Who will get the call in September?

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The Nationals are about to enter September under much different circumstances than they did last season, with different priorities as they get set to expand their roster. Instead of looking for specialists to use sparingly during a pennant race, the Nats can see what a few players have at the big league level and maybe even showcase guys for future trades.

In 2011 when the Nats were also around the .500 mark, they brought up six players, including Steve Lombardozzi, who became a key bench player on the NL East-winning 2012 club, and Brad Peacock, who helped them land Gio Gonzalez the following winter.

Who will get a look this season? Here are a few names to watch as the Nats get ready to expand their roster:

Good bets

LHP Ian Krol – This one’s easy. Davey Johnson already said the Nats plan to call Krol back up in September, after the lefty was optioned to Syracuse on Aug. 21 to make room for Ross Ohlendorf. Krol gave up five earned runs in his last seven innings before being sent down and will look to find the success he had when he was first called up in early June. He should see as much game action as any of the call-ups and could lock up a bullpen role for next season.

RHP Ryan Mattheus – Mattheus was also sent down recently, on Aug. 15, and the roster expansion should help him return to Washington. Mattheus struggled after coming back from the DL on July 26, leaving for Syracuse with a 6.26 ERA through 23 innings this season with the Nats. He’s been okay in three outings in Triple-A since the demotion (1 ER in 3 IP) so we’ll see if he can finish the season strong. 

Stiff back for Detwiler, Davis recalled

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NEW YORK — Ross Detwiler is dealing with stiffness in his lower back, an ailment that could prevent the Nationals left-hander from making his next start.

That revelation, combined with some other developments over the last couple of days, prompted the Nationals to add another arm to their bullpen today: Right-hander Erik Davis was recalled from Class AAA, with outfielder Jeff Kobernus optioned to Syracuse to make room on the roster.

Detwiler showed no signs of injury during his start Friday night against the Mets, in which he allowed three runs (two earned) over five innings.

"He threw a lot of pitches in five innings," manager Davey Johnson said. "I thought he threw the ball well. I didn't notice anything

Kobernus takes little solace from 1st HR

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PHILADELPHIA — Jeff Kobernus has always been more interested in scoring on someone else's home run than hitting his own, so the rookie's reaction to the first homer of his big-league career last night perhaps wasn't all that surprising. Especially given the situation in which it occurred.

With one out in the eighth inning and the Nationals trailing by three runs, Kobernus stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter and walloped a pitch from Cliff Lee into the left-field bleachers at Citizens Bank Park.

"I was just going up there trying to get on base," Kobernus said. "I'm not a home run hitter, but going up there trying to see some pitches and hopefully get on base. We're down three right there.

Game 65: Nats at Rockies

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It's been 29 days since Ross Detwiler last pitched, a strained right oblique muscle having shelved him for nearly a month. Today, the left-hander returns to the mound, healthy and hoping to pick up where he left off. In eight starts before the injury, Detwiler sported a 2.76 ERA, certainly pitching better than his 2-4 record would suggest.

The Nationals have missed their No. 5 starter and gladly welcome him back with open arms this afternoon as they seek to win their second straight against the Rockies and take this series. With Detwiler officially activated off the DL, reliever Erik Davis has been optioned to Class AAA Syracuse. That means Ross Ohlendorf is sticking around for now, though the Nats will need to make another roster move on Sunday when Stephen Strasburg returns.

After watching his club score five runs last night against Jorge De La Rosa and Co., Davey Johnson is going with a similar lineup against fellow lefty Jeff Francis. That means Jeff Kobernus makes his second straight start in left field, batting second. The only change: Kurt Suzuki returns behind the plate, batting eighth.

Though I'm not in Denver for this series, I will be watching alongside all of you this afternoon. And I'll have an Instant Analysis post as soon as the game ends, so be sure to check back for that...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Coors Field
Gametime: 3:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 184
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, Wind 10 mph in from RF

NATIONALS (32-32)
CF Denard Span
LF Jeff Kobernus
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

Catching up with Danny Rosenbaum

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With the Nationals experiencing an inordinate amount of injuries this season, a revolving door of opportunity has opened up for players in their minor league system. Through 62 games in 2013, they have already produced five major league debuts and needed eleven total call-ups.

