Goodwin in Florida, could make NLDS roster (Nats lose 7-5)

PHILADELPHIA - Brian Goodwin probably won't be returning to play for the Nationals in the regular season. Which doesn't mean he might not still return to play for them in the National League Division Series.

Goodwin, out since Aug. 13 with a strained groin, has left the club and is now in West Palm Beach, Fla., playing in instructional league games. The outfielder will stay there through the weekend, manager Dusty Baker said, and could use that as a springboard to joining the active roster for the NLDS.

"Right now, Goody appears to be kind of on target to maybe be available in the first round," Baker said.

There's still no guarantee of that, but the fact Goodwin is finally ready to play in something akin to rehab games is as encouraging a development as he has experienced in some time. And though he ideally would be able to play in big league games before the postseason, that's not necessarily a prerequisite in this case.

"I think it's better that he stay down there to play - in Florida," Baker said. "You can have his at-bats controlled. We discussed that, and also he could hit at the top and bottom of every inning if we want to, like in spring training.

"And also if he came back here, there aren't enough at-bats here, because I've got to get (Bryce Harper) ready. I've got to get Jayson Werth ready. And I don't want to sit down Michael (A. Taylor) so he could get ready; then you lose Michael. So it's better that he stays in Florida."

Goodwin's potential return would be a boon for the Nationals, who have been playing without a true fourth outfielder for some time. Though Howie Kendrick, Adam Lind and Wilmer Difo all have spent some time in the outfield, none is an above-average defender, and none is a viable option to play center field on a consistent basis if needed.

If healthy, Goodwin could join Kendrick, Lind, Difo and a backup catcher on a postseason bench that would boast experience, balance and production. The Nationals also could decide to keep a sixth bench player instead of an eighth reliever, though the candidates for that potential job would probably include journeyman Alejandro De Aza or rookies Victor Robles, Andrew Stevenson or Rafael Batista.

The backup catcher's spot doesn't appear to be written in stone yet, either. Though Jose Lobaton has far more experience than Pedro Severino, the veteran has struggled through the worst season of his career. His .514 OPS ranks last among 192 NL players with at least 150 plate appearances.

Severino is starting behind the plate tonight, but Baker said Lobaton will start Thursday against the Pirates. Matt Wieters remains the No. 1 catcher and will see action this weekend.

Is the No. 2 job up for grabs?

"We've got to make a decision on a lot of things," Baker said. "That's what we're in the process of doing."

Note: Matt Albers has left the Nationals and returned home to Houston to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child. Because the team is playing with an expanded September roster, there was no need to officially place Albers on the paternity leave list, but the veteran reliever will be gone for at least a couple days.

Update: Tanner Roark has been quite sharp throughout the second half, but he's not showing it tonight. The right-hander (who entered with a 3.24 ERA since the All-Star break, fourth-best in the NL) has struggled with his command (three walks, one hit batter), has surrendered four hits and three runs, and has needed 60 pitches to complete three innings. Not the best kind of postseason tuneup, at least not so far.

The Nationals have had chances against Mark Leiter Jr., but managed only one run through three innings, that via Daniel Murphy's two-out double in the third. It hasn't helped that Harper has grounded into 4-6-3 double plays in each of his first two at-bats, leaving him 0-for-4 with a walk so far since his return from the DL.

Update II: The Nationals hit back-to-back bombs in the top of the fourth. But they emerged with only one run out of that. That's because Jayson Werth's drive to left-center, which was hit so well he flipped his bat and started jogging out of the box, was snagged by Odúbel Herrera with a leaping catch at the wall. Werth, who thought he had hit yet another Citizens Bank Park homer, couldn't believe it. On the bright side, Michael A. Taylor's subsequent moonshot to left field was out of reach for anybody in uniform to catch. Taylor's 18th homer of the season has trimmed the deficit to 3-2 after four innings.

Update III: There was good news and bad news in the fifth inning. The good news: The Nats scored three runs, thanks to Anthony Rendon's bases-loaded double and Werth's RBI double off the left field wall. That's two well-struck balls tonight for Werth, a good sign. Also a good sign: Harper recorded his first hit since coming off the DL, a little looper to left field on a pitch that was down and away. Harper ran the bases well, too.

Now, the bad news: Roark gave all three runs back in the bottom of the fifth. He issued two more walks (giving him five on the night) and allowed a two-run triple to Aaron Altherr (with Harper making a nice throw to the plate that Severino couldn't handle) and an RBI double to Herrera before getting pulled. So even though the Nats briefly took a 5-3 lead, they now trail 6-5 in a game that is dragging at a snail's pace: 2 1/2 hours to play five innings.

Update IV: That's a final. Nats lose 7-5. The real news tonight: The Cubs clinched the NL Central. Which means the NLDS matchup is officially set: Nationals vs. Cubs, with Game 1 in D.C. on Oct. 6.