Ross, Harrison adjust offseason workouts in COVID environment

Ross, Harrison adjust offseason workouts in COVID environment
Joe Ross took the 2020 season off, opting out due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the Nationals right-hander believes he can use that time that rested his arm to his advantage as he ramps up for a return in 2021. "A little similarity to being injured," Ross said about being away from the game during a recent Zoom video call. "I'm sure the adrenaline first time back facing hitters is going to be through the roof. I think that might be the biggest thing as I start to throw off the mound more...

Choice to quickly re-sign with Nats was easy for Harrison

Choice to quickly re-sign with Nats was easy for Harrison
Josh Harrison had dealt with the downside of free agency, twice. After waiting by his phone the entire winter of 2018-19, the veteran utility man finally got an offer from the Tigers after players had already reported to Lakeland, Fla., for spring training. Then, following an injury-plagued season in Detroit, he was left with little choice but to accept a minor league offer from the Phillies with an invitation to big league camp last winter. Given that frustrating backstory, Harrison departed...

Ross and Harrison excited to join Pull Up Together campaign

Ross and Harrison excited to join Pull Up Together campaign
The Nationals today announced their continued partnership with the Players Alliance and a stop coming up Saturday in Washington, D.C. The Players Alliance includes more than 100 black former and current professional baseball players who use their platforms to help baseball become a more inclusive environment for the next generation of players by building equitable systems to change the trajectory of diversity throughout the sport. The Pull Up Together campaign provides food, COVID-19 resources...

Harrison proved worth in short time, earned new deal for 2021

Harrison proved worth in short time, earned new deal for 2021
Our offseason player review series continues today with Josh Harrison, who quickly made a positive impact after his early season acquisition. PLAYER REVIEW: JOSH HARRISON Age on opening day 2021: 33 How acquired: Signed as free agent, July 2020 MLB service time: 8 years, 168 days 2020 salary: $1 million (prorated $348,253) Contract status: Signed for $1 million in 2021, free agent in 2022 2020 stats: 33 G, 91 PA, 79 AB, 11 R, 22 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 1 SB, 2 CS, 6 BB, 12 SO, .278 AVG,...

Harrison returns to Nats for another year on $1 million deal

Harrison returns to Nats for another year on $1 million deal
Josh Harrison joined the Nationals four days into the 2020 season. The veteran utilityman quickly made himself invaluable on and off the field, so much so that the club wasted no time ensuring he'd be back in 2021. The Nationals re-signed Harrison to a one-year deal this morning, making the 33-year-old the first of their pending free agents to get a new contract that will keep him in Washington for another season. He'll earn $1 million in base salary, plus an additional $250,000 in...

Corbin battles, Nats' late rally fizzles in 3-2 loss to Mets (updated)

Corbin battles, Nats' late rally fizzles in 3-2 loss to Mets (updated)
The game did not turn out the way the Nationals wanted, but one thing is for certain: Patrick Corbin battled. Robinson Chirinos went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and an RBI single as the Mets won 3-2 at Nationals Park, taking the opener of a season-ending four-game series on Thursday night. The signature moment for the lefty came in the seventh inning when the Nats were down two runs. Corbin again demonstrated his value with a gutsy performance to get out of a jam. The Mets loaded the bases on...

Crowe, bullpen struggle as Nats fall 14-3 in nightcap (updated)

Crowe, bullpen struggle as Nats fall 14-3 in nightcap (updated)
The nightcap of today's twi-night doubleheader was no fun for Wil Crowe and the bullpen as the Marlins jumped on the Nationals for six runs in the first three frames and cruised to a 14-3 victory at Marlins Park. Brian Anderson went 3-for-4 with a career-high three homers and seven RBIs. Corey Dickerson went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Marlins put together three four-run innings in the rout. The win allowed Miami to snap a two-game skid and split the twinbill. The Nats won the...

After disastrous ninth, Nats find a way to win in 12th (updated)

After disastrous ninth, Nats find a way to win in 12th (updated)
They already played this game Thursday night. Seriously, tonight's contest on South Capitol Street felt like a perfect carbon copy of the one that preceded it, the Nationals jumping out to an early five-run lead, their starter fading in the middle innings, their bullpen asked to hang on for dear life the rest of the way. It didn't work out in the series opener against the Braves. It did work this time. But only after a ghastly blown save in the top of the ninth forced a game-winning rally in...

Holt and Harrison add spark to offense after rough week

Holt and Harrison add spark to offense after rough week
In the Nationals' two-game sweep of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays to begin this week, a pair of recently acquired veterans played big parts in the club's success in generating offense. Brock Holt went 4-for-8 with two doubles and two runs scored. Josh Harrison added two hits, going 2-for-7 with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs as the Nats beat the Rays 6-1 and 5-3. On Monday, as Juan Soto, Luis García and Howie Kendrick sat out with injuries, manager Davey Martinez opted to put Holt in...

Kieboom returns to play every day, Difo dropped from roster

Kieboom returns to play every day, Difo dropped from roster
Their lineup ravaged by a recent spate of injuries, the Nationals recalled Carter Kieboom from their alternate training camp today, plugged their struggling prospect into tonight's lineup against the Braves and declared him their starting third baseman for the rest of this abridged season. Kieboom, who had been optioned to the camp in Fredericksburg on Aug. 26, was already in Atlanta as part of the club's traveling taxi squad for this weekend's series at Truist Park. Team officials liked the...

