Harper out with flu; other injury updates

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Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals’ lineup on Tuesday as they host the San Francisco Giants, dealing with flu-like symptoms. Manager Davey Johnson said Harper spent much of the team’s day off on Monday sleeping and was having trouble keeping food down. 

“I think he’s got the flu,” Johnson said. “He hasn’t been able to eat. He said he slept all day yesterday and couldn’t eat much. That’s what we got from [trainer] Lee Kuntz.”

Though Harper is out, he did take batting practice before the game. Scott Hairston is set to take his place in left field and hitting eighth in the lineup.

Despite struggling against lefties this season overall with a .546 OPS, Harper has actually fared well against Tuesday’s starter, Madison Bumgarner. In 10 plate appearances against the southpaw, Harper is 3 for 9 with a home run.

Johnson noted that factor and was hoping to have him available.

“He is one of the guys that’s hit him,” he said.

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Jayson Werth is back in the Nats’ lineup after leaving Sunday’s game in the fifth inning. He was examined by team medical director Dr. Wiemi Duougiuh and had bandages above and below his knee cap after the team’s win. But with a day off, he is ready to get back at it.

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'Do I have to starting yelling at people?'

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After the Nationals were swept by the Atlanta Braves, capped by a bullpen collapse in their 6-3 loss on Wednesday, several Washington players took on a bit of a different tone in describing the team’s current situation. Jayson Werth, in particular, spoke of a broader context, of how the losses are piling up and it may be time to starting thinking about the future. 

Manager Davey Johnson was asked on Friday if there is a sense of resignation in the clubhouse, if the NL Wild Card and division are so out of reach it’s now time to look towards next season. 

He disagreed.

“There’s no resignation in that room over there, certainly not with me,” he said. “It’s probably more frustrating for me because I keep searching and thinking what I can do to make it easier for guys to perform. If I could figure out why guys, some veteran players are having subpar years for me, I would be all over it.”

He did, however, acknowledge the direction of the franchise as a whole, the central point Werth was trying to make. 

“They’re still learning, there’s still room to grow,” Johnson said. “Everybody likes where the organization is at, likes the talent pool. There’s a small margin between winning and losing. We’ve had some problems in the bullpen, guys struggling off the bench, having some other guys not getting going, all those things add up.”

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Roark joins Nats, Detwiler to 60-day DL

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In need of a long reliever with the ability to start if called upon, the Nats selected right-hander Tanner Roark from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday. Roark will fulfill the role of Ross Ohlendorf who is on the 15-day disabled list (retro to Aug. 1) with shoulder inflammation.

Ross Detwiler was also transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a lower back strain and lefty reliever Xavier Cedeno was sent back down to Triple-A.

Roark, 26, is up in the majors for the first time in his career and was told of the decision on Sunday night. Though excited to finally realize his dream, Roark wasn’t allowed to tell many people for fear the news would get out.

“I was told to keep it quiet,” he said. “I was doing my best to keep it quiet. I told my parents and told them to keep it quiet. I told my fiancé, that was about it.”

Acquired by the Nats in a 2010 trade with the Texas Rangers, Roark was thriving at Syracuse with a 9-3 record and a 3.15 ERA through 105 2/3 innings. He made 11 starts and 22 relief appearances, flashing a versatility that he’ll likely use at the major level.

“He can do both,” manager Davey Johnson said. “He’s been throwing the ball good, Spin [Williams] really liked him. He fits well.”

The Nationals may need a starter in a few weeks when Taylor Jordan hits his innings limit. He is said to have three or four starts left and, with Ohlendorf and Detwiler rehabbing, Roark could see his role expanded if the opportunity arises. Johnson said Roark would be a viable option in that scenario.

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Detwiler's diagnosis; Davey on Storen

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Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler is back from his meeting with back specialist Robert Watkins - a trip out to the doctor’s clinic in Los Angeles on Wednesday – and is now recovering from what was diagnosed as a herniated disc.

Watkins told Detwiler he does not need surgery and did not administer any shots during their appointment. If all goes well over the next few weeks while he rests the injury, he should be able to return in early September.

“They say he’s the best back guy in the world, so that’s why I went out there,” Detwiler said. “I didn’t really know what to expect and he kind of talked me through it and I don’t have to have surgery so that’s the number one thing right now.” 

Detwiler - who hasn’t pitched since July 3 – said he will do core exercises in the meantime while he rests his back. He won’t be able to throw for a while, but wants to heal the right way this time and not rush his way back. Trying to power through the pain may have slowed down his recovery in the first place.

