Madson, Grace on track to return this weekend

BALTIMORE - The Nationals expect to get two key relievers back on their active roster this weekend.

Ryan Madson and Matt Grace each have taken significant steps in recent days in their rehab from injuries, and each is on track to come off the disabled list for this weekend's series in Atlanta.

Madson, out since May 17 with a right pectoral strain, threw off a mound earlier this week and reported no problems, convincing club officials he was on the verge of returning to the roster.

"One more bullpen, and he's going to join us in Atlanta," manager Davey Martinez said. "So he's good to go."

Because his DL stint has been so short, and because he was able to resume throwing within a matter of days, Madson won't need to go on a rehab assignment and pitch for a minor league affiliate.

"We don't need to see that," Martinez said. "He's had one really, really good bullpen the other day that I saw. He's going to throw another one, and with that he said he's ready to go."

Grace, meanwhile, did make a rehab appearance Monday for Double-A Harrisburg, tossing a scoreless inning of relief, allowing two hits and striking out one. The left-hander, who has been out since April 21 with a left groin strain, doesn't need much more fine-tuning before the Nationals are ready to activate him.

"He pitched yesterday and did really well," Martinez said. "I think he's going to have one more outing, and then we'll see if we can get him back this weekend."

The Nationals could see a significant infusion of roster help this weekend if things go according to plan, with Daniel Murphy and Brian Goodwin also nearing a return from the DL. Both Murphy and Goodwin, who played over the weekend in Harrisburg, made the trip with the Senators to Hartford and are in the lineup for tonight's game.

Murphy had a big showing Sunday night, going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a three-run double and running the bases without experiencing significant problems in his surgically repaired right knee. After taking Monday off, the veteran second baseman will play the next two days for Harrisburg, after which the Nationals will re-evaluate his status.

Goodwin, out since April 11 with a bruised left wrist, went 2-for-7 with a walk and two runs scored over the weekend. He also took Monday off but is in Harrisburg's lineup tonight in Hartford.

Meanwhile, Adam Eaton put his surgically repaired left ankle through a rigorous test running figure eight's in the outfield at Camden Yards this afternoon, further evidence he's progressing at a rapid pace.

Eaton isn't eligible to come off the 60-day DL until June 8, and following his May 10 surgery to remove a flap of cartilage causing pain in his ankle he predicted he'd be back in six weeks. It's possible that timetable could be moved up, though the club will remain cautious with the outfielder.

"He's pushing the envelope a little bit," Martinez said. "Everybody knows he's a feisty little guy. He wants to play, and he wants to play today. But we waited this long, we're going to make sure he's 100 percent."