Solano elects free agency after clearing outright waivers

Solano elects free agency after clearing outright waivers
Catcher Jhonatan Solano, who has spent the better part of the last decade in the Nationals organization, has elected to become a free agent after he cleared outright waivers in a transaction that opened up a spot on the club's 40-man roster. Solano was supposed to open this season at Triple-A Syracuse, but he quickly was promoted to Washington in early April after Matt Wieters went on the disabled list and Miguel Montero went on paternity leave. He spent only three days on the active roster,...

Game 17 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 17 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - It is the middle of April and the two-time defending N.L. East champion Washington Nationals find themselves six games behind the first place New York Mets. There are 146 regular season games remaining. The Nats have yet to play a regular season game with Daniel Murphy in the lineup. Adam Eaton has been sidelined with a bone bruise on his left ankle. Anthony Rendon has missed the last two games after fouling a ball off his left big toe. Hitters Ryan Zimmerman and Michael A. Taylor...

Romero designated, Montero goes on paternity list

Romero designated, Montero goes on paternity list
The combination of a short bench, better-than-expected weather and the pending birth of a player's child led the Nationals to make a flurry of roster moves before today's game against the Mets. Already playing with a four-man bench to begin the season, the club was facing the possibility of even fewer options after Adam Eaton tweaked his ankle during Thursday's home opener. Though the dynamic leadoff man says he feels "great" and is expected back in the lineup Sunday, the Nationals decided...

Nats prospects head for winter league play

Nats prospects head for winter league play
It is winter league time of year, even as the World Series heads toward Game 3. Winter league ball has always been a very important part of a baseball player's continued evolution and a valued experience that can sometimes be that step a player needs to complete his game. Several Nationals prospects are hoping this experience now will help secure spots for 2018. Michael A. Taylor talked about how important his winter league play was to helping him see, time and hit breaking pitches as he...

Pérez, Solano return to Nats after high drama in WBC

Pérez, Solano return to Nats after high drama in WBC
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Oliver Pérez and Jhonatan Solano would rather not have been in the clubhouse at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches yesterday morning, rejoining the Nationals teammates they said goodbye to 10 days earlier en route to the World Baseball Classic. And each player nearly had reason not to return to West Palm Beach just yet, each having seen his home country's team come within a whisker of advancing past the first round of the international tournament over the weekend. For...

What can be gleaned from spring training statistics?

What can be gleaned from spring training statistics?
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Now that we've reached the midpoint of spring training - which is about a week longer than usual due to the World Baseball Classic - it might be a good time to talk about spring training statistics and what can be learned from them. In a word, little. A wise baseball sage once cautioned me against putting too much stock into spring or September numbers. Simply put, statistics are like a pushover parent; with enough cajoling, batting of the eyes and pouty lips, you can...

Taylor's dramatic ninth inning carries Nats to walk-off win

Taylor's dramatic ninth inning carries Nats to walk-off win
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Michael A. Taylor knows a thing or two about spring training heroics. This is the guy, after all, who maintained a batting average over .500 for most of the spring one year ago only to struggle through a difficult regular season after that. So forgive the Nationals outfielder for not getting overly excited by his dramatic performance in the ninth inning this afternoon. "It's nice," the 25-year-old said in his typical low-key manner. "My family was in the stands...

Baker confirms Pedro Severino will start at catcher in NLDS Game 1

Baker confirms Pedro Severino will start at catcher in NLDS Game 1
Nationals manager Dusty Baker set his battery for Game 1 of the National League Division Series with the announcement today that rookie Pedro Severino will catch Max Scherzer in Friday's opener. "OK, No. 1, Severino is catching tomorrow," Baker said "He's pretty good against left-handed pitchers. I don't think he's seen one quite like this in (Clayton) Kershaw before. He's worked with our guys and (Jose) Lobaton is a little bit injured, and that's one reason why he's not catching...

Playing the field with the non-roster invitees

Playing the field with the non-roster invitees
Dan Uggla and Clint Robinson were among a host of veterans brought to Nationals spring training on minor league deals last year with seemingly no shot to crack a packed roster fresh off a division crown. Longtime major league outfielder Reed Johnson joined them in final days of camp. After years as one of the game's best power-hitting second basemen, Uggla's offense had dropped off a cliff in the couple of seasons prior and his appearance was considered more of a charity case when he showed...

Nationals add four to 40-man roster, release Mattheus; Pirates claim Florimon

Nationals add four to 40-man roster, release Mattheus; Pirates claim Florimon
The Nationals this afternoon selected the contracts of right-hander A.J. Cole, left-hander Matt Grace, infielder Wilmer Difo and outfielder Brian Goodwin. By adding these prospects to the 40-man roster, the Nationals protect them from the Rule 5 draft, which will be held Dec. 11 in San Diego at the Winter Meetings. To make room for those four players, right-hander Ryan Mattheus was placed on outright assignment and elected free agency, while infielder Pedro Florimon was claimed off waivers by...

