During his time with the Nationals, Ankiel was known for his cannon of an arm before his bat.

This morning the Nationals designated Rick Ankiel for assignment in order to make room for closer Drew Storen coming off of the disabled list. With this move the Nationals now have four bench players with an eight-man bullpen. This season Ankiel’s hit .228 in 68 games with 5 home runs and 15 RBIs.

Although the decision to part with Ankiel was “very difficult,” GM Mike Rizzo said “they are decisions you make this time of year.” He also mentioned Ankiel, who turns 33 today, took the news like a pro.

With Ankiel designated for assignment, it begs the question to how close Jayson Werth is returning from his broken wrist. The outfielder took batting practice the last several days and is expected to start a rehab assignment this Friday in Potomac.

Today the Nationals conclude their series with the Mets and go for the sweep at 12:35. Gio Gonzalez starts for the Nationals with R.A. Dickey starting for the Mets.

Other injury updates:

• Speaking of Jayson Werth, check out how his injury and recovery process has been like.
• Jhonathan Solano was placed on the disabled list with an oblique strain. The Nationals recalled catcher Sandy Leon to replace Solano.
• Ian Desmond is sitting out his fifth straight game resting his oblique injury. (That means that Lombardozzi is at 2B and Espinosa is at SS again.)
• Chad Tracy is close to returning as well. He’s been practicing with the team lately.

Ozzie Guillen considered the pine tar incident with Bryce Harper over, but really, we all know it wasn’t over until something else happened. Nothing happened in the series finale on Monday, but the Nationals found another way to insert some amusement into the whole exchange.

Adam LaRoche had Bryce Harper sign a bat for him–which isn’t unusal since players often sign for each other. From there LaRoche also signed the bat and added “To my hero, Ozzie. Love you.”

The Nationals also smeared the bat in pine tar before sending it to Guillen.

Now, we can say certainly say that the pine tar exchange is over. And people say baseball players can’t have fun?

Also, we’re waiting for a photo of that bat…

Other good stuff:

• The Nationals had a walk-off wild pitch win last night and caused a few heart palpitations along the way. It involved three blown saves between the two teams, Bryce Harper coming through in clutch, attempts to douse Ryan Zimmerman (who scored the winning run) with ice cold water, and all in all good heart-stopping chest-clutching baseball.
• Drew Storen and Jayson Werth are coming back…eventually. There’s still a little more rust to shake off.
• 2012 draft pick Lucas Giolito was in the house yesterday. He has quite a few Hollywood connections and even his own lightsaber from Samuel L. Jackson. Also good: he likes DC and we’ll be able to see what he’s capable of soon when he starts to rehab his elbow.
• Michael Morse read ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’…and didn’t like it.

Coming into the 2012 season, there was something the Nationals were used to having to deal with: expectations.

With big off season moves, the impending debut of Bryce Harper, and the momentum the Nats took into the off season at the end of 2011, everyone was expecting an improvement.  To say anyone expected the Nats being in first place at the All-Star Break (and having been in that position most of the year) would be crazy.

Yet that’s where we stand.  The Nats are not only first in the NL East, but they have the best record in the National League at the halfway point of the season.  Here’s a look at what the top stories of 2012 have been.

Pitching

» Continue reading “Nats At The Half”

On a hot, humid summer night (there’s no other type of summer night in DC), most fans were lulled to sleep, a languid relaxation or sheer boredom. There really wasn’t that much to cheer and celebrate, for Nats fans. ‘Turn Back the Clock’ night had been a fun promotion, but apart from that, the game had mostly been written off as a missed chance to sweep.

Of course, with this team, nothing is over until the last out is recorded and everyone has packed up and gone home. Last night in the ninth inning, as the Nationals mounted their comeback, in the middle of it all were Tyler Moore, Steve Lombardozzi and Bryce Harper–all direct rewards from the Nationals farm system. Also involved were Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche. The first three embody draft picks across the board. Moore was drafted in the 16th round of 2008, Lombardozzi was drafted in the 19th round of 2008 and Harper was drafted first overall in 2010. The later three encompass a mix of veteran experience and utility playing time.

Now, as the Nationals sit atop of the National League East and almost atop baseball in general (the only teams with better records are the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers), it’s even more increasingly obvious that the winning isn’t a fluke. Apart some sheer luck from the baseball gods (such as other teams in the NL East losing when the Nationals lost), this team is finally coming into what they were envisioned to be.

» Continue reading “The Kids Are Alright”

Third base umpire Chris Guccione takes Joel Peralta's glove with the "foreign substance" to the umpire's room.

The Nationals and Rays may not exactly be sworn enemies, considering they’re in completely different leagues and see each other every few years. However, considering the pine tar shenanigans that occurred last night and the comments that followed afterwards, I doubt either team is willing to go on a bonding retreat or something of the sort.

After last night, baseball’s code and ethics are suddenly thrown into the spotlight in DC and in the baseball world. Yesterday, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Tampa Bay Rays reliever Joel Peralta came in to pitch. Before Peralta, a former National, even threw a pitch, Davey Johnson asked umpire Tim Tschida to check Peralta’s glove.

