unvaccinated and now is subject to quarantine up to 10...

Soto's return to right field lengthens Nationals lineup

Soto's return to right field lengthens Nationals lineup
Somewhere between Yankee Stadium's unique configuration and Juan Soto's eagerness to return to the outfield, Nationals manager Davey Martinez thinks he's seen enough progress from Soto's strained left shoulder to put the slugger back in right field for today's matinee against the Yankees. Soto, who served as the designated hitter Friday night and contributed a two-run homer in the ninth inning of the Nats' 6-2 victory, passed the final hurdle before Friday's game by showing he could...

Bullpen's perfect streak ends at 29 batters

Bullpen's perfect streak ends at 29 batters
The pitch from Kyle Finnegan, a 3-2 sinker to Gary Sánchez in the bottom of the seventh that appeared to split the outer edge of the superimposed strike zone on your TV screen, was called a ball by Carlos Torres. Sánchez trotted to first base, and nobody at Yankee Stadium thought much of his one-out walk during Friday night's game against the Nationals. If you've been watching closely this week, though, you understood the significance of that borderline call. And why it produced...

Nats can't deal with Braves starter's arm or bat in loss (updated)

Nats can't deal with Braves starter's arm or bat in loss (updated)
Baseball folks don't like to talk about momentum, because they've been doing this long enough to understand that what happened in recent days doesn't necessarily portend what will happen tonight. The Nationals had every reason to enter their series opener with the Braves feeling like they held the upper hand, based on their four-game winning streak, Atlanta's four-game losing streak and everything that transpired to make both events possible. Of course, it doesn't actually work like that....

Bullpen proving to be Nats' most reliable unit early in season

Bullpen proving to be Nats' most reliable unit early in season
It's been a while since the Nationals opened a season with a reliable bullpen. How long? Try five years. Way back in 2016, if anyone can remember ancient history, Dusty Baker's relief corps enjoyed a dominant April. That group ended the season's opening month with a 2.53 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, led by Jonathan Papelbon's eight saves, Shawn Kelley's 0.00 ERA and contributions from the likes of Blake Treinen, Matt Belisle, Oliver Pérez and Yusmeiro Petit. Yeah, things have changed just a bit...

Scherzer and bullpen combine for 1-0 shutout of Cards (updated)

Scherzer and bullpen combine for 1-0 shutout of Cards (updated)
Max Scherzer still has it, thank you very much. And the Nationals bullpen still has some intestinal fortitude, in case you were wondering. On a cold, windy late afternoon in which their offense asked them to make one early run hold up, Scherzer and three Nats relievers did just that, eking out a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals by the skin of their teeth to capture their second series in a week from St. Louis. "We'd like to win by more," Scherzer said on Zoom afterward. "But hey, sometimes...

Nats emerge victorious at end of eventful evening (updated)

Nats emerge victorious at end of eventful evening (updated)
Davey Martinez and his players have been insisting for several days now that the mood inside the Nationals clubhouse remains upbeat, that nobody is feeling a sense of dread two weeks into a season that has seen all manner of calamity befall this team. From a roster-ravaging COVID-19 outbreak to an ineffective string of pitching performances to a lineup that has been hit-or-miss to yet another injury for one of the staff's most-important stalwarts, there has been plenty of valid reasons for...

On Fedde's turnaround, Castro's RBIs and Hand's pitch count

On Fedde's turnaround, Castro's RBIs and Hand's pitch count
The 2021 debuts of Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison, and the effect they had on the Nationals lineup, were the dominant storyline to Monday night's game. But this 5-2 victory was made possible by several other players and several other developments worth exploring a bit deeper ... * Fedde's 180 After Erick Fedde was rocked by the Braves in his season debut five days earlier, who saw this coming? The right-hander completely reversed course against the Cardinals, allowing just one...

Scherzer great, lineup not great as Nats shut out again (updated)

Scherzer great, lineup not great as Nats shut out again (updated)
One week into a season that didn't start when they expected and didn't include the roster they expected, the Nationals have established a fairly common daily narrative. And not an uplifting one. The typical game has played out like this: An impressive outing by the starter is squandered by a lack of offense (especially a lack of power), with some shaky fundamentals and maybe a late home run served up by the bullpen thrown in for good measure. That formula added up to a 3-0 loss to the Dodgers...

Should opening series encourage or discourage Nats?

Should opening series encourage or discourage Nats?
There are a couple of ways to think about the Nationals' season-opening series. You can take the optimistic view and point out that in spite of their severely depleted roster, the Nats showed themselves to be pretty much on par with the Braves and very easily could've won the three-game series or even swept it. Or you can take the pessimistic view and lament the fact that the series was indeed right there for the taking, and the Nats instead gave it to the Braves by blowing an early lead in...