Detwiler out another month

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The Nationals are going to be without Ross Detwiler for quite a bit longer.

An examination with a Los Angeles specialist on Wednesday revealed a problem with a disc in the left-hander's lower back, causing a pinched nerve. Detwiler received an injection and will miss another month, according to manager Davey Johnson.

"It's causing the pinching in the nerve which is causing that to spasm," Johnson said. "I think the procedure is to give him an injection. But he's got to rest it."

Detwiler has already been out since July 4 with what was originally termed a lower back strain by the Nationals. Several attempts to throw off a bullpen mound since have resulted in continued discomfort, so the club sent the pitcher to Southern California to be examined by specialist Robert Watkins.

Detwiler to see back specialist

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Continuing to experience setbacks involving his lower back strain, Nationals starter Ross Detwiler will now see back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday in Los Angeles for further testing and a second opinion.

Detwiler has been on the disabled list since July 4 and felt pain in his back after throwing a bullpen session over the weekend. Manager Davey Johnson said the discomfort was so bad he couldn’t even jog while warming up for the workout.

“They’re not sure why it keeps reoccurring,” Johnson said. “They’ve done a lot of tests. I think they want to get another opinion.”

Johnson acknowledged Detwiler could be out for longer than first expected, perhaps an extended absence after already missing three weeks. Detwiler - 2-7 with a 4.04 ERA this year - also missed a month earlier this season with a strained oblique.

“It’s a problem,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking at. Also, Taylor Jordan’s going to be on an innings limit. So we’re thinking about all those things and how to go forward.”

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Ohlendorf earns a shot

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There are no silver linings in a 9-2 loss that completed a three-game sweep over a miserable weekend of baseball. But what Ross Ohlendorf managed to do yesterday for the Nationals at least bodes well for the right-hander, and perhaps the club moving forward.

Pressed into long relief duties after Jordan Zimmermann lasted only two innings, Ohlendorf churned out one of the best (and longest) bullpen appearances you'll ever see: six innings of two-run ball, the equivalent of a quality start even though he didn't start the game.

"I was really glad I was able to pitch so long," the 30-year-old said. "Obviously, it was a tough game for us, but that's my job as the long man: To be able to save the bullpen. I was glad I was able to do it again."

It wasn't just the results Ohlendorf posted over an 88-pitch relief appearance. It was the way he pitched, offering even more

Detwiler still weeks away

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After another throwing session cut short due to a stiff back, Ross Detwiler appears to be several weeks away from returning to the Nationals rotation, leaving the club in a short-term bind that could become a long-term bind if this injury lingers.

Detwiler tried to throw off a bullpen mound this afternoon but cut the session short after about 25 pitches when his back stiffened up again.

"He's still not quite right," manager Davey Johnson said. "So he's going to have to wait a couple of days before trying to get back up on the mound."

The Nationals originally hoped to have Detwiler (who has been on the disabled list since July 4) back for Tuesday night's game against the Pirates, letting him slide into the No. 5 slot in their rotation coming out of the All-Star break. Once it became clear he wouldn't be ready in time for that, the Nationals adjusted their plan to have the left-hander start one of the games in Friday's doubleheader against the Mets.

But that option now is out of the question, according to Johnson.
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LaRoche out, Detwiler's rehab not on track

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Having seen his lineup finally come together in full health before the closing of the season’s first half, Nationals manager Davey Johnson is down another man for the team’s first game after the All-Star break. 

First baseman Adam LaRoche is out with the flu, though it may keep him out just one game. He is expected to stay in the locker room to get treatment by team doctors during Friday night’s game against the Dodgers. 

Johnson hopes to have him back on Saturday.

“I saw him yesterday and I was concerned about him yesterday,” Johnson said. “He was coughing and I think he’s just got a bad case of the flu. He came in just to see a doctor and he’s going to stay in the back room. See if they can’t get him well. I hope he gets well quick.”

Perhaps more concerning to the Nats as they open the second half is another setback for left-hander Ross Detwiler. He threw off flat ground on Thursday and experienced soreness in his back Friday morning. 

The Nats had hoped he could throw a bullpen session on Friday before the game, but plans have changed.

“If he felt good he would get on the mound today, but we’re going to give him another day,” Johnson said.

