Extra rest will benefit Wilson Ramos as Nats embark on stretch drive

Extra rest will benefit Wilson Ramos as Nats embark on stretch drive
Catcher Wilson Ramos takes a lot of punishment behind the plate but has still been able to play solid defense and hit well this season. On Friday night, Ramos was dinged up a couple of times, falling over on his hands an knees after 90-95 mph pitches glanced off his body and feet. He doubled over in pain and was attended to by trainer Paul Lessard and manager Dusty Baker, but would not come out. This has happened on more than a few occasions this season where Ramos gets hit by a pitch, fights...

Turner, Heisey guide Scherzer past Braves 6-4

Turner, Heisey guide Scherzer past Braves 6-4
Manager Dusty Baker rested five starters on Monday and the Nationals went out and scored more runs than they have in their past eight games. The Nationals dropped the Braves 6-4, thanks to the offense of Trea Turner and Chris Heisey and the pitching of Max Scherzer. Turner went 3-for-4 with a double, two-run homer and three RBIs, and Heisey blasted a three-run shot, as the Nats snapped a two-game skid, winning the first of 10 games in a row at Nats Park. The bench that stepped up: Heisey, Jose...

Lobaton's unique skill set provides perfect change of pace for Nats hurlers

Lobaton's unique skill set provides perfect change of pace for Nats hurlers
Right-hander Max Scherzer returned to form Thursday night in the Nationals' 4-0 victory over the Orioles. Scherzer recorded at least 10 strikeouts for the 11th time this season to improve to 14-7. His 227 strikeouts this season lead the major leagues. One element of yesterday's win that was different than most of his previous starts this season was his batterymate. Backup catcher Jose Lobaton replaced starter Wilson Ramos. Manager Dusty Baker said before the game he wanted to give Ramos a day...

Scherzer shows he's "the guy" in latest dominant performance

Scherzer shows he's "the guy" in latest dominant performance
Jose Lobaton doesn't get very many opportunities to catch Max Scherzer. He's only been behind the plate with the Nationals' $210 million right-hander eight times in two seasons. But, boy, does he savor those opportunities, especially when they come in particularly big games like tonight's 4-0 win over the Orioles. "He's in the moment," Lobaton said. "He wants to show that he's the guy. I love that. I love that." Scherzer most definitely was "the guy" tonight. With his team mired in...

Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 127 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
The Nationals didn't expect to find themselves in this position, needing to beat the Orioles tonight to avoid a four-game sweep, but here they are nonetheless. They'll ask Max Scherzer to stop the bleeding and give this team the dominant start it so desperately needs. No word yet if the newly acquired Marc Rzepczynski - I'm getting good at spelling his name without having to check first - will be here in time to be activate for tonight's game. At this point, the Nats haven't announced a...

Zimmerman, Lobaton set to return from DL on Friday

Zimmerman, Lobaton set to return from DL on Friday
ATLANTA - Ryan Zimmerman and Jose Lobaton are on their way to Atlanta and are expected to be activated off the disabled list in time for Friday night's game at Turner Field, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said today. Both Zimmerman and Lobaton completed a three-day rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse, emerging with no issues and convincing club officials they're ready to return. "They're on the way now," Baker said prior to the Nationals series opener against the Braves. "There's a...

Baker updates Zimmerman, Lobaton, Ross, Drew and others (updated)

Baker updates Zimmerman, Lobaton, Ross, Drew and others (updated)
DENVER - Manager Dusty Baker gave some insight on the plan for Ryan Zimmerman and Jose Lobaton's respective recoveries. The pair began their rehab assignments tonight with Triple-A Syracuse in Toledo. Zimmerman is on the 15-day disabled list with a left wrist contusion, while Lobaton is on the 15-day DL with left elbow tendinitis. "We are going to leave them at least two or three days and get some consecutive ABs," Baker said. "DH one day, play the field one day. Alternate between catching...

Harper MRI is "clean," plus other injury updates

Harper MRI is "clean," plus other injury updates
Nationals manager Dusty Baker said right fielder Bryce Harper is still listed as "day-to-day" with neck spasms. Harper has not played since last Saturday's game against the Giants. Baker did confirm that Harper could have pinch-hit last night if he was needed. "He's been analyzed by our people and it is what it is," Baker said. "I've heard all kinds of reports. I think it's kind of careless reporting when you're reporting something that's not even true. It's not his arm. If it was,...

Was Guzman-for-Roark the best trade of Rizzo's career?

Was Guzman-for-Roark the best trade of Rizzo's career?
That Tanner Roark has established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball is remarkable enough, given the right-hander's path to this point: a 25th-round pick in the 2008 draft who didn't make his major league debut until he was nearly 27. That the Nationals acquired this elite pitcher and rotation anchor from the Rangers six years ago in exchange for the final 15 games of Cristian Guzman's career ... well, that's almost beyond comprehension. The Guzman-for-Roark trade...

Rizzo, Baker and Papelbon react to the Melancon trade

Rizzo, Baker and Papelbon react to the Melancon trade
SAN FRANCISCO - In his eight seasons as general manager of the Nationals, Mike Rizzo has rarely traded for a player who isn't under club control beyond the current season. The situation this summer, however, is quite different, and so Rizzo didn't hesitate to go against his usual mantra in acquiring Mark Melancon to be his closer for the next two months. "I just think that his resume and his performance level dictated that he was a guy to really go after and attack," Rizzo said this evening...