Specifically with pitching, the Nationals have already needed more reinforcements for their starting rotation than they did all of last season. They have called on veteran Zach Duke out of the bullpen, rookie Nathan Karns from Harrisburg, and are expected to bring up Ross Ohlendorf from Triple-A for Wednesday in Colorado.

Still waiting for his own call-up is Syracuse lefty Danny Rosenbaum, who is as close to realizing his MLB dream as he’s ever been. In his fifth year as part of the Nationals’ minor league system, Rosenbaum is 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA for the Chiefs this season. He has succeeded at each of the Nats’ affiliates with a career 2.91 ERA in the minors.

Knowing it could happen any day now, Rosenbaum is trying to focus on the task at hand and taking care of business at Syracuse. He said it can be distracting to think about it too much and believes it affected his performance last year.

“It’s really good to see all these guys get called up,” he said. “But it’s something that I can’t really stress about or worry about. I think that’s what I did last year and that’s when I started getting in trouble. I was thinking about all the wrong things. I need to stay focused on what we’re doing and just keep pitching.” 

Game 61: Twins at Nats

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Chase here again today as Mark is still recovering from surgery. I will be out here at the park providing coverage for both games as the Nats continue their interleague series with the Twins.

The Nats' lineup for the first game is, well, interesting. Jeff Kobernus is your center fielder and leadoff hitter with Denard Span out with a sore right foot. Fellow second baseman Steve Lombardozzi is slotted in left field and batting second. Chris Marrero is also up as the team's 26th player for the doubleheader, so you may see him today as well.

Fortunate for the Nats, considering their makeshift lineup, is the fact Jordan Zimmermann is on the mound. The right-hander will take his 8-3 record and 2.16 ERA up against a Twins lineup that is not exactly imposing.

Please check back for updates, and enjoy the game...

MINNESOTA TWINS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500)
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 82 degrees

NATIONALS (29-31)
CF Jeff Kobernus
LF Steve Lombardozzi
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Jayson Werth

Nats call up Karns to start Tuesday

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In need of a spot start with lefty Ross Detwiler on the disabled list, the Nationals will call up right-hander Nathan Karns to make his major league debut on Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Karns, 25, is heading to Washington from the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. Relief pitcher Xavier Cedeno will be optioned back to Syracuse to make room on the roster.

The Nationals’ 2012 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Karns will be thrown right into the mix to face the second highest scoring club in the majors. He will be tasked with shutting down the Orioles who beat the Nats 6-2 on Monday behind 12 total hits.

Davey Johnson referred to Karns as one of the team’s top three choices to make the start. The Nats’ skipper liked what he saw out of him in spring training and now wants to see what he can bring to the major league level.

“He’s one of the good young arms in the organization. He’s been throwing the ball pretty good lately,” Johnson said. “It’ll be a good test. We’ll find out.”

Kobernus ready for MLB debut

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A second round pick of the Nationals in 2009, Jeff Kobernus had done just about everything he could to earn a call-up to the major leagues.

At 24 he had held a .288 average through four minor league seasons, stolen over 40 bases in consecutive years, and been a standout on defense. This season he’s held a .333 clip at Triple-A Syracuse, posted 21 steals through 43 games, and scored a team-high 33 runs: all top-five marks in the International League.

This spring he perhaps got closest as part of the Detroit Tigers, but was sent back to Washington as part of the Rule 5 Draft late in camp. Close, but again no call-up.

But on Friday night that dream finally came true for the young second baseman as before the Chiefs were set to take batting practice in Columbus, Kobernus was notified by coach Tony Beasley he would be headed to the majors. He said he called his father Jeff, a former minor league pitcher who topped out at the Double-A level, to tell him the news. His dad started crying, a dream the two had worked towards across two generations was about to come true.

“I called my dad first and then my mom,” Kobernus said. “My dad, he was crying, which was kind of one of those things where he’s helped me a lot through my career and it was a dream come true to be able to call him and tell him to come out.”

