On Rendon's return, Gott's injury and Adams' robbery

Some news and notes to tide you over before the Nationals return to the field this afternoon against the Phillies, seeking to extend their winning streak to seven games ...

* Though nothing was formally announced Friday night, Anthony Rendon is all but certain to be activated off the disabled list today.

The Nationals third baseman completed his second rehab game with Single-A Potomac, going 3-for-4 with a double and playing in the field for the first time since fouling a ball off his left big toe three weeks ago.

The club said that initial X-rays taken on Rendon's toe after the foul ball in question came back negative, but Rendon admitted to reporters in Woodbridge that he did sustain a hairline fracture, explaining in part why it took so long for him to return from a seemingly minor incident.

Even so, Rendon is now ready to return, and manager Davey Martinez all but confirmed that Friday night. Though it remains to be seen how the third baseman's return will affect the Nationals' new look - and highly productive - lineup with Bryce Harper leading off.

"We'll see. I've got to sleep on it," Martinez said. "The good news is we're getting Rendon back, and that's good to see. And I don't even know if I'm going to play him tomorrow. ... Just kidding."

* The Nationals sustained a new injury during Friday night's win, with Trevor Gott departing after facing only four batters in the sixth, the last two of which homered.

Gott sprained his ankle slipping on the mound while delivering a pitch, Martinez said. The right-hander will be re-evaluated Saturday, but he was walking around the clubhouse postgame without a pronounced limp.

If Gott needed to miss any time, the Nationals would be left scrambling again to find a reliever trustworthy enough to pitch in front of the late-inning trio of Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle. Gott had begun to make his case for that role, surrendering only one run and four hits in his previous eight innings.

Kintzler and Madson each wound up pitching Friday night, a game the Nationals led 7-0 after five innings, and Doolittle wound up warming up in the ninth but was not used.

* For all the positive things that happened during Friday's win, the biggest buzz in the clubhouse was over Matt Adams' leaping catch at the left field wall in the top of the fourth.

The lumbering first baseman, who only played outfield for the first time last season, leaped at the wall and possibly robbed Maikel Franco of a home run. The replay of his effort was being shown on a continuous loop in the clubhouse after the game.

"It was just unreal," starter Gio Gonzalez said. "Not only he's hitting homers, he's robbing homers. The guy's doing it all."

Adams, who has hit four home runs in four games since moving into the No. 3 spot in the lineup, credited third base coach Bob Henley (a former catcher who is now serving as the team's outfield instructor) for helping him adapt to his new position. But has he taken any practice robbing home runs?

"None," Adams said. "But I go out there every day working with Bob, doing some bare hand stuff, working on my footwork. And it's paid off. I'm feeling pretty confident out there."