Catching up with Danny Rosenbaum

Photo by USA Today

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.” 

Two cuts today, Romero going north

Associated Press

GM Mike Rizzo talks on the phone before today's game against the Braves.

VIERA, Fla. -- The Nationals made another round of cuts following today's 11-2 win over the Braves, sending left-hander Fernando Abad and catcher Carlos Maldonado to minor-league camp.

Manager Davey Johnson said he'll send two more players down after tomorrow's Grapefruit League finale: outfielder Micah Owings and infidler Carlos Rivero (who has already been outrighted to Class AAA Syracuse but has remained in big-league camp).

That will leave only 26 active players on the roster when camp breaks tomorrow evening and the team flies north to Washington. And on that flight will be J.C. Romero, who still has a chance to crack the Opening Day bullpen over Henry Rodriguez.

Johnson approached Romero in the clubhouse after today's game and clued the veteran left-hander in on his travel plans without revealing the ultimate answer: where he'll be come Opening Day.
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Owings enjoying surprise ride

USA Today Sports Images

Former pitcher Micah Owings is hitting .368 with two homers this spring.

VIERA, Fla. -- When he made the decision over the winter to sign with the Nationals strictly as a position player after six big-league seasons as a pitcher, Micah Owings didn't know what exactly to expect of himself.

Only a handful of ballplayers have ever made that transition successfully, and the chance of everything clicking immediately would seem to be minimal.

So Owings doesn't want to let himself get too excited about the results he's experienced so far in Nationals camp.

"I feel like I'm up for the task," he said. "I know it's going to take a lot of continued work. I don't want to get into a mode where I feel comfortable. So I want to continue to work, learn from these guys

Rodriguez close to game-ready

USA Today Sports Images

Henry Rodriguez has yet to appear in a game this spring.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Reliever Henry Rodriguez, being brought along slowly by the Nationals this spring following last year's elbow surgery, is close to being cleared to pitch in games and make his case for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

Rodriguez threw off a bullpen mound yesterday in front of team officials and looked sharp, according to manager Davey Johnson.

The Nationals will have the right-hander throw one more bullpen session, then face hitters in a "live BP" setting before he appears in a Grapefruit League game. That's similar to the plan the club has for recently signed right-hander Chris Young.

Even if he doesn't make his spring debut until next week, Rodriguez still has plenty of time to earn a roster spot. He's one of several pitchers in the running for the final spot in the Nationals' bullpen -- along with fellow right-hander Christian Garcia and non-roster lefty Bill Bray -- and probably holds the upper hand based on the fact he's out of options and can't be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers.
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Nats give Owings shot at 1B

USA Today Sports Images

Micah Owings has a 4.86 ERA, but he also boasts a career .283 batting average.

Mike Rizzo drafted Micah Owings in 2005 as one of the top pitching prospects in the country out of Tulane University. Owings, though, always possessed strong offensive skills, so after his pitching career stalled out he decided to make another run at it as a first baseman.

And the man who will give him an opportunity to complete that transformation is none other than Rizzo.

The Nationals have signed Owings to a minor-league contract, with an invitation to big-league camp. His odds of making the Opening Day roster appear slim at best, but if Owings is willing to go to Class AAA Syracuse and prove he can consistently hit as a regular position player, he could find his way back to D.C. at some point.

Owings, 30, was drafted by Rizzo in 2005 when the latter was scouting director for the Diamondbacks. He debuted two years later and over six seasons with Arizona, Cincinnati and San Diego went
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