It will be exciting to see what shortstop Trea Turner can accomplish after a season that was interrupted by injury. Turner was limited to 98 games after missing all of July and most of August, yet still hit .284 and stole 46 bases. One big question for Turner: How will he handle the regime change at manager? Turner valued his time with the experienced Dusty Baker. "Unfortunate," Turner said of Baker's dismissal over the weekend at Nationals Winterfest. "I really enjoyed Dusty as a manager...

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant stepped on third base awkwardly as he concentrated skyward in pursuit of a Matt Wieters' popup in the fifth inning. Bryant twisted his ankle on the base but still made the catch for the out. But after the play he limped off the field with help from the Cubs trainer and did not return. The Cubs reported Bryant was diagnosed with a mild-to-moderate ankle sprain. Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, Bryant's childhood friend and fellow Las Vegas native, said he...

Any breakdown of the Nationals lineup - the majors' most productive through the season's first half - usually focuses on the power potential up and down the order, the depth of quality that allows this team to score runs in bunches via a string of extra-base hits. The Nationals are, believe it or not, more multi-dimensional than that, though. They do have one of the fastest leadoff men in baseball, not to mention speed in several other lineup slots and several hitters capable of grinding out...

Dusty Baker's entire coaching staff will return in 2017. The Nationals announced today that all seven coaches on Baker's staff - bench coach Chris Speier, pitching coach Mike Maddux, first base coach Davey Lopes, third base coach Bob Henley, hitting coach Rick Schu, assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones and bullpen coach Dan Firova - have been retained for another season. The news doesn't come as much surprise, given how well-liked the staff was by this year's roster, but most of the coaches...

To his already hefty list of accomplishments in a brief major league career, Bryce Harper can now add another achievement: He has joined the 20-20 club for the first time. With a successful swipe of second base during last night's 9-7 victory over the Braves, Harper notched his 20th steal of the season. He already had 23 homers, which makes him the newest member of the 20-20 club. Harper is one of seven big leaguers with at least 20 homers and 20 steals so far this season, joining Mike Trout,...

Trea Turner will continue to start if he keeps playing like he has the last few games. On Friday night, he added to the resume with his second homer of the season, a double and two runs scored in the Nationals' 5-1 victory over the Giants. Turner also ran the bases with his plus-plus speed and made all the plays he needed to in center field, his new position since he learned the spot while with Triple-A Syracuse. Manager Dusty Baker reminded the media not to be misled by Turner's baby face or...

It's one thing to say you're going to be aggressive on the bases. Every team says that every spring. It's another thing to actually back that up once the season begins, which the Nationals most definitely have done so far. Entering tonight's game against the Braves, the Nationals have successfully stolen six bases, most in the National League and second-most in the majors (behind only the Astros' nine). They've also successfully taken a bunch of extra bases in other fashions, whether...

VIERA, Fla. - Davey Lopes has been doing this - either as a player, a coach or a manager - for more than four decades now. Baserunning is his livelihood, and few have ever done - or taught - it better. So when the 70-year-old first base coach (reunited with the Nationals a decade after he held that same position on Frank Robinson's staff) stood on Field 2 outside Space Coast Stadium this morning offering a 45-minute clinic on the craft of baserunning, every position player on the roster was...

Dusty Baker's work continues to fill out his coaching staff with a few important openings remaining. Shortly after the Nationals hired Baker as manager on Nov. 3, the team announced Mike Maddux as new pitching coach and baserunning expert Davey Lopes as new first base coach. On Friday, Baker was asked on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio about other coaches he plans to add to his staff in Washington. "I really can't let the cat out of bag," Baker joked with hosts Casey Stern and Jim Bowden....

With the Nationals playoff chances hanging by a thread and rumors swirling about Matt Williams' job security in mid-September, Bryce Harper was the lone player offering a vote of confidence for his now former skipper. Harper's award season continued Monday night when his peers recognized the young slugger as the National League's Outstanding Player of 2015. After receiving the honor during the MLB Players Choice Awards special on the MLB Network, Harper couldn't mask his emotions when...

New Nationals manager Dusty Baker was thrilled to be able to add former Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux his staff. Baker said he was able to talk to Maddux when the Rangers played a game at Oakland two years ago and Baker's son wanted to watch right fielder Shin-Soo Choo play for the Rangers. "I've been knowing Mike a long time and his brother Greg played for me in Chicago," Baker said. "I had a conversation with Mike at that time. He said, 'Hey I would like to be on your staff at some...

Later this morning, the Nationals will officially usher in the Dusty Baker era with a press conference, which will be carried live on MASN at 11 a.m. Most of the questions - at least early on - figure to be dominated by searching for a clearer explanation on how the Nationals seemingly botched the hiring of Bud Black as manager only to turn back to Baker. Good luck getting an answer. Either way, last Wednesday night, the Nationals had found their man in Black. The 66-year-old Baker was...