Lobaton placed on DL with elbow tendinitis, Severino recalled

Lobaton placed on DL with elbow tendinitis, Severino recalled
SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals have placed backup catcher Jose Lobaton on the 15-day disabled list with left elbow tendinitis and recalled Pedro Severino from Triple-A Syracuse to take his spot on the big league roster. Lobaton hadn't appeared in any of the Nationals' last eight games, so the transaction is retroactive to July 20 and makes him eligible to return as soon as August 4. The 31-year-old's playing time has been minimal in recent weeks, with All-Star Wilson Ramos getting the vast...

Severino heading to San Francisco to join Nats

Severino heading to San Francisco to join Nats
According to a league source, Triple-A Syracuse catcher Pedro Severino is en route to San Francisco to potentially join the Nationals. He will reportedly be at AT&T Park today. It is unclear corresponding move the Nationals will make to add Severino to the 25-man roster. Severino has been considered a top catching prospect in the Nationals system. He was called up in late April to join the Nationals and started one game. He has been in Syracuse since then. He had been promoted to Triple-A...

Game 86 lineups: Brewers at Nats

Game 86 lineups: Brewers at Nats
The Nationals have struggled against the Brewers this season, falling in four of five games. They are also 0-2 against Milwaukee at Nats Park. The offense has been limping to the All-Star break. Take out the 12 runs scored against the Reds on Sunday and the Nats have combined for only nine runs in the other four games in July. They have struck out 36 times in those five games. Manager Dusty Baker acknowledged the offense needs to pick up the slack for the starting pitching. Right-hander Tanner...

Game 81 lineups: Nats vs. Reds

Game 81 lineups: Nats vs. Reds
It's hard to believe, but we've reached the halfway point of the season. Yes, tonight is Game 81 for the Nationals. So how have they done to date? Well, if they can beat the Reds again tonight, they'll sit at 49-32. Do the math, that's a 98-win pace. Hard to complain much about that, right? Bryce Harper and Ben Revere are back in the lineup after getting last night off, but Wilson Ramos gets to sit this one out, with Jose Lobaton behind the plate catching Tanner Roark. Keep in mind the...

Nats halt seven-game skid in finale, but it wasn't easy

Nats halt seven-game skid in finale, but it wasn't easy
MILWAUKEE - Ending a seven-game losing streak proved just as daunting a task for the Nationals as the difficult path that saddled them with a season-worst skid in the first place. But a 3-2 win over the Brewers on Sunday assured the Nationals of going home for a key series against the Mets with some positive vibes on their side. But to get there, the Nationals had to turn to an emergency starting pitcher who cut short a Saturday bullpen session at 38 pitches when he found out he'd be needed in...

Game 76 lineups: Nats at Brewers

Game 76 lineups: Nats at Brewers
MILWAUKEE - The Nationals will turn to Tanner Roark to halt a season-high seven-game losing streak today, while awaiting further word on the upper back strain that caused scheduled starter Stephen Strasburg to be scratched from his second assignment in a week. The current skid is the Nats' longest since 2009. A 2-7 road trip isn't what they expected when this trek began 10 days ago in San Diego. Roark has worked at least six innings in six of his past seven starts, so the right-hander should...

Bullpen session has Papelbon hopeful of midweek return from DL

Bullpen session has Papelbon hopeful of midweek return from DL
MILWAUKEE - Jonathan Papelbon is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list on June 29, and with a little luck, the Nationals could have their closer back by the middle of next week. Papelbon, who has been on the DL with a right intercostal strain since June 15, threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Saturday afternoon, the first time he's thrown off a mound since being sidelined. Previously, he'd been limited to work on flat ground. "The ball was flying everywhere, but I felt really good,"...

Nats bats go silent after explosive start to the week

Nats bats go silent after explosive start to the week
CHICAGO - No, they weren't going to score 10 runs every night the rest of the season. But after reaching double digits in three straight games, the notion of the Nationals being held to one run and five total baserunners (two of them coming with two outs in the ninth inning) sounded pretty implausible entering tonight's series finale against the White Sox. By the time they trudged off the field following a 3-1 loss that was completed in a scant 2 hours, 21 minutes, that's exactly what the...

Gonzalez down on himself for inability to give bullpen a break

Gonzalez down on himself for inability to give bullpen a break
Pitchers can live with the hits they surrender, even the home runs. What they can't live with are the walks they issue that drive up their pitch count and prevent them from reaching the game's latter innings. So when Gio Gonzalez was upset with himself following the Nationals' 9-4 loss to the Cardinals tonight, it wasn't so much because of the six runs he surrendered via a flurry of two-out hits (including one by opposing pitcher Adam Wainwright). It was because he couldn't even complete...

Game 50 lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals

Game 50 lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals
It's a hot, muggy Saturday here in the District, as sure a sign as we've experienced yet that summer has arrived. Which, the Nationals can only hope, means the ball is going to fly out of the park tonight. Dusty Baker has insisted all along he thinks he's got a warm-weather lineup. We saw it earlier in the week when the Nats hit five homers on another warm night. We'll see if it holds true tonight. That Nationals lineup will be facing an ace in Adam Wainwright, though this isn't the...