Barrera living "every kids' dream" as he joins Nats

Barrera living "every kids' dream" as he joins Nats
Catcher Tres Barrera joined the Nationals this past week after the elbow injury to Kurt Suzuki. Barrera, the former University of Texas standout, was born in Eagle Pass, Texas, which is less than one mile from the United States/Mexico border along the Rio Grande. The 24-year-old is a 2016 draft selection for the Nationals and played 101 games for Double-A Harrisburg this season. He was pleasantly surprised to get the call to join the Nats. "I couldn't believe it," Barrera said. "It's every...

Elías' MRI set for Saturday, Voth in for Ross to start Game 3 (Nats fall 4-3)

Elías' MRI set for Saturday, Voth in for Ross to start Game 3 (Nats fall 4-3)
ATLANTA - Nationals reliever Roenis Elías is dealing with a right hamstring injury suffered late in Friday night's opening 4-2 loss against the Braves. Manager Davey Martinez said they will wait on the MRI until Saturday to check on Eliías' hamstring. "He feels OK. He's really sore," Martinez said. "We haven't gotten an MRI yet because until the swelling goes down it's really going to reveal really nothing. Hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow we'll get an MRI." "I felt a...

Ross could not execute slider and sinker in 7-3 loss to Mets

Ross could not execute slider and sinker in 7-3 loss to Mets
Nationals right-hander Joe Ross had trouble with his control and the Mets hit him well in a 7-3 loss on Monday afternoon. The Mets tallied two runs in the second and five runs in the fourth off Ross. Joe Panik smacked an RBI double off a Ross sinker and René Rivera dropped in a run-scoring single on his slider to make it 2-0 Mets. In the fourth, Jeff McNeil jumped on a first-pitch sinker for a two-run shot. J.D. Davis delivered the biggest punch on an 87 mph slider, driving a two-run double...

Ross to start Monday, Eaton out of lineup, Zimmerman likely back Sunday

Ross to start Monday, Eaton out of lineup, Zimmerman likely back Sunday
The Nationals rotation is now set for the Marlins and Mets series. Tonight through Sunday, the Nationals pitchers will be Aníbal Sánchez, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. Manager Davey Martinez confirmed the Nationals will start Joe Ross on Labor Day afternoon in the first game against the Mets. So that leaves Max Scherzer set for Tuesday night and Sánchez on Wednesday afternoon. "So come Monday, Joe Ross will start," Martinez said. "So we will give the other guys an extra day,...

Scherzer good for next start, but knows he can't push it (Nats up 7-0)

Scherzer good for next start, but knows he can't push it (Nats up 7-0)
CHICAGO - Max Scherzer completed his typical day-after-start routine at Wrigley Field with no setbacks, so he's good to make his next scheduled start as planned. But the Nationals ace reiterated that he's not all the way to his pre-injury form and that he'll likely need to approach the rest of his season with far more caution than he has in the past. "I'm not out of the woods," he said prior to the Nationals' series opener against the Cubs. "I've got to still take care of this, got to...

Nationals wait to help young pitchers who tip

Nationals wait to help young pitchers who tip
The Nationals sometimes see their prospects tip pitches in the minor leagues. But the Nats prefer to let their young pitchers go for a while before they adjust anything. They do not like to mess with mechanics, approach or glove positioning early on. Instead, they let them get into a good rhythm, establish some confidence, build on success, then make the minor tweaks to prevent hitters from seeing patterns between the fastball and their off-speed pitches. In the second part of our series, we...

Ross throws off mound, Elías still two days away (Nats up 2-1)

Ross throws off mound, Elías still two days away (Nats up 2-1)
PITTSBURGH - Though the Nationals haven't made any formal announcements yet, it appears Joe Ross is good to start Saturday afternoon in Chicago, his lower right leg having healed enough from the comebacker that struck him during Monday's game against the Pirates. Ross threw a full bullpen session late this afternoon and did not appear to be limited or hindered in any significant way. Davey Martinez, who watched the session up close in the visitors' bullpen at PNC Park, said in his earlier...

Strickland on broken nose: "It could've been a lot worse" (Nats up 6-0)

Strickland on broken nose: "It could've been a lot worse" (Nats up 6-0)
PITTSBURGH - Hunter Strickland can laugh about it now, but in those first few moments after the barbell fell from the rack and struck him on the face Tuesday afternoon, the Nationals reliever didn't know what to think. "I had no idea. I didn't know what happened," he said. "Obviously, it hit me pretty good, so it kind of dazed me for a second there. After that, I looked up in the mirror. My nose was crooked and bleeding everywhere. Just kind of put two and two together: Got knocked out by...

If leg heals quickly, Ross will remain in Nationals rotation

If leg heals quickly, Ross will remain in Nationals rotation
PITTSBURGH - Joe Ross will remain in the Nationals rotation. If his right leg heals in time after he was struck by a comebacker during Monday night's win over the Pirates. Ross was still walking with a slight limp and had his lower right leg wrapped this afternoon, still feeling the effects of the 110-mph comebacker that caught him square on the shin the bottom of the fourth the previous night. The right-hander had to depart the game early, and though he was encouraged afterward that X-rays...