After Tschida checked Peralta’s glove, the glove was confiscated and Peralta was ejected for what Tschida said was a “significant amount” of pine tar in his glove. In the end, it seems to have worked out for the Rays. Reliever Jake McGee was called to pitch in place of the ejected Peralta and retired all three Nationals in order. The Rays went on to win the ballgame 5-4.

Now the glove is en route to New York to be checked by Major League Baseball, but this is far from over. After the game Rays manager Joe Maddon had a few thoughts of his own about what transpired.

» Continue reading “What’s a little pine tar between enemies?”

Most off days mean there won’t be much news.  But today’s off day isn’t like other off days.  Today, hundreds of prospects will desperately refresh their browsers and watch on television as they wait for their name to be called, making their life long dream come true.

That’s right, today is the MLB draft.

This organization built a team the old fashioned way.  They got draft picks, a lot of them, and developed the players within their own system.  They brought up their own players to improve the team long term, from the core, instead of getting veterans to put a band aid over the wound.

Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Drew Storen, Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper…they were all drafted and developed by the franchise.  All are now playing key roles on the team on a regular basis.

» Continue reading “Draft Days Have Been Kind To Nats”

Injury graphic on the Nationals, via Washington Post

“This team is beat up more than any one I’ve ever had.”

Davey Johnson knows the walking wounding when he sees them.

And somehow, the Nats are still in first place.  Granted, it’s just by a half game over the Braves, but don’t knock it. After having their best April ever (they ended the month with a 14-8 record), May is shaping up nicely as well. Oh, and all this is happening with some of their key players out with injuries.

Despite OintmentGate and the miscues in Strasburg’s start on Tuesday (somebody want to catch that pop up? Oh…no?), Gonzalez took control yesterday against the Pirates at home with 10 strikeouts.

He even got some offensive help from Adam LaRoche and his 1000th career hit (which included a home run and bases clearing double) and Xavier Nady(!) who hit his 100th career home run. Henry Rodriguez even decided to exercise his closer abilities and was able to keep the Pirates from causing too much damage.

The Nats went on to beat the Pirates 7-4. (Somewhere Jordan Zimmermann is asking them to save some runs for him.)

So what’s this saying? The Nats are winning. The team is coming together. And that’s with Drew Storen, Chien-Ming Wang, Brad Lidge, Michael Morse, Jayson Werth, Wilson Ramos, Mark DeRosa and Sandy Leon injured. (This isn’t including Ryan Zimmerman, who also made a DL stint earlier this season.) For the most part all the players on the DL were projected key players of the Opening Day roster. Also, the players on the DL aren’t just injured, they’re long term injuries. Expected return dates range from months to a year.

» Continue reading “The Casualties”

What’s the fun in playing with a full roster? That’s what the baseball gods must be saying to the Nationals, who lost ANOTHER key player in Wilson Ramos to an ACL injury.

At this point, the Nats should just buy their own rehabilitation center in bus form at the rate everyone is getting injured.  It could be so many things (luck, training) but I prefer to think of it as sabotage at the hands of the Phillies and their sidekick Orioles (let’s kick up these rivalries!).

The Nats are now missing Jayson Werth, Michael Morse, and Ramos, all keys at the plate.  Pitchers Drew Storen, Brad Lidge, and Chien-Ming Wang are also injured.  Have you all heard of this fun thing called stretching? Geez!

The kind of good news is that the Nats are still doing well.  Despite the injuries and the losses, the team continues to exceed expectations in the early months of the season.  The pitching has remained strong, playing a huge role in not missing a medical beat.

» Continue reading “Another Nat Bites The Dust”

Raise your hand if you got really nervous when Drew Storen went down with injury just before the start of the season (raises hand).  It was a relief then to know that the Nationals had acquired Brad Lidge.  Then he pitched, and, well, it hasn’t exactly been pretty. There was one option left, and it was a terrifying one: Henry Rodriguez.

Everyone has always known he’s had the power.  The Nats acquired him as part of the deal for Josh Willingham (that also included Corey Brown).  For the last couple of years, his arm has been visibly raw.

Rodriguez could get his speeds up, but it was a crap chute whether or not he would get it near the strike zone.  It was more of the same with his other pitches: the potential was there, but control problems prevented him from being able to break through.

Whatever Rodriguez did over the winter worked.  He returned for 2012 with a new calmness and control over his arm that has made him a great closer early in the season.  Batters are hitting .038 against him and he has yet to give up an earned run.

» Continue reading “Has H-Rod Finally Smoothed Out For Nats?”

The Nats topped the Mets to take the first divisional series 2-1 of the season.  Stephen Strasburg again showed how dominant he can be on the mound with the 4-0 win yesterday.  Here’s what else you need to know:

-Some minor league highlights in the organization. [Federal Baseball]

-Storen saw Andrews, so we all should know: he needs surgery, but could be back before the All-Star Game. [Nats Journal]

-Mike Rizzo and Davey Johnson both share the same vision for 2012 and the direction the organization the franchise will take. [Wash Times]

-Strasburg was still able to out-pitch the Mets last night, [CSN Washington]

-Flores hasn’t given up on his role for the Nats. [Nats Journal]