Werth goes yard, Harper goes too far (updated)

Werth goes yard, Harper goes too far (updated)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Jayson Werth smacked the first pitch he saw today on a line over the right field wall, giving the center fielder his first hit of spring and giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead over the Braves. The ball got out of here quickly, and while it might have been wind-aided, it was definitely struck well. Two batters later, right fielder Bryce Harper - who was a late addition to the lineup today after Michael Morse was pulled because of a lat strain - smoked a line drive single...

Waiting on Wang in intrasquad (plus tonight's lineup)

Waiting on Wang in intrasquad (plus tonight's lineup)
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have a night game in Port St. Lucie tonight, but there's still action around Space Coast Stadium early this afternoon. Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang will take the mound in the Nationals' intrasquad game at 1 p.m., which will be the veteran's first time throwing to hitters since last Monday's live batting practice. Wang is working through some stiffness in his pitching shoulder, but assuming all goes well today, he's scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League...

Werth in Sunday's lineup, playing center field

Werth in Sunday's lineup, playing center field
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Jayson Werth's back spasms are a problem no more, and he'll start in center field Sunday when the Nationals open their home Grapefruit League season against the Astros at Space Coast Stadium on Sunday, according to the lineup posted Saturday morning. But questions about Werth's recovery and his ability to move from right field to center were met with some resistance by manager Davey Johnson before today's first game of the spring at Osceola County Stadium. Johnson...

Johnson all but rules out Werth, LaRoche for this weekend

Johnson all but rules out Werth, LaRoche for this weekend
VIERA, Fla. - If outfielder Jayson Werth and first baseman Adam LaRoche are going to play in Grapefruit League games this weekend, it'll take some amazing recuperative powers and a departure from the conservative approach the Nationals have taken with even minor injuries. Manager Davey Johnson all but ruled the pair out of Saturday's game at Kissimmee, Fla., and Sunday's home opener, both against the Astros. Werth has been bothered by back spasms but has been participating in workouts at...

Mild ankle sprain gives LaRoche chance to rest shoulder (updated)

Mild ankle sprain gives LaRoche chance to rest shoulder (updated)
VIERA, Fla. - A mild left ankle sprain will keep Adam LaRoche out of today's organized workouts, but the Nationals first baseman expects to throw and hit a little in hopes of being ready to play Sunday for the team's home Grapefruit League opener against the Astros. "I don't want to flare it up any more than it is," said LaRoche, who injured the ankle in base running drills two days ago. "There's no point right now risking dragging this thing out for another week if we can knock it out...

Werth participates at his own pace, may be held out of weekend games

Werth participates at his own pace, may be held out of weekend games
VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager Davey Johnson expected outfielder Jayson Werth to miss a second straight day of workouts because of back spasms. Turns out Werth felt well enough to take part at his own pace, though Johnson's not sure he'll have Werth available when Grapefruit League play begins this weekend. Werth wasn't present at the beginning of workouts while he received treatment on his lower back. Whatever the team's trainers did worked well enough to allow Werth to hit on his own in...

Werth missing as Wednesday workout begins (updated)

Werth missing as Wednesday workout begins (updated)
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals moved their preseason drills from the minor league complex to Space Coast Stadium on Wednesday, but outfielder Jayson Werth was missing when the workout began. Instead, Werth was receiving treatment on his lower back. Werth missed Tuesday's workout with back spasms, according to manager Davey Johnson. While the rest of his teammates dressed in red jerseys and gray pants, Werth lingered in the clubhouse in shorts and a t-shirt. Approached by reporters for an update...

Back spasms sideline Werth from workout

Back spasms sideline Werth from workout
VIERA, Fla. - Outfielder Jayson Werth took Tuesday off from workouts after reporting to Space Coast Stadium with muscle spasms in his back. "His back was hurting. ... He didn't work out," manager Davey Johnson said. The Nationals have escaped serious injuries thus far through spring training, and Werth's back spasms are the first problem substantial enough to cause a player to miss drills. "It's something I'm not taking any chances with," Johnson said. "I know he worked out a lot in...

For four Nationals, life's the pits at wreck-filled Daytona 500

For four Nationals, life's the pits at wreck-filled Daytona 500
VIERA, Fla. - Michael Morse got in touch with his inner Bubba on Monday night, accompanying three teammates to the Daytona 500, which was run about 70 miles north in Daytona Beach, Fla. It was the first NASCAR Sprint Cup experience for Morse, and won't be the last. "It was awesome, it was a great experience," said Morse. "First one ever. I never knew how much they worked - the pit crew, the drivers, the owners, the spotters. It's just constant non-stop chaos." A friend of general...

Early arrival Werth ready put disappointing 2011 behind him

Early arrival Werth ready put disappointing 2011 behind him
VIERA, Fla. - Think Jayson Werth's first season in Washington left a sour taste in your mouth? You've got nothing on Werth, who didn't exactly perform like a player who had signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Nationals, then struggled to find his form, often appearing to be battling himself. "Last year was a little odd," Werth, one of the position players to arrive early at spring training, told reporters Saturday. "You are coming into a new place. I really didn't know...

