WASHINGTON — By defeating the Marlins, 5-1, on Saturday night, the Nationals are 5 1/2 games behind the Mets, who lost to the Red Sox, 3-1, earlier in the day. It was the first time in 11 days Washington gained ground on New York in the National League East race.
Some of the Nats are denying that they are not paying attention to what the Mets are doing. But first baseman/outfielder Clint Robinson has his eyes on the Mets.
“I don’t know about everybody else, but I do,” Robinson said. “That’s who were chasing in the playoff race. If I see that they lost and it’s a chance for us to gain a game, I want that as badly as I do any other win. We saw it and it was a good opportunity for us to gain a game.”
Manager Matt Williams said the Nationals understand they have to win games, but can’t control anything else.
“If we win, we have an opportunity to [gain ground],” Williams said. “If we don’t, then we don’t. Tomorrow is another opportunity. So if we can win that one, we can have that same chance tomorrow as well.”
“I would say he’s probably sooner rather than later, probably a first wave kind of guy because there’s a lot things he can do to help you win right now,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Baez, who missed the first month following the death of his sister, and was sidelined for another month because of a finger injury.
“He’s playing well and moving all over the place,” Maddon said of the Cubs’ 2011 No. 1 Draft pick. “He’s had good at-bats, more consistent at-bats, more under control. He’s been doing well.”
Baez struck out 130 times in 104 games last season at Iowa, and then fanned 95 times in 213 at-bats over 52 games with the Cubs after he was called up in early August.
Others expected to be added in the first wave on Sept. 1 include Quintin Berry and Emilio Bonifacio, who were both signed to Minor League contracts, and will be considered as options on the bench as pinch-runners. Iowa’s season ends Sept. 7, and the Cubs will add a few more players after that, Maddon said.
One option the Cubs are considering, Maddon said, is right-handed reliever Carl Edwards Jr., 23, who has a 3.03 ERA in 21 relief appearances at Iowa. Edwards was ranked No. 3 by MLB.com on the list of top 20 Cubs prospects.
“‘CJ’ is an interesting guy and I’m not exactly sure if and when, but I know [the front office] like him a lot, too, so I know that’s a possibility,” Maddon said.
— Carrie Muskat
WASHINGTON — Nationals center fielder Denard Span knew something was wrong with his left hip after he saw the back specialist a few weeks ago. Span would later learn that he had a torn labrum in the hip and will have surgery Tuesday to repair it.
Span said every time he had back spasms, he would feel pain in the hip, but the pain in the hip felt secondary to the back spasms. But once he received a cortisone shot for his back, that’s when Span knew something was wrong with the hip.
When Span returned to the Nationals earlier this week, he said he didn’t feel that great at all.
“After the second game [against the Padres], I went home,” Span said. “I wasn’t feeling good. I had two hits. Normally, when I get two hits, I’m in an upbeat mood. I just wasn’t. So I talked to my mom and I thought [having surgery] was best for my future. I need to go ahead and get myself fixed so I can be myself on the field.”
Span said he had a terrible eight months. He had hernia and abdominal surgery before the regular season started. He hasn’t fully recovered from the abdominal surgery. Then he had back spasms that put him on the disabled list on July 7th.
“It’s been a domino effect — bad timing, bad luck,” Span said. “It’s just frustrating, but I’m trying to stay positive as much as possible and try to trust in God’s plan that I will overcome this. It’s just another chapter in my book. It’s all I can do right now.”
Span’s latest injury comes at a bad time. He is a free agent after the season and the Nationals are still in the race to win the National League East title.
“It was a tough decision trying to come back and also shutting it down,” Span said. “All around, it’s tough. I worked my butt off to get to this point. I have to wait and get myself better. I’m fine with waiting.”
Span has been a tremendous leadoff hitter with the Nats, hitting .292 with a .345 on-base percentage in three years with the club. Span believes the trade that sent him from the Twins to the Nationals for right-hander Alex Meyer after the 2012 season resurrected his career. Span went so far as to say the Nationals elevated his game.
“I enjoyed my three years here. … This trade was probably the best thing for me at the time. I learned a lot here from the coaching staff, my teammates. It’s been a good time.”
“I think he needs more repetition,” Price said on Saturday. “The shoulder injury is so different than the elbow. When you’re out and playing long toss – you have these guys coming off of shoulder surgery – and they’ll go out and look as good as they’ve ever looked in long toss. And as soon as you put them on that slope of the mound, it’s like there’s almost an immediate regression. … the ability to get that external rotation and really whip the arm through changes as you get on that angle. It takes longer.
“The shoulder is just a real temperamental joint. I don’t think he’s there yet. I don’t think he’s to the point where batting practice is to the immediate future. But I do believe because of his situation that if we get to the point where he can go out and face hitters, we’ll do that. At this point in time, I don’t think he’s knocking on the door for that. That could change.”
At the current pace, it’s unlikely that Marshall will be able to do a rehab assignment in the Minors before pitching in his first game since June 10, 2014. The Minor League season runs out after the first week of next month. Instructional league in Arizona does begin in late September.
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I’m not big on introductions. Let’s get right to it.
Q: Do you think they overestimated the strength of their pitching, thinking it would pull them through slumps? – @krimar
A: I think the Nationals thought they had a really good pitching staff, which is what we all thought. I still think they do. On paper, given previous years’ success, it was a reasonable presumption. The fact that it hasn’t lived up to all the hype isn’t exactly a huge surprise, as 1. reality rarely meets hype and 2. overloaded pitching staffs with several “aces” have frequently underperformed historically.
