Options for Williams if Strasburg can't go

Options for Williams if Strasburg can't go
Stephen Strasburg threw only 16 pitches in last night's 5-2 loss to the Reds before leaving the game with neck tightness. Nationals manager Matt Williams indicated to reporters that the discomfort was in Strasburg's left trapezius muscle. Strasburg isn't familiar with this type of pain in this particular area. "We don't know at this point," Williams told reporters after the game. "We have to see how he is (Saturday) and evaluate. I don't know. It's the other side, so we'll see what he...

Roark impressive in Nats' 2-1 win

Roark impressive in Nats' 2-1 win
Tanner Roark was in a familiar spot on Monday afternoon. The right-hander returned to the mound as a starter for the first time this season and delivered five stellar innings in the Nationals' 2-1 victory over the Cubs. Roark, who grew up about 60 miles from Wrigley Field, gave up just one run on three hits, with one walk and three strikeouts. His only blemish was a first inning homer by Cubs rookie phenom Kris Bryant. Otherwise, Roark was outstanding as he worked quickly and efficiently in...

Span, Ramos homer in Nats' 2-1 win

Span, Ramos homer in Nats' 2-1 win
Denard Span didn't waste any time lighting up the scoreboard this Memorial Day. The Nats' center fielder crushed a 2-2 fastball from Cubs starter Tsuyoshi Wada deep to right field to give the Nationals a quick 1-0 lead. Two of Span's four homers this season have led off games. The Cubs answered in the bottom of the inning with a blast of their own. Rookie sensation, 23-year old Kris Bryant nailed a Tanner Roark slider just over the fence in the left-center alley. The solo shot is Bryant's...

Tanner Roark returns to the mound as a starter (with lineups)

Tanner Roark returns to the mound as a starter (with lineups)
Tanner Roark makes his first start in 2015 after compiling a 15-10 record with an impressive 2.85 ERA as a member of the rotation last season. The blockbuster signing of Max Scherzer bumped Roark to the bullpen this year where the right-hander is 0-2 with a 2.66 ERA and one save in 13 appearances. Doug Fister's trip to the 15-day disabled list with right forearm tightness is the reason for Roark making the spot start for the Nationals. He'll be tasked with facing highly hyped rookie Kris...

Williams confirms Tanner Roark will start Monday at Cubs; Strasburg note

Williams confirms Tanner Roark will start Monday at Cubs; Strasburg note
Nationals manager Matt Williams confirmed that right-hander Tanner Roark will start Monday's afternoon game in Chicago against the Cubs. "Tanner is going to pitch Monday," Williams said. "So the way it lines up, it gives (Jordan Zimmermann) an extra day." Roark made a career-high 31 starts in 2014. He won a career-high 15 games to 10 losses, throwing close to 200 innings and sporting a 2.85 ERA. Williams said right-hander Doug Fister might throw during batting practice today, but it looks...

Williams: Roark will start Monday or Tuesday as Fister heals on D.L.

Williams: Roark will start Monday or Tuesday as Fister heals on D.L.
With Doug Fister (right forearm tightness) still recovering on the disabled list, Nationals manager Matt Williams announced during Friday's pregame media availability that Tanner Roark will get the next start to fill Fister's spot. "He's getting stretched out for either Monday or Tuesday," Williams said. "We have the availability for either one of those days. He threw to some hitters today. It depends on what happens in our games the next three days and whether we have to use him or not....

Williams on Strasburg, Gonzalez and Roark

Williams on Strasburg, Gonzalez and Roark
Right-hander Stephen Strasburg was forced to leave Tuesday's game after just three innings due to soreness underneath the shoulder blade on his throwing side. The injury did not require an MRI, but Strasburg did undergo a chiropractic adjustment. "He reported feeling pretty good today," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "So we'll look to see when we can get him ready for his next one." Strasburg is scheduled to start Monday night in Arizona. Williams indicated that Strasburg will have...

Roark's versatility paying big dividends for on-call bullpen

Roark's versatility paying big dividends for on-call bullpen
Right-hander Tanner Roark has done it all out of the bullpen for the Nationals so far this season. After serving as a starting pitcher in 36 of the first 45 games of his career with the Nats, it is impressive that he hasn't missed a beat as a reliever. He has made 10 appearances so far this season, finishing three games and recording his first major league save. His shortest outing was 1/3 inning, and his longest was 3 2/3 innings. His ERA is 3.00. Roark has also made three appearances in a...

Escobar's "best game" leads Nats to third straight win

Escobar's "best game" leads Nats to third straight win
With a desire to add more offense to his team that had failed in the postseason, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo pulled the trigger on a controversial trade to acquire infielder Yunel Escobar for reliever Tyler Clippard in mid-January. Wow, has it paid off. Escobar turned in a 5-for-5 night at the plate that included a clutch two-out two-RBI single in the eighth to break a tie and propel the Nats to a 6-4 win over the Marlins. Escobar, who is batting a team-high .311, never had five hits...

Zimmermann and Roark find a way to deliver another Nationals win

Zimmermann and Roark find a way to deliver another Nationals win
The Nationals once again got seven innings from their starter, but needed to rally in the eighth inning to come back and beat the Marlins 6-4. Jordan Zimmermann allowed a couple of hits in the first. Marcell Ozuna's RBI single game Miami the early 1-0 lead. But then Zimmermann did not give up another run until the seventh inning. Zimmermann knew after the first frame he would have to rely on other pitches to get guys out. "The first inning, I was right over the middle with the fastball and I...

