Bernadina returning from WBC

Associated Press

Roger Bernadina went 3-for-22 with three RBI for the Netherlands in the WBC.

VIERA, Fla. -- When last seen around these parts, Roger Bernadina was preparing to embark on an 8,000-mile trip from Florida to Taiwan, the first of many stops on the outfielder's World Baseball Classic journey with his Dutch teammates.

Nearly four weeks later, Bernadina is finally set to rejoin the Nationals, his long and winding WBC trek having taken him to Taiwan, Tokyo, Phoenix, San Francisco and now back to Viera at long last after the Netherlands was eliminated in the tournament's semifinal game last night.

Bernadina was right in the thick of the action for the surprise Netherlands team, which advanced out of pool play in Taiwan, then eliminated Cuba in the second round before finally falling to the powerhouse Dominican Republic team last night at AT&T park. Batting third and starting in center field for six of the Dutch's eight WBC games, Bernadina hit only .136 (3-for-22) but drove in three runs and played defensively to help his club advance as far as it

Gonzalez, Detwiler returning to camp

USA Today Sports Images

Gio Gonzalez tossed five scoreless innings for Team USA on Tuesday.

VIERA, Fla. -- Their run in the World Baseball Classic now over following the United States' 4-3, elimination loss to Puerto Rico last night, Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler will return to Nationals camp today and shift their attention back to preparing for the regular season.

Both left-handers acquitted themselves well for Team USA. Gonzalez started on Tuesday against Puerto Rico and tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only three runners to reach base. Detwiler came out of the bullpen Saturday against Italy and churned out four scoreless innings, earning the save in the process.

And both hurlers spoke of the positive experience they got pitching in a high-pressure environment even though the calendar still reads March, experience that could prove helpful as this season plays out.

Now, though, both Gonzalez and Detwiler must work their way back into the Nationals' rotation and align themselves for the season's

WBC Round 2: USA vs. Puerto Rico

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Marlins Park hosts the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

The Nationals are off today, but there's still an important baseball game being played involving at least one member of the Nats. Gio Gonzalez will start tonight for Team USA in its second-round opener against Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Gonzalez stayed back in Viera during the tournament's first round, watching the Americans rally late to win Pool D in Phoenix and advance to this round in Miami. He'll be restricted to 80 pitches tonight, so he could go as many or five or six innings depending on his efficiency.

The Puerto Rican lineup features several big-name big-leaguers, headlined by Yadier Molina, Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan, so Gonzalez will have his work cut out for him. He'll of course have a stacked lineup behind him, with David Wright, Giancarlo Stanton and Co. taking their hacks against Puerto Rico right-hander Mario Santiago, a 28-year-old Dodgers farmhand who has never pitched in the majors.

I'm en route back to Viera for the rest of the spring, but hopefully I'll be able to catch most of the game on TV. In the meantime, enjoy the conversation here...

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC - SECOND ROUND
UNITED STATES vs. PUERTO RICO
Where: Marlins Park, Miami
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EST
TV: MLB Network, ESPN Deportes
Radio: None
Weather: Indoors

UNITED STATES
SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Brandon Phillips
LF Ryan Braun
C Joe Mauer

Nats making their mark in WBC

USA Today Sports Images

Gio Gonzalez will start for Team USA on Tuesday night in Miami.

Whether the World Baseball Classic is drawing more than a cursory glance from the American viewing public is debatable, but give the quadrennial tournament credit for producing some pretty compelling baseball over the last few days.

From Italy's surprise advancement to the second round to the Canada-Mexico brawl to Team USA's dramatic victory over the Canadians in yesterday's winner-take-all game in Phoenix, the WBC hasn't lacked for drama so far.

It has lacked to date in being influenced much by members of the Nationals -- Ross Detwiler did pitch well in relief Saturday night and Roger Bernadina has helped keep the Netherlands alive -- but that's about to change because Gio Gonzalez will be front-and-center tomorrow night. By virtue of the United States' win yesterday, Gonzalez will now leave Nats camp, make the short drive home to Miami and start tomorrow's second-round opener against Puerto Rico.

This promises to be a major event for Gonzalez, who grew up 15 minutes from Marlins Park and surely will have a large cheering

Bernadina leaving Saturday for WBC

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Roger Bernadina will leave camp Saturday to play in the WBC in Taiwan.

VIERA, Fla. -- Roger Bernadina opened a shoebox this morning inside the clubhouse and pulled out a brand-new pair of orange cleats.

Orange? Isn't that going to clash with the Nationals' uniform?

Well, yes. Thankfully, Bernadina has no plans to match them up with his standard red, white and blue garb. These are for his other team, the Netherlands national club which is competing in next month's World Baseball Classic.

Bernadina, in fact, has to leave camp on Saturday so he can join the rest of the Dutch squad on a 20-hour flight to Taiwan, where they'll all open first-round play against South Korea on March 2.

