Baker on J. Turner, Taylor and Kelley

The Nationals have announced their pitching probables for the weekend series in Philadelphia. Friday it will be Stephen Strasburg facing former Nationals property Nick Pivetta. They have listed "to be announced" for Saturday's game against Vince Velasquez. Manager Dusty Baker had said Wednesday night after Jacob Turner pitched four innings that A.J. Cole would pitch Saturday. Sunday's series finale will have Tanner Roark against Jeremy Hellickson.

Turner was the hot subject of Thursday's pregame talk with Baker and with good reason. The 25-year-old put together four scoreless innings of relief for the victory in the 2-1 win over Arizona Wednesday night. Baker believes Turner, who began career as a starter, can pitch in several different roles for the Nats.

"Who says he's a swingman?" Baker asked. "He was thrust into that position through need. We're trying to see what his job is going to be. He's always been a starter. He's relieved sometimes. We'll see how A.J. pitches and then we'll make a determination from that before we put labels on a guy as a swingman, whatever he is. We'll see.

"Last night, that was a great job in relief, but he wasn't in relief, he was just starting the game in the middle of the game. He was a reliever that in my mind was a starter last night. His pitch count wasn't high. He was capable of going a whole lot more innings. The way he was performing, that's why we stayed with him. He's throwing the ball well and he saved my bullpen, too."

Baker said Turner wasn't any different in his mind than what they saw from him last week in Colorado. Baker said one of the reasons Turner was successful again was because he was directed by 30-year-old catcher Matt Wieters.

"He was the same guy that impressed us in spring training," Baker said of Turner. "He didn't do anything differently. Basically, it's not him attacking. It's more Wieters attacking them because he doesn't know this league, he doesn't know most of the hitters he's facing. Wieters was the catcher that directs these guys. Especially if you have a veteran catcher and an older catcher, then he's more in charge."

Baker spoke about how Wieters can guide a pitcher through each game and compared the situation to a famous backstop for the Cincinnati Reds.

"See as a hitter, I'd always would try to see who was in charge of the equation," Baker said. "You got (Hall of Famer) Johnny Bench back there and (Frank) Pastore out there, then I'm thinking along with Johnny Bench. He's putting the fingers down and the other guy is not. And then if you got Johnny Bench and Tom Seaver, now then it creates a problem because then you got two guys that are knowledgeable that can think. So it's more on the catcher than it is the pitcher."

But he also noted that today's starter Max Scherzer is in total control of how he dictates a game.

"Unless you have a guy like Max (Scherzer), then it's totally different," Baker said. "Then you got to think more with Max because he's calling his own game. If he disagrees, then he's not going to throw it."

* Baker has been impressed with the steady progress of center fielder Michael A. Taylor at the plate. Taylor was placed into the starting lineup starting Saturday after the severe leg injury to center fielder Adam Eaton against the Mets. Since Thursday last week in Denver, Taylor has gone 8-for-18 (.444) with a double and a triple. Prior to this run, Taylor had just one hit in 20 at-bats. He has raised his average to .237.

"They've been better," Baker said of Taylor's at-bats. "I urged him to just stay aggressive. Because aggressiveness takes care of a lot of things, passiveness don't take care of anything. Just like (Ryan) Zimmerman. That's the difference between Zim now and Zim then, Zim is swinging. Like last night (Jayson Werth) wasn't swinging. You can't hit if you don't swing. JW will be better today."

Eaton was on crutches as he made his way through the clubhouse to great some of his teammates, his left ankled in a protective boot. Surgery has not been scheduled. Eaton is expecting a six to nine-month recovery time period.

* Baker said Shawn Kelley wasn't available yesterday due to sickness. He did not have an immediate update this morning.

"No, I haven't talked to him," Baker said. "I haven't talked to my trainers either."

Kelley hasn't appeared in a game since April 29 against the Mets.