Notes on Dozier, Robles, Rosenthal, bullpen (Nats win 6-4)

The Nationals appear to have dodged the injury bug with both second baseman Brian Dozier and center fielder Victor Robles. However, only Robles is listed in the starting lineup for today's matinee against the White Sox.

Dozier was hit in the left arm by a Reynaldo López pitch in the second inning of last night's 9-5 Nats victory. He stayed in the game for two innings before being replaced at second base by Howie Kendrick and sported a sizeable bruise after the game.

But X-rays were negative and Dozier pronounced himself ready to play Wednesday morning. Kendrick was listed as the starting second sacker.

"Arm's fine. We're available today," Dozier said. "All good."

Manager Davey Martinez said he was more comfortable having Dozier come off the bench today.

"He's a little bruised up, but he said he feels fine," Martinez said.

Robles fouled a ball off the top of his left foot before doubling in the eighth inning last night and limped his way to second base. He stayed in the game and was still favoring the foot in the clubhouse this morning.

But Robles convinced Martinez he was fit enough to start in center field this afternoon.

"Victor's doing good," the manager said. "He said he's doing fine. Good to go."

* If and when right-hander Trevor Rosenthal returns to the Nationals bullpen, Martinez said he'll first take on low-leverage situations until he can prove himself worthy of tougher challenges.

Sunday marks the end of Rosenthal's 30-day minor league rehabilitation assignment. The righty, who is officially on the injured list while recovering from a viral infection, has a 4.32 ERA and 1.68 ERA in nine relief appearances for Double-A Harrisburg. Last night against Binghamton, he threw a scoreless inning, yielding a hit and fanning a batter.

"We're going to see how he feels today, probably give him a day off and then pitch him again," Martinez said. "Hopefully, he has the same kind of performance."

Martinez thinks the intensive long-toss program the Nats have put Rosenthal on will help him build up arm strength so that he's capable of helping the major league club. But he'll have to earn his manager's trust and prove he belongs.

"We gotta ease his way back, whether it's to put him in low-leverage situations or when we're up by a bunch," Martinez said. "When he gets here, we gotta pitch him. We got to see where he's at, but when he gets here, he's going to pitch."

Rosenthal, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal with a mutual option for 2020, has been a disaster in his first season with the Nats following recovery from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2018 campaign. He's posted a 36.00 ERA and a 5.33 WHIP in seven outings covering just three innings. He failed to retire a batter in his first four appearances of the season.

* Nationals relievers have posted a 2.70 ERA with 27 strikeouts to five walks in the past seven games, turning what was once a major liability into a strength in the short term. They have thrown scoreless relief in three straight games, striking out 11 and walking one in the past 10 innings.

"I think they're starting to feel that confidence that they can do it," Martinez said. "They're making better two-strike pitches, which was talked about. They're getting ahead of hitters, which was talked about. And I really believe they're actually feeling they can go out there and get the outs that we need."

Update: Aníbal Sánchez has walked a tightrope against the White Sox, but is through three innings with a 1-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 first, Sánchez loaded the bases in the second by allowing two singles around a walk. But he got Tim Anderson looking at a third strike and Yolmer Sánchez lined into an inning-ending double play. In the third, the Nats right-hander worked around an infield single by Leury García with one down.

The Nats grabbed the lead in the seond when Kurt Suzuki followed Matt Adams' leadoff double with a broken-bat RBI single to right.

Update II: The Nats loaded the bases in the fourth on two hits sandwiched around an error, and Suzuki's fielder's choice grounder increased the advantage to 2-0. Juan Soto got the rally started by surprising the White Sox with a bunt single and he wound up scoring the run.

Update III: Yoán Moncada homered off Sánchez with one down in the sixth, trimming the Nationals' lead in half and bouncing Sánchez from the game. He gave up a run on four hits, walked one and fanned seven. Before the home run, Sánchez had struck out four straight.

Update IV: It's 4-1 Nats after six. A sac fly by Robles plated one run and another scored when shortstop Anderson couldn't pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra's popup behind second base.

Update V: Two eighth-inning homers have tied the game at 4-4. Kyle Barraclough, asked to go a second inning, allowed a one-out single to Leury García and a two-out homer to left-center by José Abreu. Wander Suero relieved and Welington Castillo hit his first pitch into the right-center stands.

They've closed the press box windows at Nationals Park, a sure sign that precipitation is on the way.

Update VI: Dozier walked to lead off the ninth and Trea Turner homered to left on a 3-2 pitch.