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Braves (Kieboom recalled)

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Braves (Kieboom recalled)
Friday's doubleheader took a lot out of the Nationals, who over the course of 14 innings of baseball used eight pitchers, gave up 16 runs on 18 hits and eight walks, allowed seven homers and threw 259 pitches. So, what do they have left in the tank for tonight's game in Atlanta? Well, they've got Erick Fedde starting, and they've got to hope he can provide some quality innings so Davey Martinez can hold off on his bullpen as long as possible. Fedde was pretty good in his first five starts,...

Late homer, Taylor's bunt key in Nats' 10-9 win (updated)

Late homer, Taylor's bunt key in Nats' 10-9 win (updated)
The Nationals offense finally got off to a good start, scoring seven times in the first three innings Friday night. But the Braves used a dramatic Freddie Freeman grand slam to tie the game in the fourth. With the way things had gone for the Nats during their seven-game losing streak, many wondered if the Braves would again just finish them off. Not so fast, said the Nats' hottest hitter, Trea Turner. His solo homer in the sixth broke the tie, helping to steer the Nats to a 10-9 victory in a...

Robles and Turner help ignite offense in 10-2 rout of Red Sox

Robles and Turner help ignite offense in 10-2 rout of Red Sox
The Nationals offense stepped up early and kept the pressure on the Red Sox all night in a 10-2 runaway win to open their weekend series at Fenway Park. Juan Soto, Howie Kendrick and Josh Harrison hit home runs, part of eight extra base hits in the 16-hit attack. Trea Turner went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Victor Robles went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Three times in the game, No. 9 hitter Robles contributed a base hit in front of Turner that helped score a run or two,...

Scherzer starts, finishes strong in blowout at Fenway (updated)

Scherzer starts, finishes strong in blowout at Fenway (updated)
For a guy who firmly believes a start is defined by the last 10 to 15 pitches he throws, Max Scherzer was not satisfied with his two previous outings this summer. In each case, an otherwise strong start ended on a sour note, with the Nationals ace surrendering four late runs to fritter away what seemed like a comfortable lead. So when he walked off the mound at fabled Fenway Park tonight, having just put a definitive stamp on a classic Scherzer pitching performance, the three-time Cy Young...

After emotional day, a challenge for Nats to refocus on baseball

After emotional day, a challenge for Nats to refocus on baseball
At the end of an emotional day during an emotional week during an emotional year, the Nationals gathered on buses headed for Dulles International Airport, took a charter flight to Boston, checked into their hotel, tried to put everything swirling around their heads aside for a little while and get a good night's rest. They'll wake up this morning and focus on preparing for their series opener against the Red Sox, a game that by coincidence is taking place on Major League Baseball's...

Scherzer ready, Eaton rests, first taxi squad deployed

Scherzer ready, Eaton rests, first taxi squad deployed
After throwing two days ago and testing out his hamstring, Max Scherzer went up to Davey Martinez and said he could pitch that night. The manager chucked today as he recalled the story and the three-time Cy Young Award winner who would make such a ridiculous offer. "Your day is coming up," Martinez told him. "So be ready." That day is Tuesday. Scherzer will start against the Mets at Citi Field, making his scheduled turn in the rotation as promised when he had to depart his last outing after...

Game 13 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 13 lineups: Nats at Mets
The Nationals' remarkable run to a championship last October was defined by victories away from Washington. The Nats won Game 5 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium. They won Games 6 and 7 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park. All told, they went a stunning 8-1 on the road during the postseason, the only loss coming in their first NLDS game in Los Angeles. For whatever reason, this team was really comfortable playing on the road. Which brings us to tonight, when the...

Game 10 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 10 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
They've had more days off than days on recently, but that changes tonight for the Nationals, who begin a stretch of 13 consecutive days with games on the schedule with the opener of a weekend series against the Orioles. There's still uncertainty about the status of the top two members of the Nats rotation, so that puts some added pressure on the guys beneath them to do their job in the interim. Tonight that responsibility falls upon Aníbal Sánchez, who makes his second start of the...

Early offense, late escape acts give Nats another win (updated)

Early offense, late escape acts give Nats another win (updated)
The Nationals burst out of the gates tonight to take a quick five-run lead on the Mets. Then they decided to find out if they could make those five runs hold up behind Patrick Corbin and four relievers, with a rain delay thrown into the middle of it all for good measure. The answer: They could. By the skin of their teeth. Tonight's 5-3 victory over New York didn't quite go according to script. Not that Davey Martinez could've predicted this particular script, which included an out-of-nowhere...

Nerve pain gone, Strasburg plans to throw off mound

Nerve pain gone, Strasburg plans to throw off mound
Stephen Strasburg is no longer feeling the nerve pain in his right hand that prevented him from making his first two scheduled starts of the season, and the Nationals are planning for the veteran right-hander to throw off a mound this weekend and then potentially make his 2020 debut shortly after that. Strasburg, sidelined with what he referred to as a nerve impingement in his right wrist, has thrown off flat ground each of the last two days with no issues, according to manager Davey Martinez....