Storen recalled, Mattheus to AAA

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[Updated 3:48 p.m.]

By Mark Zuckerman and Chase Hughes

Desperately in need of some late-inning relief help, the Nationals today recalled Drew Storen from Class AAA, optioning struggling right-hander Ryan Mattheus to Syracuse.

Storen, who had been demoted only three weeks ago, returned to Washington this morning and is available to pitch in this afternoon's series finale against the Giants.

Storen was sick with the flu the last game he pitched for the Nats and said he took a few days to recuperate before heading to Syracuse. Those days of rest helped the news set in and Storen emerge with a more positive outlook on the experience. 

"It was sort of a forced relaxation, so it took a couple days to go down there and like I said, worrying about all that other stuff that you can’t control and what’s already happened won’t do you any good, so you got to make the most of any situation. I had a good opportunity to get better and get back to being myself and it’d be stupid of me to waste it. So that’s how I look at it.

Storen now returns looking for a fresh start and an opportunity to help his team salvage their season. He called the feeling of being demoted compared with this recent call-up as "polar opposites."

"I’m pretty damn happy about it, to be honest with you," he said. "The way I look at it, in general with this whole year, this is kind of like Opening Day for me right now. It’s like five weeks or six weeks left, whatever it is, of the regular season, and just help these guys win and really get after it. I can’t really control or change what’s happened this year, but one thing I can do is really be productive at the end and help these guys win. So I’m excited to get back."

Instant analysis: Braves 6, Nats 3

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Game in a nutshell: If you were hoping for some retaliation from the Nationals in the wake of Bryce Harper's plunking the previous night, you were sorely disappointed. And if you were hoping for an actual victory over the runaway NL East leaders ... well, you absolutely were disappointed. The Nationals had to scratch and claw for every hit off Kris Medlen, at one point posting a 2 in the run column despite a 1 in the hit column (Jayson Werth's two-run homer). They did manage to tie the game 3-3 after seven, giving themselves a chance. But the Nationals bullpen imploded in the eighth, with Ryan Mattheus and Ian Krol combining to surrender three runs on three hits and two walks, all with two outs, and all with a fresh Tyler Clippard sitting unused in the bullpen. The Nationals did load the bases in the ninth against Craig Kimbrel but failed to bring one runner home. So it was that they were swept by the Braves (who have now won 13 straight) for the second time at home this season. They're 3-10 overall against Atlanta this season and now trail in the division by 15 1/2 games. With Cincinnati's win earlier in the day, they trail the NL Wild Card by nine games.

Hitting lowlight: Unless your name is Jayson Werth, you really couldn't be part of any highlight tonight. Werth belted a two-run

A day, and night, of emotions

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The emotional ups and downs of a baseball season can be draining for any club, let alone one expected to be among the sport's best but slogging its way through a prolonged train-wreck stretch of games. What the Nationals have experienced over the last 36 hours alone would normally be enough to fill a month.

It began Thursday afternoon with a wild victory over the Pirates that saw their closer blow a four-run lead in the top of the ninth, only to see their young star produce his first career game-winning homer in the bottom of the inning.

It continued Friday afternoon with an ugly, lopsided, 11-0 loss to the Mets that saw their former closer sent to the mound facing a 5-run deficit despite the fact he was battling flu-like symptoms and wasn't expected to pitch at all.

And then it was capped off Friday evening in the nightcap of a wild doubleheader with a familiar face providing a familiar thrill to lead the Nationals to a 2-1 win, only to be trumped in some ways by the postgame demotion of that former closer to the minors and critical comments from a teammate lobbed toward the organization.
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Mattheus back on active roster

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Major-league clubs are allowed to add an extra, 26th man for doubleheaders, and the Nationals couldn't have asked for better timing in that regard today, with Ryan Mattheus ready to return from a broken right hand.

Mattheus, on the 15-day disabled list since he broke that hand punching his locker May 19 in San Diego, was officially activated before the first game of today's day-night doubleheader against the Mets. He's available to pitch in both games, and manager Davey Johnson plans to use him if the situation arises.

