Tracking down former Nats position players

Tracking down former Nats position players
Baseball rosters are a constantly changing entity. Teams make moves throughout a season and offseason, calling up this player, sending another player down, trading this one away, signing this one off the open market. In the process, a lot of players who become well-known and popular among fans, teammates and media alike disappear, never to be heard from again in these parts. The Nationals, like every other team in baseball, have parted ways with plenty of once-popular players over the years....

Updates on a couple of former Nationals

Updates on a couple of former Nationals
Tony Plush is trying to return to the big leagues, and Joel Hanrahan is trying to pick up where he left off prior to elbow sugery. Nyjer Morgan, the talkative former Nationals, Brewers and Pirates center fielder who went by the nickname "Tony Plush," is attempting to land a major league contract after spending the 2013 season playing in Japan, his agent told ESPN.com. Morgan hit .294 with 11 homers in 108 games for Yokohama in Japan's Central League last year. The speedster got off to a...

Dave Nichols: Morgan's departure forces tough fit at leadoff spot

Dave Nichols: Morgan's departure forces tough fit at leadoff spot
When the Nationals traded Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers this spring, manager Jim Riggleman was left with an interesting decision. Having no prototypical leadoff hitter on the roster, who would he slot in that position? It's not like Morgan was the perfect choice. Once heralded as the center fielder of the present and future by general manager Mike Rizzo, Morgan has some serious flaws as a player and some will cite his erratic behavior last season, saying he may have significant...

Riggleman pencils in 2011 starting lineup

Riggleman pencils in 2011 starting lineup
Now that the Nationals have Adam LaRoche in the fold and patrolling first base, the 2011 starting nine is taking shape. So without Adam Dunn in the cleanup spot, does that mean that Jayson Werth will instantly slide into that role? Manager Jim Riggleman says Werth can go there sometimes. So could Ryan Zimmerman or LaRoche, depending on pitching matchups. With left-handed hitters Nyjer Morgan, Roger Bernadina, Rick Ankiel, Corey Brown, LaRoche and switch-hitter Danny Epinosa, Riggleman has...

Jewett talks to and about Morgan as suspension looms

Jewett talks to and about Morgan as suspension looms
Syracuse Chiefs manager Trent Jewett joined the Nats following the end of the Triple-A season, and Sunday he got the chance to sit down and speak with one of his former players in outfielder Nyjer Morgan. Morgan is likely facing a long suspension for a string of incidents the last couple of weeks and could find out his fate for the remainder of the 2010 regular season as early as today. Jewett, who managed Morgan while he was with the Indianapolis Indians in the Pirates organization from...

Riggleman: Morgan's play at plate "totally inexcusable"

Riggleman: Morgan's play at plate "totally inexcusable"
Manager Jim Riggleman took outfielder Nyjer Morgan out of Sunday's lineup against the Cardinals for going after catcher Bryan Anderson at home plate during Saturday's 14-5 romp over St. Louis. Riggleman said it was manager's decision to keep Morgan out of the lineup today and felt that Morgan's anger got the best of him last night. He said Morgan was upset all day Saturday because he was placed eighth in the batting order. "I think it was a culmination of Nyjer's anger brewing for...

Bernadina ready for the call in the outfield

Bernadina ready for the call in the outfield
When Roger Bernadina first smacked the Ryan Franklin offering, it looked like a sure line drive double off the wall. But this shot was hit with such force it cleared the right field wall and saved the Nationals from defeat. Bernadina's ninth career homer was a two-run gem that Nats fans will remember for a long time. The laser to right lifted the Nats out of what looked like their fifth straight loss and gave them another chance at beating the St. Louis Cardinals. Suddenly, the Nats...

Nats rally a hopeful signal that offense will ignite

Nats rally a hopeful signal that offense will ignite
The Cubs edged the Nationals 5-4 Tuesday at Nats Park, but not before some final inning dramatics got the home team back in the game and hopefully signaled a turn for the better for a struggling offense. Down 5-1 and with two outs, Adam Kennedy laced a three-run double off of closer Carlos Marmol and Ryan Zimmerman battled through a long at bat before flying out to deep right to end the game. Although the Nats did not win the game, it was a vast improvement from the way the team felt after...

Nothing pretty in this loss

Nothing pretty in this loss
This was definitely a rough Monday for the Nats. Fresh off a 2-4 road trip against the best in the East, the Nats returned home to find out Stephen Strasburg will have to be placed on the disabled list again and then the Cubs crushed the Nats 9-1. Nats have scored two or less runs in eight of their last 13 games and have only one run on the board since Saturday. Manager Jim Riggleman was not pleased following Monday's loss. The Cubs pounded out 15 hits in handing Livan Hernandez his...

Morgan DH's for Potomac, continues rehab

Morgan DH's for Potomac, continues rehab
Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan went 0-for-3 in a rehab assignment as the designated hitter today for Potomac. Morgan will go seven innings for Hagerstown tomorrow, then nine innings for Harrisburg Tuesday before flying to Atlanta to rejoin the team Wednesday. Morgan has been recovering from a hip injury and is eligible to come off the disabled list August 19, which would be the last game of the series in Atlanta.

Morgan rehab today in Potomac; Roark wins

Morgan rehab today in Potomac; Roark wins
Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan will play for the Potomac Nationals today in a rehab start. Morgan is on the disabled list with inflammation in his right hip. In 103 games with the Nationals in 2010, Morgan has hit .261 with 20 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Will Flemming with the P-Nats reports Morgan is expected to play five innings in center field. Harrisburg Senators starter Tanner Roark, acquired from the Texas Rangers last month as part of the trade for Cristian Guzman, earned his first...

Morgan, Bernie catalysts to get offense rolling at home

Morgan, Bernie catalysts to get offense rolling at home
The Nationals have now won five of their first eight games in this 10-game homestand, taking down Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants 8-1 Friday night at Nationals Park. The Nats did it behind the arm of Stephen Strasburg, but it was also the offense that has ignited this recent spark in D.C. The Nationals are 25-19 at home and are one win away from a 9-3-3 series record at Nats Park this season. The team has won 6 of their last 10 and have started to play some very good baseball...

Riggleman: We will push from day one

Riggleman: We will push from day one
I had a chance to speak with Nationals manager Jim Riggleman as spring training 2010 gets underway today. We went over several of the important issues the Nats have solved and that they face as they embark on Jim's first full year as the Nats skipper. On the signing of Adam Kennedy at second base: "At this point, Mike has really addressed every issue we talked about since August with Adam Kennedy being one of those guys. We felt we needed add another infielder. It's a perfect match, a...