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Detwiler may not be ready as scheduled

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NEW YORK -- Davey Johnson caught up with Nats’ reporters before Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York, reminiscing about old times as manager of the Mets and going through some quick injury updates.

The biggest revelation was the fact Ross Detwiler may not be ready to return to the Nats’ rotation for his scheduled start on July 23 against the Pirates. Detwiler is on the disabled list currently with a lower back strain. He last pitched July 3 against the Brewers.

Johnson said Detwiler will test the back on Thursday, likely with a bullpen session, and his status moving forward will be determined then. At this point, the Nats can’t commit to July 23.

“It depends on what he does Thursday,” Johnson said. “It may not be right away.”

The Nats will likely use rookie Taylor Jordan for the Tuesday start in the event Detwiler isn’t ready. Jordan would fill the fifth spot in the rotation as the Nats will begin the season’s second half with Stephen Strasburg starting Friday against the Dodgers.

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Feast-or-famine, rotation help, derby talk

The Nationals' feast-or-famine lineup was left starving once again last night, held to one run by Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies in a disheartening loss. This, of course, merely continues the theme of the last two weeks, which has seen the Nats either score a ton of runs on any given night or struggle just to score one or two runs.

Rob Carlin and I delved into that subject last night on "The Baseball Show," and raised one of the big dilemmas facing Mike Rizzo this month: Even if he wanted to acquire another bat, where would Rizzo put that player and who would get bumped from the current lineup?

Rizzo also faces a decision about the back end of his rotation, trying to determine whether he can count on Ross Detwiler and Dan Haren over the rest of the season or whether another acquisition is

Do the Nats need another starter?

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PHILADELPHIA — Baseball's trade deadline arrives three weeks from today, and as far as the Nationals are concerned, there's one lingering question that must be answered before July 31: Do they need to acquire another starting pitcher?

Mike Rizzo shot down whatever speculation there might have been on the subject earlier this week, suggesting his trade for reserve outfielder Scott Hairston filled the only significant hole on his roster.

"You never stop trying to improve your club," the general manager said. "But with that said, we feel like we like the club that we have. We're certainly playing better, and we'll see where it takes us from here. I don't see any type of big splashy moves that are remaining."

Any acquisition of a starting pitcher would have to be classified as "splashy," so Rizzo seems to be saying he's not in the market for rotation help.

This, of course, could be a well-designed ploy on his part, not wanting to tip off the rest of the baseball world on his true

Detwiler going on DL, Haren to replace

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Updated at 9:00 p.m.

Still experiencing the same lower back discomfort that nearly sidelined him a week ago, Ross Detwiler will have to make another trip to the disabled list.

Manager Davey Johnson said Detwiler didn't appear to be 100 percent healthy during his between-starts bullpen session earlier today. The left-hander was due to take the mound Monday in Philadelphia, but Johnson said the club doesn't want to take a chance and will place him on the DL.

"He's a tough customer," Johnson said. "But he understood the value of getting by this thing. He got a whole lot of treatment today, and so hopefully we can get by. He'll be good coming back after the [All-Star] break."

Detwiler already missed a month earlier this season with a strained oblique muscle. This back issue is unrelated, but it first cropped up during his June 28 start in New York.
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Out of answers

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Davey Johnson has tried to remain positive throughout the Nationals' offensive struggles this season, insisting he has faith in his hitters and that he's confident things will get better before it's too late.

But after watching that lineup, on the heels of a 23-runs-in-48-hours explosion, turned into mincemeat by Wily Peralta, Kyle Lohse and the Brewers bullpen on back-to-back nights, the Nationals manager looked and sounded as hopeless as he's been all year.

"It's putting me in the looney bin," Johnson said.

Wednesday night's 4-1 loss left the Nationals right back where they started, sporting a .500 record, with a lineup that still can't produce on a consistent basis and a pitching staff and defense that can't be perfect even though they know they have to be given the offensive woes.
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Instant analysis: Brewers 4, Nats 1

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Game in a nutshell: Two steps forward, two steps backward. If the Nationals thought they had finally gotten themselves on track with back-to-back blowout wins to begin the week, they were sorely mistaken. They've been back to their old ways the last two nights, done in by a nonexistent offensive attack and some costly mistakes in the field. Ross Detwiler pitched OK, but he allowed two earned runs and then two more that were attributable to Bryce Harper's dropped line drive in the sixth. It wouldn't have mattered if Harper made that play, though, because the Nationals lineup wasn't going to do anything against Kyle Lohse. Anthony Rendon homered in the bottom of the seventh, and that was it. Francisco Rodriguez did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth but finished it off, dealing the Nationals their second straight disappointing loss to a last-place Brewers club. They're back at the .500 mark, and now they have to win tomorrow morning just to salvage a four-game split against Milwaukee.