Q: What do you plan to do during the playoffs? – @NathanWarters
A: Well, since they sit 6.5 games back, I was thinking of taking some art classes.
Q: Do you think the Nats show Desmond and Williams the door this offseason? – jay_cheung94
A: Show them the door? No. I think Williams will be back. He was GM Mike Rizzo’s hand-picked manager, and whatever your opinions of him may be, the amount that this team has underperformed does not fall on his shoulders. As for Desmond, more on that in a second.
Q: How have the Nats been able to keep their waiver moves secret this year? – @SwanniOnTV
A: They’re secret for every team. The waiver process as a whole is designed to be kept away from public consumption.
Q: What’s your favorite meal in the press box? – @benbrown04
A: Tonight’s barbecue was pretty strong, but a well-made cheesesteak is hard to beat.
Q: Given the current situation who do you fire first and who do DFA and who do you promote and what FA next year do they chase – @CBJinDC
A: Believe it or not, my role as an associate reporter for MLB.com does not give me the authority to fire anybody. As far as the free agent for 2016, my man Bill Ladson thinks Matt Wieters is a real possibility. I tend to agree.
Q: I would want to know what the schedule is looking like for next year? – @DArkMEATHOOK
A: The actual schedule? Like who they play? MLB announces it in early September, but I can tell you they will play every NL East team 19 times. I have a pretty strong feeling about that.
Q: Can u run down the list of pending FAs & discuss who is likely to get a QO & who isn’t? – @34sPompadour
A: Sure can. Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Denard Span and Doug Fister. Of that list, I think Span is offered a qualifying offer. Given the uncertainty with his back, I could see it as a good possibility for both parties. Other than that, I think Desmond and Zimmerman will both be offered a QO, but both will take bigger deals elsewhere. I also think the Nationals and Doug Fister part ways after this season.
Q: When does and how does someone press the PANIC button in #Nats clubhouse? – @TheRallyMullet
A: If such a button exists, the Nationals keep it pretty well hidden. I’m in the clubhouse every day and I haven’t seen one. As for how, I imagine it’s one of those “Deal Or No Deal” things where you have to flip open a case to ensure it’s not pressed by accident.
]]>Fowler CF
Schwarber LF
Coghlan RF
Rizzo 1B
Bryant 3B
Montero C
Russell SS
Lester P
La Stella 2B
According to MLB Network researchers, Jon Lester’s first-pitch strike percentage is 59.7 percent this year, down from 61.2
percent in 2014. It’s a small change but it’s been noticeable. The OPS against Lester rises by almost 200 points after a
first-pitch ball.
First pitch of plate appearance:
*If it’s a ball, the eventual batting average is .287 with an eventual OPS of .812
*If it’s a strike, the eventual batting average is .230 with an eventual OPS of .617
*In his last start, Lester went 8 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run and took a no decision in a Cubs’ 2-1 win against
the Indians. Lester was one out away from a complete game shutout before giving up an RBI single to Carlos Santana.
He entered July with a 4.03 ERA but has posted a 2.66 ERA in 10 starts since. On June 25 against the Dodgers, Lester went four innings, giving up four earned runs and took the loss in a Cubs’ 4-0 loss.
This is the third time Miguel Montero will catch Lester. He also did so July 6 vs. the Cardinals and July 11 vs. the White Sox, and the lefty went seven innings both times.
ORIOLES LINEUP
Manny Machado 3B
Gerardo Parra LF
Adam Jones CF
Chris Davis DH
Steve Pearce 1B
Jonathan Schoop 2B
Caleb Joseph C
Dariel Alvarez RF
Paul Janish SS
Ubaldo Jimenez RHP
RANGERS LINEUP
Delino DeShields CF
Shin-Soo Choo RF
Prince Fielder DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
Mitch Moreland 1B
Elvis Andrus SS
Will Venable LF
Bobby Wilson C
Hanser Alberto 2B
Martin Perez LHP
Streaks: Nationals: L1, Marlins: W1
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
Watch & Listen: MASN / 106.7 The FAN
WSH Lineup: Jayson Werth (RF), Anthony Rendon (3B), Bryce Harper (CF), Ryan Zimmerman (1B), Clint Robinson (LF) Ian Desmond (SS), Wilson Ramos (C), Danny Espinosa (2B), Jordan Zimmermann (RHP)
MIA Lineup: TBA.
Transactions: None.
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Jacob Emert is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @JacobEmert.
Young, 22, leads the league with a .332 batting average, which also ranks second among all Cubs full-season Minor Leaguers. He leads Myrtle Beach with 123 hits. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, the Cubs selected Young in the 14th round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Mercer University.
Zagunis, 22, has played all three outfield spots this season, with some time spent as a catcher. Selected as an outfielder, Zagunis has hit eight home runs, second-most on the team, along with 24 doubles, five triples, and 53 RBI. His .276 batting average is fifth in the league. A native of Willingboro, NJ, the Cubs selected Zagunis as a catcher in the third round (78th overall) of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Virginia Tech University. He was the second catcher drafted by the Cubs that season after Kyle Schwarber/\.
Johnson, 39, is in his fifth managerial campaign in the Cubs system. A former Major League catcher with eight years of big league experience between the White Sox, Athletics, Brewers, and Cardinals, Johnson led Class-A Kane County team to the best record in Minor League Baseball (91-49) en route to a 7-0 postseason run and a Midwest League Championship.
Bourgeois 8
Bruce 9
Votto 3
Phillips 4
Frazier 5
Suarez 6
Schumaker 7
Barnhart 2
Sampson 1