Game 133 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins

Game 133 lineups: Nats vs. Marlins
Slowly but surely, the Nationals are getting their bullpen back. That is, the bullpen they acquired on July 31 but only had together for one game. Roenis Elías, who made just the one appearance before straining his hamstring, has been activated off the injured list and is available to pitch in tonight's series opener against the Marlins. And Hunter Strickland, who has been around for most of the last month, has returned from paternity leave. Needing to clear two roster spots, the Nationals...

Doolittle and Elías on verge of return after simulated game

Doolittle and Elías on verge of return after simulated game
Sean Doolittle and Roenis Elías each threw an inning in a simulated game this afternoon, potentially the final step for each reliever before returning to the Nationals' active roster this weekend. Doolittle, on the 10-day injured list since Aug. 18 with right knee tendinitis, and Elias, on the 10-day IL since Aug. 4 with a right hamstring strain, each faced live hitters today for the first time and each was encouraged by the results. "I'd like to have them both back as soon as possible,"...

Adams has contusion, Zimmerman playing nine innings for P-Nats

Adams has contusion, Zimmerman playing nine innings for P-Nats
Nationals first baseman Matt Adams was hit by a pitch Tuesday night in the fourth inning of the 2-0 loss to the Orioles. Afterward, Adams was seen gingerly heading to first base. Tonight, manager Davey Martinez has started veteran Asdrúbal Cabrera at first base, saying Adams is favoring his right leg a bit. "He's got a little contusion," Martinez said. "His knee is banged up a little bit. So rather than let him start and then all of a sudden something happens we will use him off the...

Elías, Zimmerman close to wrapping up rehab stints

Elías, Zimmerman close to wrapping up rehab stints
Sean Doolittle's pending return to the Nationals bullpen is significant, no doubt. But the other left-hander on the verge of rejoining that unit could prove to be quite significant himself. Roenis Elías, who faced only two batters after his July 31 acquisition from the Mariners before straining his right hamstring running the bases, appears to be entering the final days of his rehab and could join Doolittle on the active roster by the end of the week. Elías threw off a mound today, the...

Elías moving closer to return after bullpen session (Nats up 5-2)

Elías moving closer to return after bullpen session (Nats up 5-2)
CHICAGO - The left-hander the Nationals went out of their way to acquire at the trade deadline is getting closer to rejoining the active roster. Roenis Elías, who strained his hamstring in his team debut, threw off the bullpen mound at Wrigley Field this morning. If the session went well, he should be able to ramp up his rehab and potentially come off the injured list in short order. "We'll have to evaluate how he does today," manager Davey Martinez said, "and then we'll go from...

Ross throws off mound, Elías still two days away (Nats up 2-1)

Ross throws off mound, Elías still two days away (Nats up 2-1)
PITTSBURGH - Though the Nationals haven't made any formal announcements yet, it appears Joe Ross is good to start Saturday afternoon in Chicago, his lower right leg having healed enough from the comebacker that struck him during Monday's game against the Pirates. Ross threw a full bullpen session late this afternoon and did not appear to be limited or hindered in any significant way. Davey Martinez, who watched the session up close in the visitors' bullpen at PNC Park, said in his earlier...

Breaking down the key decisions in Tuesday's loss

Breaking down the key decisions in Tuesday's loss
PITTSBURGH - It all happened so fast. The Nationals held a 1-0 lead when the seventh inning ended Tuesday night. Stephen Strasburg was in complete control. And then the Nationals were down 4-1 to the Pirates after Wander Suero and Daniel Hudson made a mess of the eighth inning. It's hardly the first time this has happened to the Nationals this season. But it was a particularly interesting recurrence of "The Eighth Inning Problem," for a variety of reasons. There were interesting decisions...

Strickland breaks nose weightlifting but OK to pitch (Nats up 1-0)

Strickland breaks nose weightlifting but OK to pitch (Nats up 1-0)
PITTSBURGH - Hunter Strickland said he broke his nose in a weightlifting accident this afternoon, but the Nationals reliever has been cleared to pitch tonight and he'll be available out of the bullpen if needed. Strickland was working out in the weight room at PNC Park when he was struck in the face by a barbell, according to manager Davey Martinez. Strickland walked through the visitors' clubhouse a short while after with a bandage over the bridge of his nose and with discoloration and...

Looking at Nationals' options in the ninth inning

Looking at Nationals' options in the ninth inning
It's hard to believe Nationals manager Davey Martinez isn't aware of the angst and frustration three simple words - "He's our closer" - cause for a fan base tired of watching ninth-inning leads frittered away. For the three weeks Sean Doolittle has been struggling to lock down games, Martinez has dug his heels in and drawn a line in the sand, holding firm that the southpaw will remain his closer because he's the best option to protect a lead with three outs to go. When Matt Williams...

Nats' new relievers better than Braves' additions since Aug. 1

Nats' new relievers better than Braves' additions since Aug. 1
The Nationals and Braves both attempted to improve their bullpens at the July 31 trade deadline. So far, the Nats have gotten the better end of the deals. Even without Roenis Elías for most of the last three weeks due to injury, the additions of Hunter Strickland and Daniel Hudson have outshone the Braves acquisitions of Chris Martin, Mark Melancon and Shane Greene. In Friday night's nail-biting 2-1 Nationals win over the Brewers, Hudson and Strickland bridged shutout seventh and eighth...