Hitting lowlight: It's become a broken record: Every time you think the Nationals' lineup has snapped out of its season-long funk, it puts forth a lifeless display like this. One night after getting shut out by Wily Peralta and the Brewers bullpen, the Nationals were

Game 84: Brewers at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

So, to recap ... the Nationals scored 13 runs on Sunday in New York, then they scored 10 runs on Monday against the Brewers, then they were shut out last night by Milwaukee. So, what should we expect tonight in the third game of this four-game series? Your guess is as good as mine. It's been impossible to predict this team's offensive performance on any given night this season, and the events of the last few days only underscore that notion.

This much we do know: Ross Detwiler is going to need to pitch better than he has been. In four starts since returning from an oblique strain, the left-hander is 0-2 with a 7.32 ERA. He complained of a stiff lower back after his last appearance, but he was able to throw his regular between-starts side session earlier this week and so he's good to go tonight.

Veteran Kyle Lohse gets the ball for the Brewers, facing a Nats lineup that would love to get back on track after last night's shutout loss. Please note the early 6:05 p.m. starting time tonight, giving everyone an extra hour of sleep in advance of tomorrow's 11:05 a.m. Independence Day game.

Updates to come...

MILWAUKEE BREWERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 184
Weather: Scattered storms, 84 degrees, Wind 11 mph out to LF

NATIONALS (42-41)
CF Denard Span
RF Jayson Werth
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman

Nats who's hot/who's not-7/3

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Record: 3-3

Runs per game: 5.3

Opponent runs per game: 3.8

Team ERA: 3.09

HOT:

Stephen Strasburg, SP - 0-0, 1.29 ERA, 2 ER, 9 H, 12 SO, 14.0 IP

Strasburg has seen the worst run support of any starter in the majors this season and it's not even that close. On Tuesday he turned in another fantastic start, but came away with a no decision. Against the Brewers he pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out eight, lowering his season ERA to 2.24. That's the fifth best mark in the majors and should put Strasburg into prime position for his second All-Star selection, regardless of his record.

Gio Gonzalez, SP – 2-0, 1.35 ERA, 2 ER, 12 H, 11 SO, 13.1 IP

Gonzalez, much like Stephen Strasburg, has quietly recovered from an uncharacteristic start to the season. After sitting with a 4.20 ERA

Span getting swing of things

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By Ben Standig
CSNwashington.com

Jayson Werth returned to the Nationals lineup, then Bryce Harper and soon Wilson Ramos. The run-scoring component of the offensive attack also made a splashy appearance over the previous two games with a combined 23 runs. Nobody is expecting the team to score 11 or so a night, but at least now, Davey Johnson's has a deeper set of batting options from which he can keep tweaking those daily lineups.

Not that Johnson went that route for Tuesday's meeting against the Brewers after his side plated 10 in the series opener. However, one pregame question for the manager centered on whether now there was an opportunity to sit center fielder Denard Span in certain situations. By certain situations, we mean against left-handed pitchers. The unsightly number speak loudly.

On the season, the lefty-swinging Span is batting .263 with a .318 on-base percentage in 334 plate appearances. In 91

Harper returns to deep Nats lineup

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After more than a month of rehab from left knee bursitis, including four games with minor league affiliates, Bryce Harper is finally back starting in left field and hitting third in the Nationals lineup.

Harper will be wearing padding on his left knee for precautionary reasons, but feels ready to jump right in and give the Nats whatever boost he can as they commence the season’s second half.

“It’s tough to be out, but I’m glad that I’m back and I’m ready to go,” Harper said. “I feel strong enough to be out there and play full-force and I’m ready to get going.”

Manager Davey Johnson said it felt like longer than just five or so weeks since Harper has been out.

“I saw him around two o’clock and I went in there and said ‘is that really you, are you okay, you ready to go?’ He shook my hand and said ‘yea, I’m ready.’ It seemed like I hadn’t seen him in half a year.”

With Harper back, Johnson said he doesn’t plan on bringing him along slowly or asking him to change anything about his approach. Johnson is looking for the same old Harper.

“I think part of it is his bat, but just the energy he brings. He takes a lot of the focus and he’s a competitor,” Johnson said.

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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