Until they get their remaining middle-of-the-order bats back from the COVID-19 injured list, the Nationals are going to need stellar performances from their pitching staff and a few clutch hits from a depleted lineup in tandem to emerge victorious.
They got the pitching today at Dodger Stadium, most notably from Joe Ross in his 2021 debut. They did not get the one timely hit they needed and thus suffered their second consecutive shutout loss, this one by the agonizing score of 1-0.
Despite five...
The Nationals will have four of their previously ineligible players in uniform and available for today's series opener at Dodger Stadium, and they could have their No. 3 starter back on the mound for Saturday night's game.
Alex Avila, Patrick Corbin, Yan Gomes, Brad Hand and Jordy Mercer all cleared their COVID-19 protocols and flew on a charter from Washington to Los Angeles this morning, manager Davey Martinez revealed during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. All but Corbin have been...
Here's some good news to share as the Nationals prepare to open their weekend series at Dodger Stadium against the 2020 World Series champs: They've got four of the nine players who were sidelined for COVID-19 reasons back on the active roster, including both catchers and their closer.
Yes, the Nats announced the activation of Yan Gomes, Alex Avila, Brad Hand and Jordy Mercer from the injured list in time for today's game in L.A. It's not as much of a boost as ideally they could've...
The Nationals flew west Wednesday night, all the way west for their first trip outside the eastern time zone since 2019. They were a fairly exhausted group, certainly more exhausted than you'd normally expect only three games into the season. Those first three games, of course, were anything but normal.
Manager Davey Martinez wanted everyone to have a full day off in Los Angeles, a chance to sleep, a chance to recover, a chance to breathe some fresh Southern California air and prepare for what...
There are a couple of ways to think about the Nationals' season-opening series.
You can take the optimistic view and point out that in spite of their severely depleted roster, the Nats showed themselves to be pretty much on par with the Braves and very easily could've won the three-game series or even swept it.
Or you can take the pessimistic view and lament the fact that the series was indeed right there for the taking, and the Nats instead gave it to the Braves by blowing an early lead in...
Needing a good start from Stephen Strasburg to have a chance at winning their season-opening series against the Braves despite a roster missing nine key veterans, the Nationals got more than that. Strasburg was great, tossing six innings of one-hit ball this afternoon.
What they didn't get, however, was a run of their own. Or scoreless work from their bullpen. And because of it, a three-game series that was right there for the taking slipped from their hands.
Pablo Sandoval's two-run homer...
Who's ready for some more baseball? With the opener of today's doubleheader in the books, the Nationals and Braves will get right back at it with another seven-inning game on South Capitol Street.
And because of the events of Game 1, in which Erick Fedde lasted only 1 2/3 innings, the Nats really could use a quality (and long) start from Stephen Strasburg. The veteran right-hander built his arm up as much as needed during spring training, even with that brief calf injury scare in mid-March....
Five runs in two innings against the opposing ace should be a pretty air-tight formula for success. For the Nationals, it somehow meant a frustrating loss in the opener of a 14-inning doubleheader.
Despite getting to Braves left-hander Max Fried early and often, the Nats watched helplessly as Erick Fedde gave it all back and then some during an eventual 7-6 loss at Nationals Park that took some of the luster out of Tuesday's thrilling opening day win.
They nearly pulled off another last-second...
The Nationals could have some of their quarantined players back on the active roster at some point during this weekend's series in Los Angeles, but there will be complications to get them to Dodger Stadium and available under Major League Baseball's strict protocols.
"It's a possibility, it really is," manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "The good news is these guys are testing negative with the nasal swab and the saliva test. They have been, so...
And we're back. Already. For a doubleheader. Already. Hey, no complaining about anything this season, alright?
It's certainly got to be easier for the Nationals to get right back to work after Tuesday's walk-off win over the Braves in the season opener. Now, they realistically just need to think about winning at least one of today's seven-inning games to win the series against the three-time defending division champs. It's a nice position to be in.
It'll be Erick Fedde on the mound for...