"It was a long time off," Mattheus said. "It's tough to sit back and watch the games from that perspective. It's just great to know that I can go out there and contribute today. So yeah, it's an amazing feeling being back."

The right-hander was understandably embarrassed by the nature of his injury, and he had to spend the last two months watching the Nationals struggle as penance for his mistake.

"The nature of my injury — knowing that it was self-inflicted — and then seeing the struggles that this team's going through, it's tough to deal with. But hopefully I'll be back and contribute and we can turn this thing around."
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Game 103: Mets at Nats

Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

It's a beautiful day for a ballgame, so how 'bout we play two? We've got a day-night doubleheader here between the Nationals and Mets, and the various results could actually be significant. The Nats currently lead New York by only two games in the NL East, so a Mets sweep incredibly would leave the two clubs tied in the standings. A Nationals sweep, on the other hand, would guarantee they'd be back in sole possession of second place in the division.

Jordan Zimmermann gets the start in Game 1 this afternoon against right-hander Jenrry Mejia, making his season debut after dealing with an elbow injury. Davey Johnson is going with his same lineup from yesterday's win, including Steve Lombardozzi at second base and batting second. "I'm not changing a winning hand," the manager said, also speculating that Lombardozzi might try to beat him up if he wasn't playing after a 3-hit performance.

Ryan Mattheus, meanwhile, has been activated off the DL as the 26th man allowed for the doubleheader. The Nats will have to make a decision tonight, removing someone from the roster. They could just send Mattheus back to Syracuse, or they could demote another reliever. Drew Storen, a potential candidate for demotion, is battling the same flu Adam LaRoche had earlier in the week and probably is unavailable to pitch in either game today, according to Johnson.

Lots of updates to come from a long day at the ballpark, so please check back...

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS (Game 1)
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500), XM 183
Weather: Mostly sunny, 80 degrees, Wind 4 mph in from LF

NATIONALS (49-53)
LF Bryce Harper
2B Steve Lombardozzi
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche

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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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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Detwiler on track; bullpen concerns

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Ross Detwiler threw a bullpen session on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park, keeping him on track to return on Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles. The lefty has been sidelined with a mild oblique strain after aggravating the muscle on May 15 against in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Detwiler took the field around 2:45 to stretch, threw some longball, and then went about his bullpen session as if it were any other.

“It was a normal bullpen session. The only difference was I sat down halfway through there for about five minutes to simulate an inning, and then I got back up and threw and everything was good.”

Detwiler feels fine, no soreness or pain to report on. He missed one start, but is ready to slot right back into the rotation.

“Any time you get healthy again it’s definitely going to be a relief. But the thing [is] I kind of went and threw a little harder today than I normally would just so I wouldn’t have any, I wouldn’t hold back anything. I proved to myself that I was healthy and I’m ready to go.”

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Desperation forces bullpen makeover

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Ryan Mattheus broke his right hand after Sunday's game in San Diego.

As if an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of the Giants last night wasn't bad enough, the Nationals now find themselves forced into giving their bullpen a quick makeover just so they can have a few fresh arms for tonight's game in San Francisco.

Ryan Mattheus will be placed on the disabled list after breaking his right hand Sunday in San Diego, an injury that didn't occur during the Nationals' 13-4 loss to the Padres but afterward when the right-hander punched his locker in frustration. Mattheus' surprise injury, combined with the eight innings of work needed out of Zach Duke, Craig Stammen and Henry Rodriguez last night, leaves the Nationals with a serious dearth of healthy relievers at the moment.

So general manager Mike Rizzo will summon a pair of pitchers from Class AAA Syracuse: veteran right-hander Yunesky Maya and left-hander Fernando Abad. Each is expected to be added to the

Haren gets win as Nats sweep White Sox

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Nationals starter Dan Haren may not have looked much sharper in his second start with the team than he did in his first, but the result was certainly better. The 11-year veteran took the victory in the Nats’ 7-4 win over the Chicago White Sox despite throwing 101 pitches through five innings and allowing three earned runs off ten hits. It wasn’t pretty, but he got the job done.

