VIDEO: Update on Strasburg

Davey Johnson gave an update before Saturday's game on Stephen Strasburg, confirming the right-hander is still on track to return June 16. Strasburg threw a bullpen session that showed no complications for his strained right lat muscle. He was originally placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 6.

The Nationals completed their 2013 draft on Saturday as well, picking a total of 39 players. Only three of the Nats' newest members are still alive in the NCAA Tournament, two from Rice University and one from UCLA. If you want to check out the Nats' draft picks in the tournament, here is some information on when you can see them:

Nats sign 2nd round pick Johansen

Photo via DBUPatriots.com

It may have taken the Nationals almost five hours on Thursday night to make their first pick of the 2013 MLB Draft, but they wasted no time in signing him.

Second round selection Jake Johansen has already agreed to a deal with the Nats after being taken with the 68th overall pick. The quick turnaround had to do with the new CBA and its system of contract rules, but also an urgency on the part of the player to get started.

"I wanted to go out and play as quickly as possible so I could increase my chances to possibly be up in the major leagues as soon as possible," Johansen said.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander from Dallas Baptist University knew of the Nationals' interest in him after visiting this past week with members of their front office. He was impressed with the team's positivity and vision, as well as their track record with young pitchers.

"I was just hoping the Nationals would get the chance to draft me," he said. "With all the positive things I've heard about the player development of the Nationals, I have no doubt, I'm very confident that I will reach that potential."

Nats 2013 draft tracker

Photo by USA Today

After taking RHP Jake Johansen out of Dallas Baptist University on Thursday night, the Nationals kicked off the second day of the draft by picking third baseman Drew Ward out of Leedey High School in Oklahoma. Here is a look at the Nationals' draft with updates as the picks come in:

Round 2, 68th overall: RHP Jake Johansen - Dallas Baptist University

*6-foot-6 power arm with triple digit fastball
*projects as starter at major league level
*22 years old, went 7-6 with 5.40 ERA at DBU this season
College bio page
Read full profile here

Nats draft RHP Johansen with 68th pick

Photo by USA Today

[Updated 1:08 a.m.]

After waiting nearly five hours to make their first pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals selected 22-year-old pitcher Jacob Johansen out of Dallas Baptist University with the 68^th overall pick in the second round.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander has a fastball that reaches 100 miles per hour and went 7-6 with a 5.40 ERA in 88 1/3 innings this season with the DBU Patriots. The Nationals project him as a starting pitcher at the major league level.

“Definitely a starter,” Nationals scouting director Kris Kline said. “He has starter actions. He repeats his delivery, it’s a clean arm action.”

“There is no reason why this guy can't, with a few tweaks from our staff, that this guy can't be a front-line guy.”

Nats 2013 draft preview

Photo by USA Today

2013 MLB Draft: 

Thu. 6/6 at 7 p.m. - Rounds 1-2

Fri. 6/7 at 1 p.m. - Rounds 3-10

Sat. 6/8 at 1 p.m. - Rounds 11-40

When the Nationals pick: 

*Lost first round pick to Yankees for signing Rafael Soriano as a free agent

*2nd round, 68th overall is first pick

*3rd round, 105th overall is second pick

*Pick last in rounds 4-40

General Manager Mike Rizzo on the Nationals' plans:

“We’re not approaching it any different. We’re setting up the board, doing our due diligence just like we have every other year. It’s the only way we know how to do it. And when you pick 68, other than waiting longer to make a selection, we’re going to handle the draft the exact same way I’ve done it my whole career.”

VIDEO: Gio, Rizzo on Biogenesis

On Wednesday morning, one of our cameramen at CSN caught up with Gio Gonzalez and Mike Rizzo at a charity event for diabetes. Both Gio and Rizzo addressed the renewed allegations of Gonzalez' connection to the Miami-based clinic Biogenesis.

Also, here is a list of local baseball players expected to be taken in this week's MLB Draft:

Local baseball players likely to be picked in MLB draft

Every year the Mid-Atlantic region produces a fair share of MLB prospects, especially Virginia which boasts one of the best college baseball programs in the country in the University of Virginia Cavaliers. This year there is no Ryan Zimmerman or Danny Hultzen, a prospect projected as a top ten pick, but there is significant depth. The Commonwealth once again has plenty of potential draft picks with Maryland chipping in a few as well.