Dan Uggla's three-run blast gives Nats historic 13-12 comeback win

Dan Uggla's three-run blast gives Nats historic 13-12 comeback win
ATLANTA - It was a tough major league debut tonight for Nationals starter A.J. Cole. The 23-year-old rookie was battered for nine runs on nine hits as he lasted only two innings. The Braves' approach was relentless against Cole as they battered fastballs all over Turner Field. Cole did have a chance to lessen the damage with two outs in the second and the Nats down 4-1. Braves third baseman Alberto Callaspo hit a bouncer to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Cole sprinted over to cover the bag, but...

Bryce Harper, Dan Uggla talk Nats' scuffling offense

Bryce Harper, Dan Uggla talk Nats' scuffling offense
MIAMI - The Nationals have played below expectations in the first month of the season. A 10-day road trip through three National League East cities seemed like an opportunity to reverse some ugly early trends and possibly build some momentum against some of the division's struggling teams. But in the loss to the Marlins last night in the trek's first game, it was the Nationals who continued to be bothered by the same common themes - poor situational hitting and a shaky bullpen - that have led...

Quiet bats lead Nationals to three-game skid

Quiet bats lead Nationals to three-game skid
MIAMI - After a terrible start, the Nats offense seemed to be coming around during the season's second week. But that appears to be just a tease as the futile bats have returned in a three-game losing streak. The Nationals are just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position over the past two games and have scored a lowly three runs. Marlins starter Mat Latos brought a 10.24 ERA into tonight's start, and the Nats had to claw and scrap for two runs on six hits. They finally got to Latos in the...

Pregame notes on Uggla, Werth, Span, Harper, Roark and Martin

Pregame notes on Uggla, Werth, Span, Harper, Roark and Martin
Nationals manager Matt Williams was asked during his pregame media session Thursday about second baseman Dan Uggla and how the veteran must change his preparations each game now that he comes off the bench. "It's never easy. Being an everyday player his whole career, it's not easy to learn how to do it," Williams said. "The objective when he walks up there is to be him and not try to be something that he is not. His thought process when he goes up there is(to) get a good one to hit and...

Craig Stammen impressively handles devastating injury news

Craig Stammen impressively handles devastating injury news
Right-hander Craig Stammen is in unfamiliar territory. Before yesterday, the 31-year-old had never been on the disabled list at any point in his career since the Nationals selected him in the 12th round of 2005 First-Year Player Draft. Unfortunately, his maiden trip to the DL may cost Stammen the remainder of the season, as he is set to have surgery on Sunday to repair a torn flexor muscle in his right forearm. "It kinda depends when they go in there what they see and what they find," said...

Struggling offense, bullpen problems lead to three-game losing streak

Struggling offense, bullpen problems lead to three-game losing streak
PHILADELPHIA - For the third time in the first five games, the Nationals blew a lead and it cost them the game, as they fell 3-2 in 10 innings to the Phillies on Saturday night. Clinging to a 2-0 lead, Nationals manager Matt Williams called on right-hander Blake Treinen to start the eighth inning. The Phillies banged four straight hits off Treinen that led to two runs. The two teams went to extra innings knotted at 2-2 until Phillies rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera smacked a double off...

More on Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond and Tanner Roark's role

More on Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond and Tanner Roark's role
It was a tough matinee for right fielder Bryce Harper in the series finale yesterday. A day after being praised for his patience at the plate, Harper fanned three straight times with wild cuts at Mets starter Matt Harvey's high heat. "He swung at some balls out of the strike zone," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "The strikeouts were balls up in the zone. With Matt, that ball comes in there pretty quickly. One of the keys against him is to make sure we swing at strikes. He got Harp a...

Williams clarifies Roark's new role out of the bullpen

Williams clarifies Roark's new role out of the bullpen
Last season, Tanner Roark won 15 games. This season, he's in the bullpen. It's not because he lost anything on his fastball. It's just the club signed former Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer for $210 million. That means the right-hander is now one of the best starting pitchers-turned-reliever in the National League. He didn't make an appearance in Monday's home opener, so Nationals manager Matt Williams was asked about Roark's role this season. "It depends on the day," Williams said....

Harper fine after awkward fall, Mets shell Strasburg, Roark

Harper fine after awkward fall, Mets shell Strasburg, Roark
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Right-hander Stephen Strasburg returned to the mound after missing his last start due to a sprained left ankle. He was rolling until the third inning when right fielder Curtis Granderson and third baseman David Wright tagged him for back-to-back home runs as the Mets went on to beat the Nats 10-2. Strasburg ended up pitching four innings while allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. "(Strasburg) wasn't throwing it exactly where he wanted to...

Tanner Roark misses starting role

Tanner Roark misses starting role
VIERA, Fla. - If Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark displayed an attitude or chose to be standoffish, I think most would understand. But the 28-year-old has been anything but a malcontent during spring training, which began roughly three weeks after the signing of former Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer likely bumped Roark from the Nats rotation. "Adding Max definitely helps out the team tremendously," Roark said before Thursday's 0-0 tie with Detroit. "He's a workhouse. He logs a lot of...