As expected, the Nationals have placed Shawn Hill on the 15-day DL with a strained right forearm. They've also activated Odalis Perez off the 15-day DL, and Perez will start tomorrow night against the Orioles, his first appearance since left shoulder tendinitis sidelined him back on June 3.

And in a procedural move, the club transferred Nick Johnson from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. What does that mean? Well, obviously Johnson is out for the season after having wrist surgery the other day. Placing him on the 60-day DL removes him from the 40-man roster and thus opens up a spot for someone else. I don't believe that spot will be filled in the next week by, say, Collin Balester, who will make his big-league debut sometime later this season but not yet. Tyler Clippard remains the odds-on favorite to return to take Hill's rotation spot starting Monday. But it's always nice to be able to have an available 40-man spot in case the club does want to promote a minor-leaguer who wasn't already on it, or of course if the GM wants to make a trade.

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