Nats release Jhonatan Solano

Nats release Jhonatan Solano
The Nationals have released catcher Jhonatan Solano, according to the team's transactions page, clearing another spot on the team's 40-man roster. Solano appeared in 36 big league games between the 2012 and 2013 seasons, and impressed in his first taste of major league action, hitting .314/.351/.571 in 37 plate appearances in 2012. He hit two homers and drove in six when helping to fill in for an injured Wilson Ramos that year. But Solano hit just .214 at Triple-A Syracuse in 2013, and had a...

Minor league updates: Skole, Taylor, Keyes, Solano and Fister news

Minor league updates: Skole, Taylor, Keyes, Solano and Fister news
Center fielder Michael Taylor announced his presence with a three home run game Sunday for Double-A Harrisburg against Bowie. He went 3-for-4 with three home runs and four RBIs, becoming the first Nationals organizational player to his three homers in one game since Danny Espinosa. Taylor is batting .250 with four doubles, five home runs and 18 RBIs in 22 games. He has struck out 39 times, but has walked 11 times and stolen five bases. He is hitting .351 at home and .170 on the road. Taylor is...

Good catch: Newcomer Lobaton has quickly fit in behind plate (with Fister note)

Good catch: Newcomer Lobaton has quickly fit in behind plate (with Fister note)
When they acquired catcher Jose Lobaton from the Rays on Feb. 13, the Nationals added an experienced backup backstop with good defensive skills who brought with him a reputation for preparedness and working hard. The Nationals wanted someone with substantial major league experience ready to strap on the gear in case something happened to injury-addled starter Wilson Ramos. Ramos injured his left hand in the season's first game and had surgery earlier this week to remove the hamate bone. He'll...

Like Strasburg, Detwiler adding to his repertoire

Like Strasburg, Detwiler adding to his repertoire
VIERA, Fla. - Like manager Matt Williams, Nationals bench coach Randy Knorr moved back and forth between Field 2 and Field 3 during yesterday's workout, trying to watch a little bit of every pitcher's live batting practice session just to see how everyone was looking. He watched Stephen Strasburg pound the zone and locate four pitches, (including his new slider) on Field 2, then walked by me on his way over to Field 3 to catch a bit of Jordan Zimmermann's session. I jokingly asked Knorr...

Venezuelan Nats offer support for home country, plus workout notes and photos

Venezuelan Nats offer support for home country, plus workout notes and photos
VIERA, Fla. - Following today's workout, a handful of Nationals players gathered in the bullpen at Space Coast Stadium, held Venezuelan flags and offered their support to the people of Venezuela, who have been dealing with violent clashes throughout their country as of late. Reports out of Venezuela are that at least eight people have died within the last two weeks due to violent protests of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Supporters of Maduro have clashed with his critics, and violence...

Throwback Thursday: A diving play at the plate

Throwback Thursday: A diving play at the plate
Despite rumors that the Nationals were looking for a backup catcher earlier in the offseason, the Nats say they're comfortable with either Jhonatan Solano or Sandy Leon backing up Wilson Ramos behind the plate in 2014. Last season, Solano appeared in 24 games for the Nats and made one of the best plays of his young career in a 3-2 ballgame against Philadelphia. Relive his run-saving play at the plate in the video below and check back every Thursday for more memorable moments from 2013....

Bench roles starting to fall into place

Bench roles starting to fall into place
Robinson Cano. Huroki Kuroda. Scott Feldman. Curtis Granderson. Ryan Webb. J.P. Arencibia. Nate McLouth. Mike Napoli. Carlos Beltran. Most offseasons, that's a busy week when it comes to free agent signings. In the winter of 2013, however, that's just one day's worth of free agent action. All nine of the players listed above agreed to terms on contracts yesterday, crossing a handful more names off the list of available free agents going into the Winter Meetings. I texted a major league...

Hearing from the crucial parties in the two defensive gems

Hearing from the crucial parties in the two defensive gems
PHILADELPHIA - There were jokes all around in the Nationals' clubhouse tonight as players packed up their things for a flight to Miami and monitored the Reds-Cardinals extra-inning game on multiple clubhouse TVs. The bulk of the chatter was about two defensive gems - the Steve Lombardozzi/Jordan Zimmermann spin-and-scoop at first base to end the seventh inning and keep the game tied, and the Jhonatan Solano sprint-and-tag at the plate in the eighth that kept the Nats on top 3-2. The play by...

Johnson discusses Nats' 3-2 win

Johnson discusses Nats' 3-2 win
PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base in tonight's 3-2 win over the Phillies. Their offense didn't win them this game. Their defense did. The Nats made a couple huge defensive plays in the late innings tonight, keeping the Phillies off the scoreboard and ensuring their three runs put up on Philadelphia pitching would be enough. The first defensive gem came in the bottom of the seventh after the Nats had just tied the score at...

Bernadina, Solano a part of Nats lineup (Werth scratched)

Bernadina, Solano a part of Nats lineup (Werth scratched)
We're back at Nats Park bright and early this morning, thanks to a 12:05 p.m. scheduled first pitch. The Nationals are having their annual Dream Gala tonight, an event that benefits the Dream Foundation. Players, coaches and staff will need to toss on their tuxes and make their way over to Shakespeare Theatre Company's Sidney Harman Hall after today's game, making for a long day, but one that will benefit a good cause. Jhonatan Solano will be behind the plate for the Nats today, this being...