Jonathan Lucroy wasn't a National on Saturday. Three days later, he somehow found himself squatting behind the plate to catch Max Scherzer's first pitch of the 2021 season. And then playing a significant role in the Nationals' 6-5 walk-off win over the Braves.
How did the 34-year-old catcher process all of that?
"It's kind of funny, but I feel like a mercenary," he said during a postgame Zoom session with reporters. "You know the movie 'The Replacements' with Keanu Reeves as the...
They came wearing their masks and had their temperatures taken and stayed distanced from everyone else in attendance because they wanted to witness precisely this moment. Bottom of the ninth, tie game, Juan Soto at the plate.
It's the kind of situation the sellout crowd of 4,801 for the first ballgame at Nationals Park with fans in attendance in 18 months live for. And, to be honest, it's exactly the kind of situation the team itself sorely missed experiencing.
The 2019 Nationals owned those...
The Nationals have unveiled their opening day roster, and as expected, it's missing a whole lot of prominent veterans. Though not Trea Turner.
The club's 26-man roster does not include Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Harrison, Yan Gomes, Alex Avila, Patrick Corbin, Jon Lester, Brad Hand or Jordy Mercer. All were officially placed on the injured list, with no reason or timeline given. Only four of them actually tested positive for COVID-19; the others were deemed close contacts either by Major...
The day has arrived. At last. It required four postponements, four positive tests for COVID-19, nine other players and staff members placed into quarantine and three straight days of negative tests for everyone else, but the Nationals are finally going to open their 2021 season this afternoon.
They will do so not against the Mets, but the Braves, who already are 0-3 after a rough weekend in Philadelphia. And they will do so not with the lineup anybody anticipated a week ago, but with a batting...
This past week has been difficult for everyone associated with the Nationals. For the four players who learned they tested positive for COVID-19, for the nine players and staff members who were forced into quarantine because they were deemed close contacts, for all the others who were nervous about their teammates' and their own health.
And then there's Max Scherzer, who endured though a completely different kind of agony. The Nationals ace knew he wasn't in danger of contracting the virus,...
As he emerged from the dugout at Nationals Park this afternoon and scanned the group of players assembling for one cobbled together workout in advance of Tuesday's rescheduled season opener, Davey Martinez could've chosen to focus on who wasn't there.
That list, by the way, would include the likes of Trea Turner, Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Harrison, Patrick Corbin, Jon Lester, Brad Hand, Yan Gomes, Alex Avila and Jordy Mercer.
Anyone who knows Martinez, though, knows that's not how his...
Here's some good news to brighten your Monday morning: The Nationals are going to hold a workout today at Nationals Park, and they're finally going to open their season Tuesday.
It's far from ideal, and the roster that takes the field Tuesday afternoon to face the Braves is going to be missing a significant number of big league players. But given the apparent severity of the situation when the weekend began, it's probably the best possible scenario they realistically could've asked for.
At...
The Nationals were cleared to open their season Tuesday against the Braves after another round of tests came back negative for COVID-19, and will be given the opportunity to hold a full workout for all healthy and eligible players at Nationals Park on Monday.
Major League Baseball made the much anticipated announcement late tonight after another long day of uncertainty. Though the Nationals (who now have 11 players and two staff members in quarantine) saw their fourth consecutive game postponed...
Mason Denaburg, the Nationals' 2018 first-round draft pick and eighth-ranked prospect, will miss the season after recently undergoing Tommy John surgery, a club official confirmed.
It's another tough blow for the oft-injured Denaburg, who since he was selected 27th in the country out of Merritt Island (Fla.) High School three years ago has thrown only 20 1/3 professional innings due to arm troubles.
The 21-year-old right-hander, who received a $3 million signing bonus, appeared in seven games...
As they waited for approval to resume full workouts in preparation for the delayed start to their season, the Nationals added the first player from outside the organization who could find himself on an opening day roster that will be stacked with unexpected reinforcements.
Veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy agreed to terms on a minor league contract Saturday night, a source familiar with the deal confirmed, and presumably will be available should the Nats need to replace one or both of their major...