Nats respond to defeat with barrage of longballs in 16-8 victory

Nats respond to defeat with barrage of longballs in 16-8 victory
It was as fair question to ask: After Saturday night's - er, early Sunday morning's - demoralizing 15-14 loss to the Brewers in 14 innings, how would the Nationals respond? Apparently soul-crushing defeats and lack of restorative sleep result in prodigious displays of home run power. The Nationals took full advantage of their home park's launching pad characteristics in warm, humid weather, muscling up to hit eight homers in a 16-8 rout of the Brewers that secured a series victory. "What I...

Decision looming for final spot in rotation (Nats trail 6-5)

Decision looming for final spot in rotation (Nats trail 6-5)
Rotation depth, such a problem area for the Nationals last season and early this season, hasn't been an issue over the last month. That's thanks to the lights-out performances of Erick Fedde and Joe Ross, who have allowed the Nats to continue to thrive even while Max Scherzer has been on the injured list. Now, though, the organization faces a surprisingly tricky decision with Scherzer close to returning from his back injury. And the potential return of two other right-handers from long-term...

Game 123 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers

Game 123 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers
The Nationals close out a weekend series with the Brewers this afternoon, hoping resurgent right-hander Erick Fedde can deliver another strong outing and a series victory over the Brewers. Fedde's start - and his ability to give the Nats some length - takes on additional importance after Saturday night's 15-14 loss to the Brewers in 14 innings. The bullpen had to cover 10 innings after righty Aníbal Sánchez went only four frames, and it's possible the Nationals will make a move before...

Soto and Dozier return to the starting lineup

Soto and Dozier return to the starting lineup
It turns out that left fielder Juan Soto's right ankle is good to go and he is back in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Reds. Soto was injured rounding third base late in Sunday's win over the Mets and had to leave the game. Nationals manager Davey Martinez said he had to hold Soto back from trying to get into Monday night's game as well. "He checked all the boxes. We got him on the field, he ran angles. He turned like he was running the bases. The biggest thing was the...

Fedde sharp again, bullpen hangs on for 7-6 win (updated)

Fedde sharp again, bullpen hangs on for 7-6 win (updated)
This was supposed to be the weak link of the Nationals organization: pitching depth. And when Max Scherzer went back on the injured list three weeks ago, there was ample reason to fear the worst out of the two guys who had now been thrust into the back end of the rotation: Erick Fedde and Joe Ross. Except those guys haven't been the problem, not in the least. The two right-handers have now each turned in back-to-back quality performances, all of them resulting in victories. Tonight it was...

Game 118 lineups: Nats vs. Reds (Kendrick activated)

Game 118 lineups: Nats vs. Reds (Kendrick activated)
The Nationals are back home after a long and eventful road trip that started in Arizona with three new relievers, continued in San Francisco with a sweep and then concluded with a wild weekend in New York. Now they are right back at it with a week of home games against the Reds and Brewers. And they've got a familiar face back on their active roster (though not the lineup). Howie Kendrick is back after a brief stint on the injured list with a strained hamstring. Kendrick was activated this...

Fedde in complete control in 4-0 win over Giants

Fedde in complete control in 4-0 win over Giants
SAN FRANCISCO - The memory of a nine-run pounding at the hands of the Braves last week perhaps was fresher on everyone's minds, but Erick Fedde also knew how well he had pitched in his two starts prior to that disaster against one of baseball's toughest lineups. Fedde, you may recall, had limited the Orioles and Rockies to two runs in 10 innings. Sure, those aren't two of the most imposing lineups in the sport. But neither is the lineup Bruce Bochy fielded tonight at Oracle Park. So maybe it...

Game 112 lineups: Nats at Giants

Game 112 lineups: Nats at Giants
SAN FRANCISCO - It's a beautiful afternoon along McCovey Cove, but don't kid yourself. It's going to be downright chilly tonight by the time the Nationals and Giants get their series opener underway. After the 110-degree heat of Arizona over the weekend, the upper 50s in the forecast later tonight are going to be quite a shock to the system. The Nats would love to get hot the next few days, no matter the temperature. They've dropped three straight series and really need to get themselves...

Rotation questions abound after Fedde blasted by Braves

Rotation questions abound after Fedde blasted by Braves
As the focus has remained squarely on their bullpen, which has been in need of upgrades since opening day, lurking underneath the surface of the Nationals' red-hot summer has been the question of rotation depth. Would Mike Rizzo need to acquire a No. 5 starter before the July 31 trade deadline? Rizzo last week insisted such a move wasn't necessary, that he liked his team's back-of-the-rotation options. Besides, the longtime general manager pointed out, starting pitchers usually are...

Fedde focuses on pitch efficiency (Nats lose 11-8)

Fedde focuses on pitch efficiency (Nats lose 11-8)
Right-hander Erick Fedde embarks on his first career start against the Braves tonight. On July 24, Fedde went four innings, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the Nats' 3-2 win over the Rockies. He had to throw 79 pitches. In his previous start at Baltimore, the Nats monitored his pitch count and Fedde did well: 66 pitches over six innings. Tonight marks his ninth start of the season. "He's pitched well," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "I like to...

Game 107 lineups: Nats vs. Braves

Game 107 lineups: Nats vs. Braves
Why was Monday night's win so important for the Nationals? Because it allowed them to take early control of this three-game series with the Braves, who are now the ones facing some pressure to bounce back and not let their lead in the division dwindle to 3 1/2 games. The Nationals still have plenty of work to do to take this series, and they face a stiff challenge tonight with Erick Fedde - not Max Scherzer - getting the start. Fedde hasn't faced Atlanta yet this season, but he's quietly put...