|
|
| Steven Shell threw a perfect 10th-inning for his second career save. Joel Hanrahan blew a save earlier in the night. |
Our View: Shell lowered his ERA to 1.96 over 41.1 innings in 2008. It's unlikely he moves into the closer's role, but he should remain a solid setup option. |
|
|
|
| Elijah Dukes had a beastly night against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. He was 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. Both of his bombs came off of Mike Hampton. |
Our View: Dukes continues to struggle to stay healthy but he has produced when he is. In 64 games he has 33 RBI. |
|
|
|
| Shairon Martis will remain in the Nationals' rotation and Jason Bergmann will be moved to the bullpen according to the AP. Martis gave up four hits and five walks but only two earned runs in five innings during his major league debut Thursday night, a 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
|
Our View: Martis is one of the better pitching prospects in the Nationals' organization and this move is his chance to audition for a permanent spot in the 2009 rotation. |
|
|
|
| The AP reports that the Nationals have pulled Jason Bergmann from the rotation. Bergmann (2-11) is 1-10 in his last 20 games after giving up seven runs in 2.1 innings of Friday night’s 10-5 loss to the Braves. |
Our View: Shairon Martis will replace him in the rotation. Manager Manny Acta said the move to leave Martis in the rotation will “give us an opportunity to see the young man and get a better picture for what we’re getting next year.” |
|
|
|
| Shawn Hill had bone spurs removed from his elbow on Friday according to the Washington Post. It was thought that he might need a second Tommy John surgery so this is good news for Hill fans. |
Our View: Hill will be ready for spring training in 2009 but won't likely be an effective fantasy player. This season he was 1-5 with a 5.83 ERA. |
|
|
|
| Ronnie Belliard may be done for the remainder of the season after sustaining a strained right groin in Thursday's game against Atlanta, according to the AP. |
Our View: He will undergo an MRI today, but the team is not expecting him back this season. |
|
|
|
| Cristian Guzman lost an 8-game hitting streak that produced 21 hits by going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a caught stealing on Thursday night. |
Our View: Well, if you're going to lose a streak, you might as well go out big right? Guzman is hitting .309 with 69 runs scored, and considering his cost on draft day, you had better not dare complain about this rough outing if you have him on your roster. |
|
|
|
| Shairon Martis lost his first major league appearance though he allowed just two runs over five innings against the Braves. |
Our View: Martis did himself in on this night by walking five batters on the evening. It's tough to excel in this game as a youngster when everything goes right, and when you give the opposing team that much help, you're basically sunk. |
|
|
|
| Ronnie Belliard left the Nationals game in the seventh inning on Friday night with an injured right groin suffered while beating out a hit, according to the Miami Herald. |
Our View: Kory Castro entered the game tonight, though if Belliard is out the team might turn to Aaron Boone at first base, at least until Dimitri Young returns next week. |
|
|
|
| Dmitri Young (diabetes), currently playing at Single-A ball, is expected to rejoin the Nationals next Tuesday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Young will likely be nothing more than a backup at first base to Ronnie Belliard who has hit very well in the second half (.338 with a .865 OPS in 130 AB), though its great news to hear that Young has been able to overcome his diabetes. |
|
|
|
| The Washington Nationals have called up catcher Luke Montz, as the team needs an extra body since Jesus Flores is still on the mend from a collision at home plate, according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: Montz hit .271 with 16 home runs in the minor leagues, but his fantasy prospects are nil as the team expects Flores back before the end of the year. |
|
|
|
| Ryan Zimmerman was 2-for-4 with a home run Wednesday night against Philadelphia. |
Our View: Zimmerman now has a nine-game hitting streak. During his streak he has shown plenty of power with three home runs and four doubles. |
|
|
|
| Cristian Guzman was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday night's victory over the Phillies. |
Our View: Guzman now has eight consecutive multi-hit games making him one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball. |
|
|
|
| An MRI has revealed that Jesus Flores has a sprained left ankle, according to the AP. He sustained the injury during a collision with Chase Utley of the Phillies. |
Our View: The Nationals expect Flores to return this season, but exactly when is uncertain. |
|
|
|
| Willie Harris was awful for the Nationals, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in the Phillies 4-0 win against Washington. |
Our View: Harris has been one of the few Nationals to have any fantasy value this season, and even then it was likely in NL-only leagues. |
|
|
|
| Jesus Flores was attended to at home plate for the better part of 10 minutes during Tuesday's game against the Phillies. The Washington catcher had to be taken off the field in a ambulance after a collision with Chase Utley at home plate. Flores suffered some sort of leg injury. |
Our View: There is still no word on what kind of leg injury Flores suffered. We will update you when the information becomes available. |
|
|
|
| Jordan Zimmerman won't be recalled by the Nationals as he is dealing with biceps tendinitis, according to Nationals.com. GM Jim Bowden said, "We felt it was better that we handle him like we did with John Lannan, where we shut him down. Jordan will be in big league camp. He has a chance to make our rotation out of Spring Training."
|
Our View: Zimmerman was the Nationals' top pitching prospect this season, and the team does not see the benfit of calling him up now, with the risk of aggravating his injury. He could crack the Nationals' starting rotation as early as 2009. |
|
|
|
| Cristian Guzman and Bronson Arroyo share the NL Player of the Week award, according to the AP. Guzman led the league in batting with a .552 average (16-for-29), with one homer and six RBI. Arroyo led the NL in innings pitched with 16 while going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA, including the Reds’ first complete game of the season against the Astros on Tuesday.
|
Our View: Guzman carried the Nationals to a 6-0 record over the award-winning week, and became just the second player in franchise history to hit for the cycle (Thursday against the Dodgers). |
|
|
|
| John Lannan squares off against the Phillies tonight. The lefty is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two career starts versus Philadelphia, and has the tough mound task of stalling the bats of the Phils and outpitching fellow southpaw Cole Hamels. |
Our View: Lannan has been the benefactor of some luck this year. His 78 percent strand rate and the .275 success of balls hit in play by opposing hitters screams implosion. His BB rate of 3.0 doesn't receive enough coverage from his small K rate of 5.0, and the Nats' southpaw has very little chance of long term success with these peripherals. |
|
|
|
| Lastings Milledge had only one hit on Monday but he still platted two runs on the afternoon while stealing his 20th base of the year. |
Our View: Milledge has also produced 13 home runs so those who said he could be a poor man's version of Mike Cameron this year weren't too far off the mark. Over his last 36 outings he has 18 runs, 20 RBI, seven steals and a .299 average offering a lot of value. |
|
|
|
| Tim Redding won his 10th game of the year on Monday as he held the Phillies to three runs in 5.2 innings of action. Redding allowed only two hits and three walks in the outing, though he produced just two strikeouts. |
Our View: This was just the second victory in nine appearances for Redding though it was his third straight outing of three of fewer earned runs allowed after a stretch of 20 runs in four appearances covering 20 innings in late July and early August. |
|
|
|
| Ryan Zimmerman led the Nationals, the team with the worst record in baseball, to their 7th straight victory on Monday as he hit a two run home run. |
Our View: Zimmerman reach 10 home runs with the blast, less than half the total of 22 that he has averaged the past two seasons. Still, his home run pace this season is similar to what he produced last season (one per 33.8 AB this season and one per 27.2 last year). He now has six RBI in his last five games as he continues to struggle through his injury concerns. |
|