“Today I took a few steps forward,” Haren said. “I think I threw the ball better than maybe the line score would dictate, but the conditions weren’t great out there. The most important thing is that we won the game. Obviously I did a little better than last time, but I still haven’t been at my best yet.”

Haren fared better than his woeful six-earned run outing in Cincinnati last weekend, but he was nowhere near his best in front of the 24,785 fans at Nationals Park on Thursday night. Haren’s ten hits allowed made him the first Washington pitcher since the Senators’ Casey Cox in 1970 to give up at least nine in their first two games of the season.

Haren began the first inning on a good note with a 19 pitch scoreless frame.  He gave up a run in the second on a Tyler Flowers sacrifice fly and then two in the fourth inning off back-to-back RBI singles. Haren didn’t allow any home runs this time, he just wasn’t hitting his spots.

Mattheus adjusting to face lefties

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Ryan Mattheus will be counted on to get left-handed hitters out this year.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Since arriving in the Nationals bullpen during the 2011 season, Ryan Mattheus has proven effective thanks primarily to his ability to throw sinkers down and in to right-handed hitters (down and away to lefties). It's a formula that's worked well for Mattheus, who in 101 career appearances owns a 2.84 ERA and only 7.6 hits allowed per nine innings.

But the 29-year-old understands this is a game of adjustments, and the longer he's in the big leagues, the more opposing hitters will adjust to his pitching patterns.

So Mattheus is making a point this spring to add something new to his repertoire: A sinker on the other corner of the strike zone.

"I mean, that's the thing I have to attribute all my success so far in the big leagues to: the good sinker," he said. "But the more times guys start to see me, they're going to get onto that pattern. So I'm trying to establish more both sides of the plate this year, because I don't spin the ball very well [throwing breaking balls]. We tried that coming in last year, that experience is over. I'm going to have to command both sides of the plate with the fastball."
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Five unsung heroes

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Ryan Mattheus should be a key contributor out of the bullpen again this year.

There will be no shortage of star power inside the clubhouse or on the field at Space Coast Stadium once spring training commences for the Nationals next week. Stephen Strasburg. Bryce Harper. Ryan Zimmerman. Jayson Werth. Gio Gonzalez. Ian Desmond. Adam LaRoche. Dan Haren. This team certainly isn't lacking in notoriety.

Davey Johnson, though, takes every opportunity he gets to point out the importance of all 25 men on his roster contributing to a winning ballclub. And as we saw last season, there were all sorts of key role players without whom the Nats would not have won their first NL East title.

With that in mind, let's focus today on five guys who won't draw nearly as much attention as their big-name teammates this spring yet all could play significant roles on a club with realistic World Series visions...

ROGER BERNADINA
The longest-tenured player in the organization -- he was signed out of Curacao way back in 2001, when the franchise still called

Position analysis: Bullpen

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Drew Storen will try to bounce back from his blown save in Game 5 of the NLDS.

As we transition into offseason mode, we'll start by breaking down the Nationals' roster by position (infield, outfield, catcher, rotation and bullpen) this week and examine where things stand at season's end and where things might stand moving forward. Today's position: The bullpen...

RHP DREW STOREN
Stats: 3-1, 2.37 ERA, 4 SV, 30.1 IP, 0.989 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9
0.7 WAR
2012 salary: $498,750
Contract status: Arbitration-eligible (Super 2), free agent in 2017
Where he fits in: Everything was going swimmingly for Storen, who had finally made it all the way back from his elbow surgery and had pitched brilliantly down the stretch. Over a 17-inning stretch from Sept. 3 through Game 4 of the NLDS, he allowed one run on nine hits, walking only one batter while striking out 17. But then came his disastrous ninth inning in Game 5, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth for the winter. Can Storen bounce back from that crushing loss? He certainly seems to have the right mindset to do it. And the Nationals certainly have confidence in the young right-hander to return to form.

