Suero activated, Espino optioned to Rochester
Suero activated, Espino optioned to Rochester
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals have activated Wander Suero from the 10-day injured list and will have their workhorse reliever available for tonight's game against the Phillies. To clear space on their active roster for Suero, the Nats optioned veteran right-hander Paolo Espino to Triple-A Rochester. Suero, who had been out since April 18 with a left oblique strain, was cleared to return three days after a one-appearance rehab assignment for Rochester. Starting the game against Lehigh Valley, he gave up two...
Washington Nationals reinstate Wander Suero
Washington Nationals reinstate Wander Suero
Doug Miller
Nationals
The Washington Nationals returned from rehab assignment and reinstated right-handed pitcher Wander Suero from the 10-day Injured List and optioned right-handed pitcher Paolo Espino to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Suero, 29, returns to Washington's bullpen after missing 21 games with a left oblique strain. He posted a 1.42 ERA (1 ER/6.1 IP) in eight appearances before being placed on the Injured...
The vicious Valdez takes, Akin's audition and humble Harvey
The vicious Valdez takes, Akin's audition and humble Harvey
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
César Valdez retires the side in order with his bizarro changeup and he's a lovable, unorthodox closer who should get the ball in every save opportunity. An intriguing and embraceable success story. Who cares about his velocity? He blows a save and suddenly he doesn't belong in the role and the Orioles are clowns for refusing to find a better option. Enough of the warm and fuzzies. Can't close with that velocity. It's exhausting and predictable. Valdez is not a prototypical closer and is...
Game 32 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies
Game 32 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals need to score runs tonight. This does not qualify as some sort of huge revelation. It's simply the truth. Over their last eight games, the Nats have scored an average of 3.4 runs on 7.5 hits. Which isn't great, but it's even worse when you consider they exploded for 11 runs on 10 hits during Friday night's win at Yankee Stadium. Throw that outlier from the mix, and you get an average of 2.3 runs on 7.1 hits during this stretch. So the mission tonight is clear: Score, and score...
Harvey's return takes wrong turn in 7-1 loss (updated)
Harvey's return takes wrong turn in 7-1 loss (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The on-field portion of Matt Harvey's day at Citi Field began with the usual warm-up tosses in the bullpen and the stroll to the dugout, his mind refusing to play tricks and steer him toward the home side. He walked to the mound after the top of the first inning, heard the ovation, noticed Mets fans standing and holding up signs and tipped his cap. The moment could have overwhelmed Harvey, but he retired the side in order on 13 pitches and headed to the bench. The hope, of course, was that...
O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Mets at Citi Field
O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Mets at Citi Field
Steve Melewski
Orioles
After they allowed two runs in the last of the ninth last night and lost 3-2 to the New York Mets, the Orioles will try to bounce back today. They play the Mets at Citi Field, looking for a win to split the two-game series. New York came to bat in the last of the eighth trailing the Orioles 2-0, but scored once in the eighth and twice in the ninth off César Valdez to come back and win. The first-place Mets improved to 17-13 and have won six in a row, allowing only 13 runs in those games. The...
Orioles lineup vs. Mets (updated)
Orioles lineup vs. Mets (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Matt Harvey is back on the Citi Field mound this afternoon as the Orioles try to split their two-game series against the Mets and return home. Harvey hasn't pitched in New York since May 2018. The defense behind him includes Rio Ruiz at second base, Ryan Mountcastle in left field and Austin Hays in right. From 2012-15, Harvey posted a 2.05 ERA in 35 starts at Citi Field and 27 were quality by definition. Shortstop Freddy Galvis is 22-for-60 (.367) in his last 18 games. The Orioles have...
Emotional Zimmermann retires, recalls memories of time in D.C.
Emotional Zimmermann retires, recalls memories of time in D.C.
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Jordan Zimmermann, as publicly stoic and unemotional a ballplayer as you'll ever meet, was already feeling his eyes begin to well up as he discussed his decision to retire Tuesday on a Zoom session with reporters who cover each of the three teams he pitched for during his career. "I just felt like after 15 years of playing ball, my mind was still in it, but my body wasn't," the right-hander said. And when, about 12 minutes into the call, Zimmermann was asked by a writer from Detroit about...
Notes on pitchers' strengths, Matt Harvey's start and DL Hall
Notes on pitchers' strengths, Matt Harvey's start and DL Hall
Steve Melewski
Orioles
It was an interesting question posed to Orioles pitching coach Chris Holt during a recent Zoom interview with reporters. As pitchers continue to get better, throw with more and with more velocity, and use technology to improve spin rates and breaking pitches, are scouting reports less important? Are pitchers improving so much and so confident in their strengths that they pitch to that more often than working with a scouting report to find hitters' weaknesses? "I guess it depends on the...
Nats squander chances at plate again, fall to Phillies (updated)
Nats squander chances at plate again, fall to Phillies (updated)
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
You can point to a number of reasons the Nationals find themselves in the basement of a tight National League East division in mid-May, but inevitably you come back to the same irrefutable conclusion: They just aren't scoring enough runs on a consistent basis to win games. Even when they get a less-than-stellar showing from their starter, or meltdown from their bullpen, the Nats still find themselves facing a key moment late in a game in which one big hit with runners on base could be the...