"Long day of flying," the outfielder said, "but it's worth it."

Detwiler jumps at WBC opportunity

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER

Ross Detwiler will pitch for Team USA next month.

Updated at 3:28 p.m.

VIERA, Fla. -- Upon receiving a text message this morning from players union executive Tony Clark offering him a chance to pitch for Team USA in next month's World Baseball Classic, Ross Detwiler nearly responded with an immediate acceptance. Then the Nationals left-hander realized he might want to confirm this with his manager, pitching coach and GM first.

"The little kid in me wanted to say yes without thinking it through," he said. "But I came in, we all thought it through and it was still a yes. So I'm pretty happy about that."

Detwiler will leave Nationals camp March 4 and fly to Phoenix, where Team USA opens first-round pool play four days later. He's tentatively scheduled to pitch on March 9 against Italy, in relief of Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong.

Coming off a breakthrough season in which he went 10-8 with a 3.40 ERA, Detwiler becomes the second left-hander plucked out of

Gonzalez to miss 1st round of WBC

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Gio Gonzalez participates in a bunting drill at Nationals camp.

VIERA, Fla. -- Though Gio Gonzalez will have to leave Nationals camp during the World Baseball Classic, he won't miss as much time as other players participating in next month's international tournament.

Gonzalez will skip the first round of the WBC, giving him an opportunity to make an extra Grapefruit League start with the Nationals before finally joining Team USA in time to make a second-round start March 12 in Miami, manager Davey Johnson said.

"He's starting the second round in Miami," Johnson said. "I got that from [USA pitching coach] Greg Maddux. There's no sense in him going to join the club when everybody else does, so he could stay here and get his work in and then drive down to Miami after he throws his last game here."
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Gio on WBC invite: "It's an honor"

VIERA, Fla. -- Though Gio Gonzalez spent much of his camp-opening session with reporters yesterday answering questions about his possible connection to the Biogenesis clinic under investigation by MLB, the Nationals left-hander also spent a good amount of time on a much happier subject: His addition to Team USA's roster for next month's World Baseball Classic.

Gonzalez described the invitation as "an honor," one he couldn't pass up.

"You get to play for your country," he said. "It only happens every four years. To even be selected or mentioned, it has to be at the top of your [list of accomplishments]. To represent the United States, that says it by itself."

Gonzalez learned of his addition to the roster via a voicemail last week from manager Joe Torre (who also serves as MLB's vice

Gonzalez to pitch for USA in WBC

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Gio Gonzalez becomes the second left-handed starter on Team USA's roster.

Gio Gonzalez has accepted an offer to pitch for Team USA in next month's World Baseball Classic, a somewhat surprising twist less than two weeks after the Nationals left-hander's name surfaced in connection with a Miami clinic under investigation for distributing performance enhancing drugs.

Gonzalez, whose addition was announced on USA Baseball's Twitter account, presumably takes the roster spot that opened up when Braves right-hander Kris Medlen withdrew in anticipation of the birth of his first child. He's currently one of only two left-handed starters scheduled to pitch for Team USA, along with the Rangers' Derek Holland.

Other projected members of the rotation are the Blue Jays' R.A. Dickey and the Giants' Ryan Vogelsong, though more pitchers (including Tigers ace Justin Verlander) could still be added before the final, 28-man roster must be submitted on Feb. 20.

Gonzalez was selected for the team by USA manager Joe Torre, who also serves as MLB's executive vice president for baseball
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Zero Nats on Team USA

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Joe Torre's World Baseball Classic club won't feature any Nationals.

They may have a roster loaded with All-Stars, but the Nationals won't have anyone representing Team USA in this spring's World Baseball Classic.

Manager Joe Torre announced his 28-man provisional roster this morning, and in a fairly surprising development, zero members of the Nationals were on the list.

The roster was assembled by Torre and his coaching staff, though major-league clubs do have the ability to discourage some players from participating due to injury concerns. The players themselves also have the right to decline an invitation for any reason.

It was previously known Bryce Harper would not play in the event, which will be held in March and require players to leave their spring training camps for as many as three weeks. And it seemed a safe
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WBC could be loaded with Nats

US Presswire photo

The third installment of the World Baseball Classic will be held in March.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A handful of prominent Nationals (Alfonso Soriano and Chad Cordero in 2006, Adam Dunn and Joel Hanrahan in 2009) participated in the first two installments of the World Baseball Classic, but the upcoming third installment of the international tournament could be loaded with players off Washington's roster.

So far, only outfielder Roger Bernadina (Netherlands) has committed to playing in the Classic, which will be held March 2-19. Plenty more could follow as rosters are assembled and announced in the coming month.

Team USA will unveil its roster on January 16, with no shortage of potential Nationals in the mix for spots.

Bryce Harper seems a logical choice for manager Joe Torre. So does Ian Desmond, whose chances will be boosted by the fact Derek Jeter is recovering from a broken ankle. Ryan Zimmerman could