RHP TYLER CLIPPARD
Stats: 2-6, 3.72 ERA, 32 SV, 72.2 IP, 1.156 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, 3.6 BB/9

Welcome to the meat grinder

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Ryan Mattheus' seventh-inning escape act saved the day for the Nationals.

ST. LOUIS -- Twenty-one of the 25 players on their roster had never experienced this before. Neither had approximately 99 percent of their fan base back home in Washington.

Jayson Werth, though, had been here. He's been through the meat grinder of the postseason, and he knows what kind of toll it can take on teams and players who are entering uncharted territory.

"A lot of times you see teams in their first games, the first time they're there, and they crack or buckle," the veteran right fielder said. "I feel like we definitely gave a little bit, but we didn't break."

Oh, the Nationals gave plenty to the Cardinals Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. If not for the giant scoreboard in center field at Busch Stadium, a casual observer might well have thought they were trailing by a touchdown in the top of the eighth inning, not by a single run.

This, though, is what postseason baseball is all about. It's a roller-coaster of emotions. One minute you're sky-high, the next you're cursing yourself after a squandered opportunity.
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Instant Analysis: Nats 12, Brewers 2

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Game in a nutshell: With the Braves off for the day, the Nationals came into Monday with a chance to create some separation. The game was tied at one until the fourth inning when the Nationals exploded with six runs. They then added two in the fifth inning off a two-RBI double by Kurt Suzuki to go up 9-1. Three more runs scored in the bottom of the eighth completed the 12-run day. Jordan Zimmermann pitched in with two hits and an RBI along with 6 2/3 innings with just one earned run allowed.

Hitting highlight: The Nationals blew the game open thanks to some two-out hitting in the fourth inning. Roger Bernadina started the rally by reaching first on a fielder’s choice. He was then moved to second on a Kurt Suzuki single. Zimmermann scored Bernadina on his second hit of the day and then both the pitcher and catcher came home on a fly ball to center by Jayson Werth. Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez lost the ball in the sun and disaster for Milwaukee ensued. Bryce Harper joined Werth on base with a walk and then both were batted in on a three-run homer by Ryan Zimmerman, his 24th of the season.

A cry for help

Associated Press photo

Davey Johnson argues with umpire Marvin Hudson, resulting in his ejection.

ATLANTA -- The call that turned Saturday's ballgame upside-down and set the Braves on their way to a 5-4 victory seemed obvious to everyone in a Nationals uniform.

Adam LaRoche's left foot never lost contact with first base -- "I was sure," the veteran said later -- and Martin Prado should have been called out on what looked like a routine groundout to open the bottom of the sixth.

So when Marvin Hudson signaled safe, Davey Johnson didn't know what else to do but bolt out of the Turner Field visitors dugout and let the 48-year-old umpire have it.

"I knew," the 69-year-old manager said. "Even with these old eyes, I knew I was right. I didn't need a replay. And I'm thinking: Here's a young man, right on top of it. Obviously he had to be out of position."
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Confidence men

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Davey Johnson has plenty of reason to smile these days.

PHOENIX -- They trailed early by three runs, facing perhaps the NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner. Their two best setup men were shelved for the evening due to overuse. The relievers who replaced them wound up putting the tying runner in scoring position in three consecutive innings.

Yet, not one uniformed member of the Nationals appeared to break a sweat during Saturday night's 6-5 victory over the Diamondbacks. (And, no, that had nothing to do with the 108-degree dry heat outside Chase Field.)

What gives? Do the Nationals ever worry about losing a ballgame? Evidently not.

"The confidence is at an all-time high right now," right-hander Ryan Mattheus said.

And why wouldn't it be the way things are going for the best team in baseball? This nailbiter resulted in the Nationals' eighth consecutive win, the last six of them coming on the road. They're now 71-43, a full 28 games over .500, knowing they can go 24-24 the rest of the way and still finish with 95 wins.
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Nats bullpen reads Fifty Shades of Grey