Updates on Soto, Scherzer, Elías and more (Nats up 6-2)

Updates on Soto, Scherzer, Elías and more (Nats up 6-2)
Juan Soto's not in the lineup but feeling much better about his right ankle than he did 24 hours earlier. Howie Kendrick's not in the lineup but back on the active roster and available to pinch-hit tonight. Max Scherzer is ready to face live hitters for the first time in three weeks. Ryan Zimmerman and Roenis Elías are making progress but still have major hurdles to cross before returning from the injured list. And Brian Dozier is sick. That's your daily Nationals injury update. And it's...

With deeper bullpen, Nats finally confident closing out games

With deeper bullpen, Nats finally confident closing out games
SAN FRANCISCO - As the bottom of the ninth played out Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park, the Giants getting an RBI double from Brandon Crawford and suddenly threatening to make things interesting, Davey Martinez might have been tempted to send Sean Doolittle or Fernando Rodney down to the bullpen to start warming up. Only a week or two ago, that's probably what would've happened. If a game was close late, Martinez would have felt compelled to at least warm up his closer or primary backup,...

Kendrick, Elías to IL; Guerra, Stevenson rejoin roster (Nats down 7-5)

Kendrick, Elías to IL; Guerra, Stevenson rejoin roster (Nats down 7-5)
PHOENIX - For two days, the Nationals hoped Howie Kendrick and Roenis Elías had suffered mere leg cramps and not hamstring strains. On the third day, they conceded the ailments were severe enough to land both players on the injured list. Kendrick and Elías were formally placed on the 10-day IL before today's series finale against the Diamondbacks, and though club officials still believe neither injury is serious, both will miss at least another week, leaving the roster depleted. Javy...

Elías feeling better, but IL decision is looming (Nats down 10-4)

Elías feeling better, but IL decision is looming (Nats down 10-4)
PHOENIX - The Nationals continue to hope Roenis Elías suffered only an upper leg cramp running down the line Friday night to try to beat out a chopper to short, but they are still planning to have the newly acquired reliever undergo an MRI to check for a hamstring strain and may feel compelled to place him on the injured list in the next 24 hours to be safe. General manager Mike Rizzo today referred to Elías having "tweaked his hammy," and though he doesn't sense the left-hander's...

Trio of acquired relievers eager to help Nats win down stretch

Trio of acquired relievers eager to help Nats win down stretch
PHOENIX - They all had different initial reactions upon learning they had been traded - Daniel Hudson figured for weeks he'd be headed somewhere, Roenis Elías was excited to join a team in a pennant race, Hunter Strickland was completely blindsided by the news - but there was a common sentiment among all three of the Nationals' July 31 acquisitions: They just want to help their new team reach the postseason. "I mean, that's what it's all about," Strickland said. "That's why every...

Despite injury, new bullpen thrives in Nats' 3-0 win

Despite injury, new bullpen thrives in Nats' 3-0 win
PHOENIX - Davey Martinez was handed a brand-new bullpen tonight, and with that came a whole new strategy for managing the second half of ballgames. After getting 5 1/3 scoreless innings from Joe Ross, Martinez was able to go straight to his relief corps, confident that group was deep enough to cover the rest of the game. And it absolutely was deep enough. Two newcomers - Roenis Elías and Hunter Strickland - handled the sixth and seventh innings with ease. Holdovers Fernando Rodney and Sean...

Focus returns to field as Nationals open long road trip

Focus returns to field as Nationals open long road trip
PHOENIX - They've got three new arms in their bullpen. Their rotation is still missing its ace. Their lineup is close to full-strength again. Now the Nationals' focus returns to the field, where it will stay for the next two months. And perhaps beyond. After a furious final few hours before Wednesday's trade deadline, not to mention a frustrating 10-inning loss to the Braves as this was all playing out, the Nationals flew west and enjoyed a much-needed day off in the desert. They pick up...

Were the Nationals' deadline moves enough?

Were the Nationals' deadline moves enough?
When the dust had settled after a frantic finish to this year's July 31 madness, it was clear to anyone following along that the Nationals boasted a better roster after 4 p.m. Wednesday than they did before the trade deadline arrived. Less clear, though, was the answer to this question: Did they get better enough? The acquisitions of three late-inning relievers (Daniel Hudson, Hunter Strickland, Roenis Elias) provide a long-needed jolt to a Nationals bullpen that has been in various states of...

Nationals pick up trio of relievers, including Strickland (updated)

Nationals pick up trio of relievers, including Strickland (updated)
As 4 p.m. drew ever closer, the time had come for general managers around the league to settle on best offers and get deals done before the trade deadline strikes. And sure enough, the action picked up fast and furious for the Nationals, who landed three late-inning relievers in the span of about 30 minutes this afternoon, headlined by the once-notorious Hunter Strickland. The Nats got Strickland and lefty Roenis Elias from the Mariners in separate trades, plus veteran right-hander Daniel...