Questions continue for bullpen after Aaron Barrett forced to leave Nats' 6-5 loss

Nationals right-hander Aaron Barrett left last night's loss with an apparent injury moments after giving up the Brewers' eventual game-winning run. After delivering a 93 mph fastball to Brewers' second baseman Hernan Perez, Barrett slowly walked back toward the mound. Nationals manager Matt Williams and pitching coach Steve McCatty, noticing something was wrong, immediately came out of the dugout for a chat with Barrett. After the brief discussion, Barrett left with a member of the Nats training staff and headed straight for the clubhouse. Williams only offered to reporters that Barrett was feeling "uncomfortable" when speaking after the game.

Barrett's 30 appearances this season are five more than any other Nationals reliever. After being one of the Nats' toughest relievers during the first month of the season, Barrett's performance has dropped off considerably. In his last 15 appearances, Barrett has allowed ten earned runs over nine innings to watch his season ERA skyrocket to 5.06.

If Barrett requires a break, the Nationals have options after acquiring veteran right-hander David Carpenter from the Yankees yesterday. Carpenter wasn't at his best this season, surrendering 10 earned runs over 18 2/3 innings in 22 appearances for a 4.82 ERA. But the Nats hope a return to the National League East, where Carpenter had success pitching for the Braves in 2012 and 2013, will help.

"We've seen enough of him over the last couple of years in Atlanta," Williams told reporters after the move yesterday. "He's got some experience. He knows our division well. That's for sure. So it won't be something that's new for him. He will have that comfort level within our own division and the teams we play. We can see him in the back of the bullpen ... seventh (inning) or later. He's comfortable with that too."

Meanwhile, hard-throwing right-hander Blake Treinen is coming off one of his more impressive outings in a season full of inconsistencies so far. Treinen pitched two scoreless frames in the pressure-packed ninth and 10th innings of Wednesday's win at Yankee Stadium. He faced the minimum batters while striking out half with his devastating high 90's power sinker.

"That's the key. The key is just down," Williams told reporters. "If he's doing that, and that's the result, then he's down in the strike zone. It starts off as a strike and by the time it gets to the plate, it's down below the zone and difficult to lay off - and at 95, 96 (mph) even more difficult."

The 26-year-old is still in his first full year of pitching out of the bullpen after starting seven games for the Nationals in 2014. The potential seems endless, but the adaptation is taking time.

"Sometimes you can just second guess your pitch selection or the execution of the pitch," Treinen told reporters. "It's more or less just focusing on that exact pitch and executing to the best of your ability. I've had a few lapses where things have gotten away from me and it has cost the team. A day like (Wednesday) is good momentum moving forward. So I know I can go out and do these outings every day. It's just a matter of doing them now."