As Michael Morse recovers from a right lat strain that has caused him discomfort this week when attempting to throw from further than 90 feet, he's been serving as the Nationals' designated hitter. But Morse decided that Wednesday he'd prefer to go to the minor league side of the Nationals' complex and get 6-8 at-bats in the minor leaguers' final intra-squad game of the spring. Published March 14 2012
Bryce Harper's quest to make the Nationals' Opening Day lineup out of spring training may have been derailed a bit by a calf injury and time it caused him to miss, but Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday he doesn't believe the injury will affect the decision-making process when it comes to Harper cracking the 25-man roster. Published March 14 2012
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has gotten several calls on left-handed starter John Lannan but Rizzo said Wednesday he has not made any calls to other teams peddling the 27-year-old. "I am not actively shopping him," Rizzo said. "I haven't actively shopped him all winter." Published March 14 2012
Jason Michaels was despondent over his first-inning error, plus notes on Ross Detwiler, Jayson Werth and Michael Morse, who has been scratched from Wednesday's lineup. Published March 13 2012
Edwin Jackson was motoring along in the first inning Tuesday night. He needed 10 pitches, it seemed, to make quick work of the top of the Detroit Tigers' lineup. Published March 13 2012
The Nationals will face Detroit Tigers' left-hander Duane Below in about 40 minutes here at Space Coast Stadium. Tonight's game is on MASN. Here's the lineup as Edwin Jackson makes his third start of the spring: Published March 13 2012
Injury updates on Michael Morse, Bryce Harper and Rick Ankiel. Published March 13 2012
The Nationals made their first round of cuts on Monday, sending nine of the 54 players in camp over to the minor league side for the remainder of the spring. So let's take a look at their bench options as it stands. Published March 13 2012
In a spring already filled with obstacles for Adam LaRoche he passed one pivotal test Monday afternoon in the first inning of the Nationals' 8-4 victory over the Cardinals. Published March 12 2012
Jordan Zimmermann's been working on developing a changeup, or at least trying to, for more than three years. His fastball has always been plus and his slider was in the same category but a change, that's been on his mind since he broke into the big leagues in 2009. Published March 12 2012
Ryan Zimmerman hit a double in his first at-bat on Monday, a home run in his second and struck out in his third. He explains why the third at-bat was his best one of the day. Published March 12 2012
The Nationals made their first round of cuts Monday morning, sending nine players out of major league camp and over to the minor league side. Anthony Rendon and Matt Purke, two of the Nationals' top 2011 draft picks, were among those cut. Outfielder Corey Brown, who Nationals manager Davey Johnson singled out as "the guy that impressed me most," was also sent to minor league camp, along with fellow outfielder Xavier Paul and catcher Sandy Leon. Infielders Jarrett Hoffpauir and Carlos Rivero, along with pitchers Rafael Martin and Austin Bibens-Dirkx were also cut. Published March 12 2012
Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Monday morning that Chien-Ming Wang and John Lannan, the two pitchers competing for the fifth spot in the Nationals' rotation, will both pitch Thursday when the New York Yankees visit Space Coast Stadium. Published March 12 2012
Nationals outfielder Michael Morse was back in the lineup for the first time in a week on Monday, hitting cleanup as the team's designated hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bryce Harper said Monday morning that his left calf was feeling better. He tested it with a little running on Sunday and was hopeful he'd be able to get back into the lineup on Tuesday. Published March 12 2012
The reviews of Chien-Ming Wang's start Saturday were extremely positive. Wang was making his first start of the spring after throwing in a simulated game last Monday and he was clocked 88-91 mph with his fastball and had great sink. When the ball is sinking like that, one coach said, you know it's going to be a good day. Published March 11 2012
Gio Gonzalez stood on the mound as sheets of rain came pouring through Roger Dean Stadium Sunday afternoon. He thrust his arms out to his sides, wondering how much rain was enough for the umpires to decide he didn't need to face Yadier Molina with two outs in the fourth inning. Published March 11 2012
Injury updates on Michael Morse, Bryce Harper and Rick Ankiel, and why Xavier Paul has been absent from Nationals camp. Published March 11 2012
Corey Brown started and stopped so many times in 2011, looking back, it was basically a lost year. Brown was traded to the Nationals as part of the deal that sent Josh Willingham to Oakland, but hurt his ankle early in spring training and wasn't able to make an impact. He got out of the gate slow at Triple-A and never found his rhythm (he finished the year with a .235 average) but had a torrid month of August (he hit .351) to earn a September call-up. He arrived in Washington, had one major league at-bat, and went down with a staph infection in his right knee that required surgery. Published March 10 2012
John Lannan felt good about his outing in the Nationals' 5-5 tie with the Tigers, plus other notes from the split-squad. Published March 10 2012
In hopes of battling the inconsistency that has plagued him during his big league career, Ian Desmond revamped his batting stance this offseason to find more balance. But Nationals manager Davey Johnson hasn't been thrilled with the adjustments thus far this spring. Published March 10 2012
By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