Here is a look at local products expected to be drafted with their rankings in Baseball America’s top 500 list:

From the state of Virginia:

34 - RHP Connor Jones – Great Bridge HS (Chesapeake, Va.)

Virginia’s 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year, Jones is committed to play for Brian O’Connor and the Cavaliers in Charlottesville. He’ll have to decide if he wants to go pro or to college.

54 – 3B Chad Pinder – Virginia Tech

Pinder is a versatile hitter with a .321 average, 11 home runs, and 62 RBI for the Hokies in his junior year. 

Nats ten best draft picks in team history

Photo by USA Today

With the 2013 MLB Draft coming up on Thursday, June 6, we will be taking a look at the Nationals' history in the draft over the next few days. Here's how we rank the ten best draft picks the Nats have made since bringing baseball back to the city of Washington.

10. Alex Meyer, SP – 2011: 1^st round, 23^rd overall

Yet to make MLB debut

Alex Meyer has yet to pitch in a major league game, but by all accounts is a top pitching prospect who could someday be a front of the rotation starter. He also helped land the Nationals their current starting center fielder in Denard Span. Now, whether the trade really worked out for the Nats can’t be determined at this point. But to get a starting quality outfielder who plays defense like Span shows the value of Meyer. What they currently get out of Span is more than worth the 23^rd pick in the draft.

9. Craig Stammen, RP – 2005: 12^th round, 354^th overall pick

MLB career stats: 18-14, 4.13 ERA, 134 games, 360.0 IP

Picked out of the University of Dayton, Stammen was a nice surprise in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2009. He began as a starting pitcher, but struggled in the role and was sent back down to Triple-A. He came back towards the end of 2011 to try his hand at coming out of the bullpen and found a more comfortable spot. Now Stammen is one of the most indispensable relief pitchers on the Nationals’ roster, a reliable commodity whether they need him to get one out or spell a starter for four innings of work.

Inside Storen's collapse

Drew Storen walks into the dugout after the ninth inning of Game 5. (Photo by AP)

The protective plastic over the lockers, the cart of champagne bottles, all of it was in place.

All Drew Storen had to do was get one strike.

Twice the Nationals had the Cardinals where they wanted them: two strikes and two outs, a two-run lead.

Full count, two outs on Yadier Molina. He walks. Full count, two outs on David Freese. He walks.

Then, with one 94 mile per hour sinker, the Nationals 2012 season began to unravel before the eyes of the largest crowd in stadium history. Daniel Descalso pelted a ground ball off the glove of Ian Desmond, ricocheting into the outfield and scoring two runs to tie the game at seven.

Giolito signs for $2.925 million

Updated at 6:35 p.m.

MIAMI -- No stranger to down-to-the-wire negotiations with draft picks, the Nationals agreed to contract terms with first rounder Lucas Giolito less than one minute before today's 5 p.m. deadline, giving the young right-hander $2.925 million and thus subjecting themselves to a tax for exceeding Major League Baseball's new draft pool cap.

How close to the deadline did the Nationals get before finalizing the deal?

"Dangerously close," general manager Mike Rizzo said prior to tonight's second-half opener at Marlins Park.

Giolito, who turns 18 on Saturday, told the Los Angeles Times he agreed to the deal with only 30 seconds to spare.

As is typically the case, the drawn-out negotiations were over dollar figures. The Nationals felt all along Giolito wanted to sign with them but wanted to receive more than the approximately $2.8 million the club had remaining from its pool of $4.4 million for its top 10 draft choices.
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Deadline day for Giolito

Photo by Eric Dearborn

Lucas Giolito has until 5 p.m. EDT to sign with the Nationals.

It's been 40 days since the Nationals selected right-hander Lucas Giolito with the 16th overall pick in this year's draft, and not much about the relationship between the two has changed since then.

As is so often the case with baseball's draft, serious contract negotiations between player and club rarely takes place until the final hours before the league's imposed deadline. That deadline used to fall around Aug. 15, but the sport's latest collective bargaining agreement pushed that day up to mid-July, which has finally arrived.

Thus, by 5 p.m. EDT today, Giolito and the Nationals must come to terms on a contract and submit it to MLB headquarters or else sever their relationship. Giolito would accept his scholarship to UCLA and pitch next spring for the Bruins. The Nats would receive next summer's 17th overall draft pick as compensation.

That's an outcome neither side wants to reach, and the odds favor a