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Associated Press Wilson Ramos hunches over after injuring himself last night. |
But you can't help but have some sympathy for Davey Johnson and Co. right now. Though they've managed to avoid any devastating injuries to date, they just can't seem to get their eight regulars all healthy at the same time. Only five times in 40 games so far has Johnson submitted his Opening Day lineup card to umpires before first pitch.
And just when it looked like the Nationals were on the verge of being able to do that again — Bryce Harper has been cleared to return and Jayson Werth is due to come off the disabled list on Saturday — they were stung by the injury bug again late last night. Twice.
Wilson Ramos re-injured the same left hamstring that landed him on the DL last month and is going to be "down for a while," Johnson told reporters at Dodger Stadium. Ross Detwiler doesn't appear to be seriously hurt, but the left-hander wasn't certain he'd be ready to make his next scheduled start after departing this one in the fourth inning with lower back spasms.
The Ramos injury is troubling, both because it apparently never was 100 percent healed and now will require extra caution and because of the hardships the young catcher has already endured over the last two years. But if there's a position on the field the Nationals can afford to suffer a semi-serious injury, it's behind the plate, with Kurt Suzuki ready to return to an everyday role and Jhonatan Solano a capable backup.
More troubling to the Nationals, though, would be the loss of Detwiler for any length of time. Club officials worried all winter and spring about the lack of starting rotation depth in the organization, and the steps they took to address that haven't paid off yet.
The Nationals were thrilled Chris Young was willing to report to Class AAA Syracuse after having the option to sign elsewhere at the end of spring training and made it clear the veteran right-hander would be the first starter called upon should the need arise.
Well, there's good news and bad news as it pertains to Young. The good news: He pitched last night and thus is perfectly aligned to take Detwiler's spot. The bad news: He was roughed up for eight runs on 11 hits and now sports a 7.96 ERA and 1.96 WHIP in five starts with the Chiefs.
Not that there are many viable alternatives filling out the rest of Syracuse's rotation. Ross Ohlendorf's ERA is 4.96. Yunesky Maya's is 5.70. Ryan Perry's is 7.15. Only left-hander Danny Rosenbaum (not on the 40-man roster) has pitched well to date, with a 3.35 ERA in seven starts.
If they only need to fill-in for Detwiler once or twice, the Nationals could simply turn to Craig Stammen, who has pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen and once upon a time started big-league games for this club. Though a Stammen move to the rotation would weaken a relief corps that is still trying to sort itself out.
If Detwiler (or anyone else in the current rotation) is sidelined for a longer stretch, the Nationals are in serious trouble.
Then again, pitching is the least of Johnson's concerns right now. He needs his team to score more runs, and the only way that's going to happen is if he can keep his regular lineup healthy.
The return of Harper and Werth this weekend should pay huge dividends in that regard, but the loss of Ramos will sting to some extent. Suzuki, though perfectly capable of catching every day, wasn't nearly as productive when put into that regular role last month.
More than anything, the Nationals simply need to get their full lineup on the field together for a prolonged stretch. It hasn't happened through the season's first 40 games. And now it doesn't appear it'll be happening for a while longer.
209 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 209 of 209 Newer› Newest»Exposremains said...
"Bowden ball
If not agreeing with you makes me stupid, I think you know what not agreeing with me makes you."
I didn't call you stupid. I would never ever call a poster stupid. I don't even know you.
All I know is what you said. I thought what you SAID was stupid, because it didn't make any sense. People describe things that don't make sense with that word all the time. And arguing that a team has a serious flaw because of a lack of walk-off wins when the best team in baseball also doesn't have any walk-off wins doesn't make any sense. Sorry, but it's true. I apologize if you took that as a personal slight, but it certainly wasn't intended that way, and if you read what I said again I think you'll see that.
Bowden
Thanks for your feedback. I do think that saying I disagree with you because... is better than its stupid because...
I also that come fom behind are good. I would like to see them make something happen during the later innings whether their ahead or behind.
I do apologize for choosing inflammatory words. Even though I was targeting the idea and not the person, I could have chosen better words to do it.
Although I think it's mostly just circumstance since there's only 21 wins overall, and also the product of having a mediocre offense, it is troubling that games these days feel like they're over if we're trailing after the 5th inning or so. I'm with you on that.
"Laddie, loving your posts. I can just sit back and let you keep going as you're doing a great job!"
Thanks, Ghost. The feeling is mutual. I like the give and take, but I've gotta run. See you next time.
Espinosa gets a hit. Of course its when nobody was on base.
And it was when they desperately needed someone/anyone to get on to get something going at the end of the game. He didn't go for the fences he put the ball in play and got on just as he is supposed to right?
Sheesh, this post is about injuries so again, I ask you to please ponder the what-if if Desmond goes down as he did last season? Zach Walters IS NOT in the same galaxy defensively that players like Espinosa, Desmond, and yes Anthony Rendon are. You're going to move Espinosa to shortstop and bring up Kobernus or you bring up the switch hitting Walters to sit behind Espinosa and Lombo. You aren't going to start Walters at shortstop if you have any playoff aspirations. Certainly another power hitting switch hitter would give Davey lots of options off the bench.
Try thinking ahead and get past Espinosa's struggles. Because at some point they might just decide to send him off to get the shoulder surgery and if they do? You had damned well better hope Desmond lasts the season because if he doesn't you are going to have a huge defensive hole in the middle of the infield if both he and Espinosa aren't there.
mariners-shortstop-are-hitting-worse-than-nl-pitchers
They could move Morse back to shortstop Natslady ... ~smiles~
Dave said...
I think MASN was actually supposed to settled almost two years ago. I think it's pretty outrageous that MLB, Bud & co. have let it languish this long. Sooner or later it's going to directly affect what the Nationals are able to do with player contracts.
Me - I agree. I think Bud did have a good idea about trying to push for a Fox Sports purchase of MASN where Angelos would have got a huge payoff and the Nationals would have gotten some (13%?) and then a market based righte fee ($75M to $125M a year).
It was a huge surprise when Angelos wasn't interested.
Bud is going to have to set the rate, and the fact that the MASN agreement says the O's need to be paid the same as the Nationals is something that he needs to deal.
He gave him a liveline, but he didn't take it. I expect a resolution by the All-star break.
It was a huge surprise when Angelos wasn't interested.
No, its not. He's really PISSED/PO'ED at major league baseball and his venom is often spewed at the Lerners. You want a symptom? Do you think there will ever be any sort of transaction between the AL based Orioles and the Nats? I don't.
Angelos is after the MLB for his perceived slight.
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