Nats likely need to make IL decision on Robles by Sunday

Nats likely need to make IL decision on Robles by Sunday
Victor Robles is out of the Nationals lineup for the third straight day with what has now officially been diagnosed as a sprained right ankle, and if his condition doesn't improve in the next 24 hours, the club may have no choice but to put its starting center fielder on the injured list. Robles, who hurt himself in scary looking fashion rounding first base Wednesday night in Chicago, has shown some signs of improvement since, but not enough to allow him to play. "As of right now, no,"...
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Game 42 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 42 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
It was an enjoyable Friday night at Nationals Park, where the home team saw Stephen Strasburg pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his return from the injured list, Josh Bell go 3-for-5 and make a key play in the field, and a season-high crowd of 14,369 cheer the Nats on to victory over the Orioles. Whether they can actually use that as a springboard to a winning streak is up to them. Jon Lester starts this afternoon's game on South Capitol Street, and after a rough outing in his return to Wrigley...
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Bell uses crowd to help complete rare assist to the plate

Bell uses crowd to help complete rare assist to the plate
Josh Bell's first responsibility when Trey Mancini ripped a ball into the right field corner in the top of the sixth Friday night was to make sure the Orioles slugger actually touched first base as he attempted to stretch his hit into a double. It's a small thing, and rarely does it come into play. But in just doing what he was supposed to do and staying back to keep an eye on Mancini rounding first, Bell actually was in perfect position to watch Juan Soto's throw from the right field corner...
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Strasburg, crowd return to form in win over O's (updated)

Strasburg, crowd return to form in win over O's (updated)
You want a return to normalcy? How about Stephen Strasburg on the mound posting a string of zeros, an opportunistic lineup finally delivering a string of clutch hits and (most importantly) a loud and enthusiastic crowd cheering the home team on a beautiful Friday night on South Capitol Street. The Nationals' 4-2 win over the Orioles tonight felt as normal as things have been around here for some time. With Strasburg returning from 5 1/2 weeks on the injured list with right shoulder...
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Robles out of lineup again, getting MRI on ankle

Robles out of lineup again, getting MRI on ankle
The Nationals are without Victor Robles again tonight and now are awaiting results of an MRI taken on the center fielder's right ankle, which remains sore two days after it buckled while he rounded first base in Chicago. Manager Davey Martinez said during his Zoom session before tonight's game against the Orioles that Robles remains day-to-day for now. "He went to get an MRI today, we're waiting on the results," Martinez said. "As the day progressed yesterday, he got sore. So we wanted to...
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Game 41 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 41 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
The last time we saw Stephen Strasburg on the mound in a big league game, it was obvious he wasn't right. The veteran hurler was throwing fastballs that barely registered 90 mph. His pitches weren't sharp at all. His mechanics were off. His body language suggested he didn't feel right. Turns out Strasburg was indeed injured, dealing with right shoulder inflammation. The Nationals placed him on the 10-day IL and left him to go through a full rehab process. Tonight, that process finally ends...
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How do Nats make next 40 games better than first 40?

How do Nats make next 40 games better than first 40?
It began, shockingly enough, with the biggest offensive explosion of the season. The Nationals opened their just-completed, seven-game road trip with a 17-2 dismantling of the Diamondbacks, a blowout win that saw everyone in the starting lineup score at least once. At last, here was evidence the Nats' sluggish offense was ready to bust out for good. Instead, the road trip turned into a bust for this team, and specifically its still struggling lineup. Over their next six games in Arizona and...
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Another rough start could leave Ross' job in jeopardy (updated)

Another rough start could leave Ross' job in jeopardy (updated)
For weeks, these two questions have loomed over the Nationals: When will Stephen Strasburg return from a shoulder injury, and who will lose his spot in the rotation once he does? As this seven-game road trip to Arizona and Chicago progressed, the answer to the first question became clear: Strasburg would be ready to come off the 10-day injured list Friday to start the Nats' homestand opener against the Orioles. The answer to the second question has become a bit more complicated, not because of...
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Robles sitting out, but X-rays on ankle negative

Robles sitting out, but X-rays on ankle negative
Victor Robles isn't in the Nationals lineup for today's series finale at Wrigley Field, but the young center fielder's right ankle is apparently feeling well enough to give manager Davey Martinez reason to believe he could be available off the bench in a pinch. Robles, who fell to the ground in a heap after his ankle gave out while rounding first base on his fourth-inning hit Wednesday night, had X-rays taken following the game. Martinez said today during his pregame Zoom session with...
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Game 40 lineups: Nats at Cubs

Game 40 lineups: Nats at Cubs
After a crazy Wednesday night in Chicago, the Nationals are back at it this afternoon, looking to win their series finale against the Cubs and split the four-game set. It took a lot of effort to pull off their 4-3 victory, which came by the skin of its teeth. And they'll go into today's game with a depleted lineup. Victor Robles, who injured his right ankle rounding first base on an RBI single, is not starting today. That's not surprising, given how scary the play looked and how Robles...
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Turner, Martinez steamed by yet another interference call

