Bloxom transitions from player to newest Nationals amateur scout

Bloxom transitions from player to newest Nationals amateur scout
Former Nationals minor league first baseman Justin Bloxom has traded in his cleats and glove for an opportunity to find the top prospects in the country and sign them to the Nats. Bloxom has been hired by the Nationals to be their amateur scout for the Kentucky and Tennessee regions. The 26-year-old Bloxom played six seasons in the Nationals system, but realized the final couple of years that he would need to transition into a new line of work. As he searched for a new position, he knew that he...

Beasley back in the bigs, possible landing spot for LaRoche (plus scouting hires)

Beasley back in the bigs, possible landing spot for LaRoche (plus scouting hires)
With the news that the Nationals have released catcher Jhonatan Solano, the best nickname in the organization is now gone. "The Onion" was let go yesterday to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, in order for the Nats to protect qualifying minor leaguers from the Rule 5 draft. I'll miss the various onion jokes that were tossed around when Solano delivered for the Nats in 2012 and 2013 - that Solano had peeled off another hit or that he was cooking up a good game. Best of luck to the...

Top prospect Giolito doing well, but no promotion yet (plus minor league notes)

Top prospect Giolito doing well, but no promotion yet (plus minor league notes)
The Nationals' top prospect, right-hander Lucas Giolito, has now made three starts for the rookie level Gulf Coast Nationals, and with each start he makes improvements. On July 15, Giolito made his longest start, going three innings, allowing three hits, no runs, one walk and striking out three batters. The 19-year old is 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three games, totaling just 5 1/3 innings. It is a small sample size, but still lots of fans are asking when Giolito will be moved to short-season...

Harrisburg's Perry notches first win as a starter, more homers in Hagerstown

Harrisburg's Perry notches first win as a starter, more homers in Hagerstown
The move of Ryan Perry from reliever to starter continues to progress in a positive direction. Although not as overpowering as his recent starts, Perry continues to make hits difficult to come by for opponents. Perry allowed just two hits over five innings Sunday as Double-A Harrisburg defeated Erie 3-1, improving his record to 1-1 as a starter. He gave up two walks and struck out three, marking the second start in which he lasted at least five innings. The plan was to ramp him up each start...

Nationals confirm trio of promotions, Perry to move to starter

Nationals confirm trio of promotions, Perry to move to starter
Nationals director of player development Doug Harris has confirmed that infielders Justin Bloxom, Zach Walters and Jason Martinson have been promoted. Bloxom and Walters are moving to Double-A Harrisburg and Martinson heads to high Single-A Potomac. Bloxom has hit .259 with 12 homers and 34 RBIs, while Walters has connected for a .269 average with five homers and 24 RBIs. Harris also announced that right-hander Ryan Perry will make the transition from reliever to starter and the Nationals...

Marrero and Mattheus look good in Harrisburg, other minors notes

Marrero and Mattheus look good in Harrisburg, other minors notes
First baseman Chris Marrero had a nice debut with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators on Wednesday. Marrero went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored in game two of a double dip. Marrero is now batting .450 (9-for-20) with three doubles, one homer and four RBIs in seven minor league rehab games as he recovers from a torn left hamstring in winter ball. Reliever Ryan Mattheus pitched a scoreless seventh inning, allowing no hits, no walks and striking out one. Mattheus is returning from plantar...

Potomac foursome reaches Top 10 in Carolina League hitting

Potomac foursome reaches Top 10 in Carolina League hitting
The Single-A Potomac Nationals have battled all season long to get their offense going. Throughout the ebb and flow of the season, four prospects have been able to maintain their consistency in the pitching-rich Carolina League. Destin Hood (.279), Jeff Kobernus (.275), Justin Bloxom (.272) and Eury Perez (.271) rank eight through 11 at the top of the league in hitting. Nationals director of player development, Doug Harris, has taken notice of their offensive consistency, and believes it is...

Bloxom to Potomac; King to Harrisburg

Bloxom to Potomac; King to Harrisburg
Single-A Potomac Nationals first baseman Justin Bloxom has been activated today and will start tonight in Woodbridge. Bloxom has been out since the beginning of the season with knee weakness related to a previous surgery. The 6-foot-1, 205 lb. first baseman hit .309 with 11 homers and 70 RBI in 2010 with the Hagerstown Suns. His season was cut short last year due to the knee injury. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals announced that infielder Stephen King has been promoted from Potomac to...

Schu talks prospects as instructional league approaches

Schu talks prospects as instructional league approaches
Nationals hitting coordinator Rick Schu is preparing to head back to Florida to begin the instructional league, which runs from September 16 through October 13. This week we will cover a few of the Nats prospects that Schu worked with this season and update some of their offseason schedules. Hagerstown first baseman Justin Bloxom had his season cut short on August 7 but is working hard to recover from minor knee surgery. The Kansas State product put up some nice numbers: a .309 average in...