Wild card roster features nine pitchers, eight on bench

Wild card roster features nine pitchers, eight on bench
The Nationals roster for tonight's wild card game includes four members of their rotation, only five members of their usual bullpen, three catchers and an eight-man bench. Suffice it to say, the strategy for this do-or-die game against the Brewers is just a bit different than it is for any other game in the regular season or postseason. The Nationals announced their 25-man roster this morning, and while most of the names come as no surprise, there are a few twists. Most notably, the Nats...

Martinez holds back Suzuki again, gearing toward wild card game (Nats win 4-1)

Martinez holds back Suzuki again, gearing toward wild card game (Nats win 4-1)
Nationals manager Davey Martinez will start Yan Gomes in Game 2 to catch right-hander Max Scherzer. This will allow Kurt Suzuki more time to rehab as he gets better from an elbow injury that has prevented him from starting since September 5. Raudy Read is starting game one for Joe Ross. "Yan will catch the second game," Martinez said. "I had a long conversation with Suzuki and Paul (Lessard) last night after the game. He's about 70-75 percent right now. And he's progressing so I'd rather...

Suzuki hopes to get healthy enough to return (tied 4-4)

Suzuki hopes to get healthy enough to return (tied 4-4)
MIAMI - Though he says everything is going according to plan in his throwing program, Kurt Suzuki admits he won't be able to get his right elbow back to 100 percent health by season's end. Which means the veteran catcher has no choice but to try to get himself as close to playing shape as soon as possible to try to rejoin the Nationals lineup in time to contribute in this final playoff push and potentially beyond. "That's kind of the plan now," Suzuki said this afternoon prior to the...

Adams has AC sprain, Suzuki to take swings in St. Louis (Nats win 7-0)

Adams has AC sprain, Suzuki to take swings in St. Louis (Nats win 7-0)
First baseman Matt Adams has missed two games after tweaking his left shoulder/triceps region Thursday night in Minnesota. But manager Davey Martinez's update Sunday revealed a more serious injury. "Matt Adams has an AC sprain," Martinez said. "So, he's going to be day-to-day. I talked to him yesterday. He's just a bit sore. He's getting some medication. So hopefully in the next few days we'll see where he's at." Adams has been a crucial power bat off the bench and filled in for long...

Nats' reaction to Culberson being hit in face by pitch

Nats' reaction to Culberson being hit in face by pitch
Pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson squared to bunt in the top of the seventh inning of the Braves' 10-1 win over the Nationals on Saturday. But a Fernando Rodney fastball hit him in the face near his right eye. Culberson collapsed at the plate and was down for several minutes. He was then assisted to a cart by medical personnel and driven off the field to the hospital. As he was carted off, he gave the crowd a thumbs-up gesture. Rodney ended up facing nine more batters and had difficulty recording...

Game 147 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

Game 147 lineups: Nats vs. Braves
Though their hopes of a fifth division title in eight years have all but been quashed, the Nationals still need to win as many games as they can as they attempt to lock up at least a wild card berth and preferably home field advantage for that winner-take-all game. Which means they need to win some games against the Braves. That's not something they've done much during the second half of this season. They're 4-8 versus Atlanta since the All-Star break, 7-10 overall for the season, with two...

With Suzuki out, Gomes fine with everyday catching duties

With Suzuki out, Gomes fine with everyday catching duties
Nationals catcher Yan Gomes started his seventh straight game Friday night in a 5-0 loss to the Braves. His teammate, Kurt Suzuki, has been out with an elbow injury for more than a week now. Manager Davey Martinez said Suzuki could start throwing a baseball by the end of the weekend. The skipper appears to be leaning toward giving Raudy Read the start against the Braves on Saturday afternoon. Martinez said he likes the matchup of Read against Mike Foltynewicz. Plus, Read has experience catching...

Martinez on Eaton's return; Elías has Grade 1 strain (Nats lose 5-4)

Martinez on Eaton's return; Elías has Grade 1 strain (Nats lose 5-4)
ATLANTA - Nationals manager Davey Martinez elected to get Adam Eaton back in the lineup tonight for the third game of four at SunTrust Park against the Braves. This will be Eaton's first start since Sept. 2. Eaton is batting second and in right field. "It'll be nice to get him up there, get him at the top of the order," Martinez said. "Between him and Trea (Turner), get on base, get something going." Martinez said getting feedback from Eaton last night on how he felt running during the...

Voth shut down with shoulder tendinitis

Voth shut down with shoulder tendinitis
The Nationals' fifth-starter carousel is going to be without one of its members for a while. Austin Voth, who was beginning to establish himself as a viable back-of-the-rotation option for manager Davey Martinez before landing on the injured list earlier this week, has been diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis and has been shut down from throwing. Voth was tentatively scheduled to start last Sunday in Atlanta, taking over with Max Scherzer not yet ready to return from his own injury. But the...

Read, Bourque are among Nats' first spring cuts (Cards win 3-2)

Read, Bourque are among Nats' first spring cuts (Cards win 3-2)
JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals made their first cuts of camp this morning, and there were no real surprises among the seven players trimmed from the spring roster. Catcher Raudy Read was optioned to Triple-A Fresno, while right-hander James Bourque was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg. Five other players were reassigned to minor league camp: right-handers Ronald Peña and Wil Crowe, first baseman-outfielder José Marmolejos, catcher Tres Barrera and outfielder Chuck Taylor. "Just go down and...