Turner, Martinez steamed by yet another interference call
The play looked vaguely familiar. The interference call on Trea Turner that followed most definitely looked familiar. And the tirade Davey Martinez subsequently went on in defense of his shortstop certainly brought back some familiar memories, until the Nationals manager took his displeasure to a whole new level with an epic tirade. Yes, Turner, Martinez and the Nats were victimized yet again by Rule 5.09a(11), which allows an umpire to call a batter running down the line out if he does not...
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Nats cap eventful night with tight win at Wrigley (updated)

Nats cap eventful night with tight win at Wrigley (updated)
Maybe it's Wrigley Field. The Friendly Confines just seem to bring out the highest of drama when the Nationals are in town, and have so for many years now. From epic playoff games to devastating walk-off grand slams to intentional walk records to wild back-and-forth contests, the Nationals and Cubs have experienced it all at the corner of Clark and Addison streets on Chicago's North Side. Add tonight's 4-3 victory to the list. Maybe the stakes weren't as high as some of the previous...
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Fedde, Rainey placed on COVID-19 IL after positive test (updated)

Fedde, Rainey placed on COVID-19 IL after positive test (updated)
The Nationals had to place pitchers Erick Fedde and Tanner Rainey on the COVID-19 injured list before tonight's game in Chicago after one tested positive for the coronavirus and the other was deemed a close contact to that player. The club didn't specify which of the two tested positive, but manager Davey Martinez said that player was vaccinated, is asymptomatic and is feeling fine. The player deemed a close contact, however, is unvaccinated and now is subject to quarantine up to 10...
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Game 39 lineups: Nats at Cubs

Game 39 lineups: Nats at Cubs
Remember how we all wondered if Max Scherzer would ever be able to pitch at a Cy Young Award-caliber level again? Well, guess what? He's doing it right now. The Nationals ace has been nothing short of magnificent so far season, entering tonight's game against the Cubs seventh in the National League in ERA (2.10), third in WHIP (0.760), fourth in walk rate (1.4 per nine innings) and fourth in strikeouts (68). And when he's been good, he's been really, really good: In six of his eight starts,...
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Why has the Nationals offense been grounded?

Why has the Nationals offense been grounded?
One by one, they swung at hittable pitches. And one by one, they pounded the ball into the ground. Whether leading off an inning, trying to get something going with two outs or trying to drive in a runner from scoring position, the Nationals kept meeting the same fate during Monday night's 7-3 loss to the Cubs: Groundball outs. How bad was it? Through the seventh inning, the Nats had put 18 balls into play. Only four of them were hit in the air, and all of those resulted in hits (two singles,...
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Cubs give Lester, Schwarber love, then beat them (updated)

Cubs give Lester, Schwarber love, then beat them (updated)
Tonight's series opener at Wrigley Field was always going to be about Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber, one way or the other. The return of the two former Cubs to their old stomping grounds as members of the Nationals for the first time had been wildly anticipated for days in Chicago. And the North Side faithful showered both players with love all night. Lester and Schwarber were touched by it all, to be sure. They appreciated the warm welcome home from the crowd of 11,144. But more than...
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Strasburg joins Nats in Chicago, but no decision yet

Strasburg joins Nats in Chicago, but no decision yet
The Nationals haven't decided yet if Stephen Strasburg will come off the injured list this weekend, but the fact the right-hander has rejoined the club in Chicago offers a hint they're hoping to do just that. Fresh off a 75-pitch rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Rochester in Trenton, N.J., Strasburg flew to Chicago and will be with the Nationals for their four-game series against the Cubs. He'll throw what manager Davey Martinez termed an "extended" bullpen session Tuesday afternoon, and...
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Game 37 lineups: Nats at Cubs

Game 37 lineups: Nats at Cubs
The Nationals have been involved in their share of dramatic games at Wrigley Field in recent years. The last time they played on the North Side of Chicago in August 2019, they swept the Cubs in a wild series that many saw as the first real evidence this team was capable of winning the World Series. One year earlier, their playoff chances essentially were crushed on David Bote's walk-off grand slam off Ryan Madson. And, of course, in October 2017, Stephen Strasburg pitched one of the best games...
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Lester ready for emotional return to Wrigley Field

Lester ready for emotional return to Wrigley Field
Jon Lester never got to have his farewell moment at Fenway Park, that final walk off the mound accompanied by a roar from a crowd that knew this was his last appearance there in a Red Sox uniform, because he was traded to the Athletics on July 31, 2014, an off-day for the team. Nor did he get to have that kind of moment at Wrigley Field last fall, even though he knew his contract was ending and the Cubs might not re-sign him, because there were no fans in the stands anywhere in 2020. So excuse...
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Fedde's zeros, Hernandez's late homer lift Nats (updated)

Fedde's zeros, Hernandez's late homer lift Nats (updated)
Davey Martinez had one simple piece of advice this morning for Erick Fedde, who took the mound in Arizona knowing Stephen Strasburg had just made a rehab start for Triple-A Rochester and might be deemed ready to take back his spot in the Nationals rotation. "Make my decision tough," the Nats manager said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "That's what I want him to go out there and do." It would be tough for Fedde to have made the decision any tougher on Martinez, general...
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