Skole has Tommy John surgery, out 4 months

Associated Press

Matt Skole saw time at first base with the Nationals this spring.

MIAMI — Matt Skole, the Nationals' minor-league position player of the year in 2012, had Tommy John surgery today to repair a torn ligament in his left elbow, a freak injury that will sideline the first baseman for most of this season.

General manager Mike Rizzo said Skole will likely need four months to make a full recovery, the timetable much shorter than most players who suffer a torn UCL both because the 23-year-old is a position player and the injury occurred to his non-throwing elbow.

Skole hurt himself while in the field April 5 at Class AA Harrisburg, in only his second game of the season. Reaching to tag an opposing player, his left arm suffered the brunt of a collision.

"You're reaching into the runner, and boom, you feel it," Rizzo said.
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Rendon among morning cuts

USA Today Sports Images

Anthony Rendon hit .375 with a team-high four homers and 11 RBI this spring.

VIERA, Fla. -- The Nationals made their second round of spring training cuts this morning, sending top prospect Anthony Rendon and six others to minor-league camp.

Rendon was optioned to Class AA Harrisburg, where he'll open the season. Right-hander Nathan Karns, the organization's pitcher of the year in 2012, also was optioned to Harrisburg, along with catcher Sandy Leon. Outfielder Eury Perez (currently playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic) was optioned to Class AAA Syracuse. Infielders Matt Skole and Will Rhymes and left-hander Patrick McCoy, meanwhile, were re-assigned to minor-league camp.

Though he excelled in big-league camp, hitting .375 (12-for-32) with a team-high four homers and 11 RBI, Rendon knew all along he would open the season in the minors after missing most of last year with an ankle injury. He'll return to Harrisburg, where he closed out 2012, but could get promoted to Class AAA Syracuse in short order and could reach Washington sometime this season.

"He just needs to go and play," manager Davey Johnson said.
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Nats vs. Tigers - 3/10/13

Photo by USA Today

It is Chase here once again as Mark is off today. The Nationals travel to Lakeland, FL to take on the Detroit Tigers at their spring home, Joker Marchant Stadium.

The defending American League champs will feature a few of their regulars, including Victor Martinez and Prince Fielder. Throwing to them will be Dan Haren who will be making his third start of the spring for the Nats.

Washington's lineup is without most of the expected starters, save for Bryce Harper. Some of the organization's top prospects are in there, however, including Anthony Rendon (at shortstop) and Matt Skole. With the exception of Chad Tracy, almost everyone playing today is among the team's youngest players.

Anyways, here are the lineups...

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EST
TV: None
Radio: Tigers' Radio WXYT
Weather: Sunny, 73 degrees, Wind 16 mph

NATIONALS
RF Corey Brown
2B Steve Lombardozzi
CF Bryce Harper
C Wilson Ramos

AFL season wraps up

US Presswire file photo

Anthony Rendon finished with a .338 average in 22 Arizona Fall League games.

While most of the country is busy preparing for Thanksgiving -- or watching a whole lot of football, as the case may be -- there were a select few professional baseball players still in action over the weekend.

The latest edition of the Arizona Fall League wrapped up Saturday when the Peoria Javelinas toppled the Salt River Rafters, 4-3, in the annual championship game, one that featured several Nationals prospects on the losing end.

Though their team came up short in the title game, a couple of Nats acquitted themselves quite well out in Arizona over the last six weeks.

Let's start with Anthony Rendon, who after a slow start to his AFL season finished strong, posting a .338 batting average, 10 doubles, 11 RBI, 15 walks and a .930 OPS in 22 regular season games. The 2011 first-round draft pick then went 1-for-4 with a triple in

Arizona Fall League update

While the Fall Classic got off to a rousing (and unexpected) start last night, the Fall League is kicking into high gear out in Arizona.

A "finishing school" of sorts, the AFL features upper-level prospects from every organization in baseball, dispersed among six teams for a six-week season. Stephen Strasburg participated in 2009. Bryce Harper was there in both 2010 and 2011.

The Nationals don't boast anyone quite as prominent as those two this fall, but there are several notable names currently playing for the Salt River Rafters. Let's run through everyone on the roster to date...

3B ANTHONY RENDON
The Nationals' first-round pick in 2011 (sixth overall), Rendon is off to a bit of a sluggish start. In nine games, he's hitting .212 (7-for-33) with two doubles, three RBI (all of them coming on Oct. 17), six walks and eight strikeouts. He has only one hit over his last 14 at-bats, but the Nationals are less concerned with the 22-year-old's numbers and more concerned that he get significant playing time after missing most of the regular season with a fractured ankle.

OF BRIAN GOODWIN
Another 2011 draft pick (compensation for losing Adam Dunn to the White Sox), Goodwin has hit well so far in his AFL debut. In nine games, he's batting .286 (10-for-35) with three homers, two