Five questions facing the Nationals as spring training begins

Five questions facing the Nationals as spring training begins
VIERA, Fla. - Are there four more glorious words in the English language than "pitchers and catchers report"? But before the Nationals' batteries charge from Space Coast Stadium to the Carl Barger Baseball Complex - OK, it's actually more of a leisurely stroll, but after nearly five months off, the pace will be quickened - here are the five most important questions facing the club between now and the April 5 season opener at Wrigley Field in Chicago: Is Bryce Harper ready for prime time?...

Possible fits for Ankiel in the Nats' outfield (updated with Teahen move)

Possible fits for Ankiel in the Nats' outfield (updated with Teahen move)
Football season is over, which means baseball season's just around the corner. And it's Babe Ruth's 117th birthday, to boot! Good thing the Sultan of Swat doesn't have to summon up enough breath to blow out all those candles. NatsTown has generally welcomed the return of Rick Ankiel, who has agreed to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Unless he falls flat on his face or is hurt, it's a good bet Ankiel will come north as part of the Nationals' 25-man roster. But...

Positionally, Werth is the center of attention

Positionally, Werth is the center of attention
When the Nationals arrive at Space Coast Stadium in a few weeks, it will be without the usual uncertainty that has accompanied the team to Viera, Fla., in past spring trainings. Up and down the roster, there are more sure things than question marks. Rotation? So many legitimate starting pitchers that either Ross Detwiler or John Lannan will likely end up in long relief. Bullpen? So many arms that someone like Ryan Mattheus or Henry Rodguez could be squeezed out. Starting lineup? Pretty solid,...

Some leftovers from Mike Rizzo

Some leftovers from Mike Rizzo
A few leftovers from Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo after today's press conference to introduce left-hander Gio Gonzalez: * Whether Bryce Harper does enough to break spring camp with the major league club will be one of the biggest stories in the Grapefruit League starting next month. Manager Davey Johnson has gone on record as saying he thinks the 19-year-old outfielder can handle big league pitching now, while Rizzo seems to think the top prospect, who has played less than half a...

What if ... the Nationals hadn't signed Jayson Werth?

What if ... the Nationals hadn't signed Jayson Werth?
The beauty of "What If?" Wednesdays is that we can either go deep into the past or delve into the not-so-distant, er, distance. Regardless of when the space/time continuum is disturbed - just recently or long-term - there are always potential ramifications to be pored over and pondered, discussed and dissected. Today, we set the way-back machine for just over a year ago, Dec. 5, 2010, to be exact, with a destination for Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (better known to casual observers as the site of...

Some leftovers from Rizzo's conference call

Some leftovers from Rizzo's conference call
A couple of pre-holiday morsels left over from the conference call with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo after the six-player trade that landed left-hander Gio Gonzalez was formally announced: * Don't buy into all of those rumors about clandestine talks between the Nationals and free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. Asked if Adam LaRoche would be the Nationals' first baseman in 2012, Rizzo said, "That is correct." * While Rizzo continues to search the free agent and trade markets...

Could batting stance change get Bryce Harper to Nationals early this season?

Could batting stance change get Bryce Harper to Nationals early this season?
Talk at the Winter Meetings regarding the Nationals outfield has general manager Mike Rizzo considering putting veteran Jayson Werth in center field. Werth enjoyed playing the spot in limited duty last season and did well defensively. If the Nationals cannot get Denard Span or B.J. Upton through a trade and their other center field options dry up, one possibility could be to move Werth there for 2012. This also could mean that No. 1 prospect Bryce Harper would be the Nationals right fielder...

Is balance of power shifting toward D.C. in NL East?

Is balance of power shifting toward D.C. in NL East?
DALLAS - Is the balance of power in the National League East shifting? The Nationals came to the Winter Meetings with money to spend and holes to fill, guaranteeing that general manager Mike Rizzo will be among the more popular executives at the Hilton Anatole. Last night, the newly christened Miami Marlins landed their second huge free agent of the offseason, agreeing to a six-year, $106 million deal for shortstop Jose Reyes, who joins ex-Padres closer Heath Bell (three years, $27 million)...

Baseball America's top Nats prospects - No. 1: Bryce Harper

Baseball America's top Nats prospects - No. 1: Bryce Harper
"You want to talk Bryce? He is sitting right here", then-College of Southern Nevada coach Tim Chambers said to me over the phone a couple of years ago. Bryce Harper was getting ready for his first and only season of collegiate baseball for the Las Vegas-based junior college and regularly sat in his coach's office talking baseball or reading books. That day, Harper was reading a biography of Willie Mays. He was pleasant, positive and soft-spoken. Harper would talk about baseball and his...

Comeback fueled by huge at-bat from Jayson Werth

Comeback fueled by huge at-bat from Jayson Werth
The Nationals trailed the first-place Phillies 4-2 heading into their last at-bats with Ryan Madson and his zero blown saves staring them down from the pitcher's mound. Eight batters later, Ryan Zimmerman crushed a grand slam to complete the stunning turnaround for a 8-4 victory over Philadelphia. So how did the Nationals come back in the ninth against a pitcher as good as Madson? Patience. Former Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth set the tone for the big ninth inning by fighting back from...