Nats hoping two new catchers will be better than one star

Nats hoping two new catchers will be better than one star
As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the catching corps ... The Nationals didn't get enough production from their catchers the last two seasons. Of this, no one can deny. Matt Wieters, well-liked as he was by members of the pitching staff and the rest of the clubhouse, simply could not hit well enough to justify as much playing time as he received. Trouble was, none of the Nats'...

Harper and Machado are connected as teams pursue them

Harper and Machado are connected as teams pursue them
It appears again that the Bryce Harper hot stove is connected to the Manny Machado hot stove. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the White Sox have made a formal offer to Machado. The former Orioles and Dodgers infielder is reportedly seeking a 10-year deal worth more than $300 million. Ironically, that is the same offer that the Nationals reportedly made to Harper and his agent when their negotiations began after the 2018 season. Sports-talk radio station 670 The Score in Chicago...

More pitching updates and notes on catchers Read, McCann

More pitching updates and notes on catchers Read, McCann
Nationals pitching coordinator Paul Menhart wrapped up his synopsis of instructional league pitchers with a quick item on a trio of pitchers who caught his eye. "We got a couple of kids that are going to show promise, but not quite ready for prime time worth mentioning, three right-handers: Pedro Gonzalez, Carlos Romero and Niomar Gomez," Menhart said. "All three are right-handers, starter types. They are beyond puppies, but they've got quite an upside." Pedro Gonzalez, 18, has pitched 19...

Notes on Zimmerman, Read, Strasburg, Robles, Ross (Nats lose 3-2)

Notes on Zimmerman, Read, Strasburg, Robles, Ross (Nats lose 3-2)
PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals made another set of transactions today in addition to the ones that allowed Jeremy Hellickson to come off the disabled list at the expense of Sammy Solís. They also moved Ryan Zimmerman to the 60-day DL so they could reinstate minor league catcher Raudy Read after he completed his 80-game suspension for a positive drug test. Read, whose suspension was handed down in early February after he tested positive for the performance enhancing drug Boldenone, saw his term...

Lineup, outfield decisions for Martinez this weekend

Lineup, outfield decisions for Martinez this weekend
TORONTO - A week's worth of games in American League ballparks is allowing Davey Martinez to ease Daniel Murphy into action as designated hitter, but it's also forcing the Nationals manager to sit one of his four healthy starting-caliber outfielders, creating daily lineup decisions. With right-hander Aaron Sanchez starting for the Blue Jays in tonight's series opener at Rogers Centre, Martinez is sticking with the same arrangement that produced five runs against the Yankees on Wednesday....

Catching prospect Read suspended 80 games for PED violation

Catching prospect Read suspended 80 games for PED violation
Raudy Read, who made his major league debut last season and now stands as one of the higher-rated Nationals prospects, has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for Boldenone, making the young catcher the franchise's first big leaguer to face punishment for performance-enhancing drugs. Read, 24, confirmed he tested positive during "a routine drug test this winter," but said he was "shocked" by the result and insists he has never knowingly taken a...

Nats know they need better production from catchers in 2018

Nats know they need better production from catchers in 2018
As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the catching corps ... The Nationals knew they'd be undergoing a change at catcher in 2017 after Wilson Ramos departed via free agency, and they knew it would be difficult to make up for Ramos' All-Star production. Little did they know just how difficult, though, or how precipitous the dropoff would be. The club's initial plan involved...

No. 9 Nats prospect: Raudy Read

No. 9 Nats prospect: Raudy Read
Next on the list is a player who reached the major league level with the Nationals in 2017 and played in eight games in September. Catcher Raudy Read recorded 11 at-bats and notched three singles for a .273 average in his limited time up with the big boys. With the uncertainty at backup catcher in 2018, Read could get a long look at that spot in spring training. No. 9: C Raudy Read Read comes in at No. 9 on Baseball America's top 10 list of Nats prospects. National writer Carlos Collazo said...

Robles No. 1 in Baseball America's top 10 Nats prospects list

Robles No. 1 in Baseball America's top 10 Nats prospects list
Baseball America has released its top 10 Nationals prospects for 2018 and, to no surprise, the No. 1 prospect is center fielder Victor Robles. Robles is also No. 8 overall in the publication's Major League Baseball top 100 prospects list. This is the first time that Robles has been listed as the top Nationals prospect after right-hander Lucas Giolito held the top spot for three years. Giolito was traded with two other arms for center fielder Adam Eaton in December 2016. Baseball America noted...

Johnson, Suero and Read appreciative of organizational honors

Johnson, Suero and Read appreciative of organizational honors
The Nationals honored their minor league players of the year before Sunday's regular season finale against the Pirates. Daniel Johnson and Wander Suero took home honors as the organizational player and pitcher of the year, respectively. Raudy Read was the Bob Boone Award recipient for the 2017 season. Center fielder Johnson, 22, was a fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft out of New Mexico State. He spent 88 games at low Single-A Hagerstown and 42 games at high Single-A Potomac, hitting a...