Nats waste Strasburg's gem, get shut out by Braves (updated)

Nats waste Strasburg's gem, get shut out by Braves (updated)
Needing a good start from Stephen Strasburg to have a chance at winning their season-opening series against the Braves despite a roster missing nine key veterans, the Nationals got more than that. Strasburg was great, tossing six innings of one-hit ball this afternoon. What they didn't get, however, was a run of their own. Or scoreless work from their bullpen. And because of it, a three-game series that was right there for the taking slipped from their hands. Pablo Sandoval's two-run homer...

Strasburg, relievers finish strong as spring season ends

Strasburg, relievers finish strong as spring season ends
The final day of spring training is about a starter building up his pitch count, a few relievers getting some last-minute work in and everybody else just avoiding injury. The Nationals, it would appear, survived today's Grapefruit League finale, a 2-2 tie with the Astros at their shared complex in West Palm Beach, Fla. Next up: a charter flight to Washington, a day off so everyone can get settled in, a workout and simulated game at Nationals Park on Wednesday evening, and then it's go...

Soto, Castro playing in simulated games before opener

Soto, Castro playing in simulated games before opener
Though the Nationals don't doubt Juan Soto and Starlin Castro will be ready to play in Thursday night's season opener in Washington, both players will have to do so without having appeared in the final three games of the exhibition season in Florida. Neither Soto nor Castro is in the lineup for today's Grapefruit League finale against the Astros, but each took five at-bats during a simulated game outside The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches this morning and experienced no issues with the minor...

What still needs to be resolved in the final week of camp

What still needs to be resolved in the final week of camp
Would you believe it's the final week of spring training? That's right. The Nationals have only seven more days in West Palm Beach, Fla., before heading north. Opening night is tantalizingly close now. The question, of course, is: Are the Nats ready? And the answer is: not quite. There are several matters that still need to be sorted out before the end of camp. Players must prove they deserve to make the roster. The front office and coaching staff must decide who makes it and who doesn't....

A ragged - but healthy - spring debut for Rainey

A ragged - but healthy - spring debut for Rainey
Tanner Rainey would've liked to walk off the mound at the end of the sixth inning Sunday and felt nothing but positive vibes about his first game appearance of the spring. Alas, these things don't always work out quite so swimmingly. Rainey's 2021 Grapefruit League debut, delayed three weeks by a small muscle strain near his right collarbone, wasn't pretty. "Today was not a good showing," the Nationals reliever said during a Zoom session with reporters. "The only positive I take away...

Rainey to make game debut today, Parra progressing well

Rainey to make game debut today, Parra progressing well
Tanner Rainey will make his Grapefruit League debut at last today, a critical sign the Nationals reliever should be ready to open the season on the active roster. Rainey's spring had been delayed by a muscle strain near his right collarbone. Though it forced him to slow things down early in camp, the right-hander resumed throwing weeks ago and pitched in a simulated game earlier this week. With no more concerns about the injury, Rainey has now been cleared to pitch in a game. The Nationals...

Strasburg will start on schedule, but in simulated game

Strasburg will start on schedule, but in simulated game
Stephen Strasburg won't miss any time with a left calf strain and will make his next start Friday on schedule. But the Nationals right-hander won't be doing it in a Grapefruit League game. Strasburg will throw four innings in a simulated game against teammates prior to the Nationals' official 6:05 p.m. exhibition against the Astros, manager Davey Martinez revealed this morning. "He says he feels fine," Martinez said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "But we want to make sure...

Lester to debut Thursday, Strasburg still testing calf

Lester to debut Thursday, Strasburg still testing calf
Jon Lester is ready to make his Nationals debut. And that could help give Stephen Strasburg a couple extra days to let his strained calf heal without disrupting the team's rotation plans to begin the season. Lester has cleared all hurdles since rejoining camp following March 5 surgery to remove one of his parathyroid glands and is slated to start Thursday against the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla., according to manager Davey Martinez. It'll be the left-hander's long-awaited Nationals debut...

Martinez on Lester and Rainey, first cuts and Barrett's knee surgery

Martinez on Lester and Rainey, first cuts and Barrett's knee surgery
Davey Martinez's morning Zoom session with reporters was delayed about 35 minutes so the Nationals manager could watch left-hander Jon Lester throw live batting practice, an important step after returning to camp following surgery to remove one of his parathyroid glands. "He threw 37 pitches, two innings. He looked good," Martinez said of Lester, who returned to spring training in West Palm Beach earlier this week after surgery on March 5 in New York. "He was about 75, 80 percent. The ball...

Soto sits again, Rainey throws again, cabbage races again

Soto sits again, Rainey throws again, cabbage races again
Juan Soto reported to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches this morning, feeling better after spending Wednesday at home with what was believed to be a sinus issue, and wanted to play in the Nationals' exhibition game against the Marlins. And Davey Martinez initially put Soto in his lineup. He was batting second, behind Victor Robles and ahead of Trea Turner in the latest attempt by the manager to see if that new-look trio atop the order could work. Then Martinez thought better of it. Soto was...