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Nats to call up Kobernus, DFA Maya

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In need of depth on their bench, the Washington Nationals are calling up second baseman Jeff Kobernus from the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs and designating relief pitcher Yunesky Maya for assignment. Kobernus’ contract will be purchased to place him on the 40-man roster as Maya will now go through the waiver process.

Kobernus joins the Nats to provide an extra position player with Danny Espinosa out with a loose bone chip in his right wrist.

“We’re doing something with Maya and calling up Kobernus,” Davey Johnson said. “We’re already one player short with four players on the bench, I like to have at least five. And with Espinosa down, we can’t go with three.”

Kobernus, 24, has spent four seasons in Washington’s minor league system after being drafted by the club in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He has yet to make his major league debut.

Nats Minor League Report-4/26

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Syracuse Chiefs - (8-12, 5^th in Int’l League North)

Offensive Player of the Week

The Nats may have questions at second base on their major league team, but there is no denying the organizational depth at the position. 24-year-old Jeff Kobernus is proving that notion with a .411/.457/.521 split through his first 19 games. The 2009 second round pick has 14 hits in his last ten games with at least two in four of his last seven. He leads the Chiefs in both runs (16) and stolen bases (8), ranking second in the International League in both categories.

Pitcher of the Week

Lefty J.C. Romero took the loss on Thursday after allowing the go-ahead run to Rochester, but his season so far can’t be overlooked. The 36-year-old has one earned run through nine relief appearances, posting a 0.93 and 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings pitched. Romero’s progress is a good sign for the Nats any way you look at it as he could be the next man up to help Washington’s bullpen.

Nats get Kobernus back from Tigers

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The Nationals have received Rule 5 draft pick Jeff Kobernus back from the Tigers, re-stocking their farm system with the highly regarded second baseman.

Kobernus had been trying to make Detroit's Opening Day roster as a utilityman and had received more playing time than almost anyone else in the Tigers' camp. But he hit just .220 (11-for-50) with a .291 on-base percentage and was likely beaten out by outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo (who homered twice against the Nationals this week) for the final spot on the Opening Day bench.

Per Rule 5 draft regulations, the Tigers were required to pass Kobernus through waivers and then give the Nationals the option of re-acquiring him (in exchange for $25,000 of the original $50,000 spent to draft him). General manager Dave Dombrowski told reporters he attempted to work out a trade with counterpart Mike Rizzo, but the Nationals wanted the 24-year-old back in their

Nats lose Rosenbaum, Kobernus

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Having spent the better portion of their history swiping minor leaguers from other, more talent-laden organizations through the Rule 5 draft, the Nationals now are finding out what it's like to have their own prospects plucked away.

The Nationals lost two players this morning in the major-league portion of the annual event that closes the Winter Meetings: left-hander Danny Rosenbaum (who went to the Rockies) and second baseman Jeff Kobernus (who went to the Red Sox).

The Nationals then lost left-hander Jack McGeary (Red Sox) and right-hander Hector Nelo (Dodgers) during the Class AAA portion of the draft.

The club didn't select anyone in any of the draft's three rounds.

Though neither was expected to have a significant impact on the Nationals' big-league roster next season, Rosenbaum and Kobernus each were highly regarded in the organization and could have been needed for depth in the next year or two.

"You set your rosters and you know you're always taking chances on losing any of your prospects," assistant general manager Bryan

Who needs to be protected?

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Mike Rizzo has some roster decisions to make today.

One of baseball's many obscure deadlines strikes tonight at midnight, when players eligible for the Rule 5 draft must be added to their club's 40-man rosters or else risk being snatched away by other organizations.

Rarely do these decisions result in total disaster for teams -- how many people even remember the Nationals lost Brad Meyers and Erik Komatsu in last year's Rule 5 draft, and how many of those remember both players were ultimately returned to the organization? -- but there's always a chance a team could make a major miscalculation and lose a top prospect.

So general manager Mike Rizzo and his player development folks have some important decisions to make before the end of the night.

For the uninitiated (or the confused) here's a quick refresher course on how this all works...

-- Any players in the Nationals' organization who signed at age 18 and have played in parts of at least five seasons, plus any who