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Washington Nationals All-Star ace Stephen Strasburg went eight innings during Friday night’s 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing one earned run and just three hits while striking out six to improve to 13-0 on the season.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Strasburg is the fifth pitcher since 1956 to start a season 13-0 or better. Three of those pitchers went on to win the Cy Young Award the year they accomplished the feat, including his current teammate Max Scherzer, who won the award in 2013 as a member of the Detroit Tigers:

Strasburg is the only player to have hit the 13-0 mark in the National League.

While the individual success is a good omen for Strasburg’s trophy case, it’s also a good omen for the Nationals, as most of the teams those pitchers played for saw some form of success in the fall:

Friday’s outing also lowered Strasburg’s ERA from 2.62 to 2.51, moving him up to sixth-best in the major leagues.

It’s not the only category he’s among the big leagues’ best in, either: 

Strasburg is also getting plenty of help from his offense when he takes the hill, which has made his 13-0 mark somewhat easier to attain. According to ESPN.com, he’s receiving 6.41 runs per start, which is fourth-best in the major leagues.

He’s already two wins away from his career high of 15 victories, though it took him 28 starts to get to that number in 2012, compared to the 17 he’s made in 2016.

If history suggests anything, it’s that Strasburg will have to maintain this kind of excellence deep into October. And that’s something Nationals fans, and probably Strasburg, would like to see even more than an undefeated record in July.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer will replace teammate Stephen Strasburg on the 2016 National League All-Star roster, MLB announced on Friday.

Scherzer, 31, is 9-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through his first 18 starts. He’s struck out 155 batters in 120.2 innings and will be making his fourth straight appearance in the Midsummer Classic.

Strasburg, 27, was considered a potential NL starter after going 11-0 with a 2.71 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 15 starts. The game is also in Strasburg’s hometown of San Diego, so it’s a bit of a surprise that he won’t be making the trip.

But with the Cy Young Award contender due to pitch on Friday night against the New York Mets, Strasburg likely decided there wasn’t enough rest time.

Scherzer’s selection comes within hours of the Mets announcing that starter Bartolo Colon earned All-Star honors in place of Madison Bumgarner.

After struggling for the first two months—especially in regard to home runs allowed—Scherzer has been back in fine form in June and July. He went 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 41.1 innings in June. Junior Guerra of the Milwaukee Brewers out-dueled him in a 1-0 battle on Independence Day, but Scherzer still gave up just four hits over six innings.

“I think he’s an All-Star, personally,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. “Not because he’s on my team, which helps. But this guy, he can easily win 20. So don’t count him out.”

The right-handed flamethrower’s only issues this season have been with the long ball. His 21 homers allowed are tied for the second-most in Major League Baseball with Josh Tomlin, Ian Kennedy and Jered Weaver—none of whom are sniffing the All-Star Game (though Tomlin has been very good).

“I’m not going to sit here and just beat myself up over home runs,” Scherzer said, per Janes. “I’m gonna attack the zone. I know that, and I’m gonna give up some solo blasts. I’m okay with that.”

It speaks to how well Scherzer is pitching between those dingers that he’s been able to overcome them and make the roster.

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Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman has gone on the 15-day disabled list with an unspecified injury. 

Continue for updates.  

Dusty Baker Mum on Zimmerman’s Ailment

Friday, July 8

The Nationals announced the move Friday. 

On Thursday, manager Dusty Baker said Zimmerman was out due to a “sore something,” according to the Washington Post‘s Chelsea Janes. 

This is a difficult blow for the injury-plagued 31-year-old, especially since he appeared in only 95 games in 2015 and 61 games in 2014. In fact, he hasn’t appeared in at least 150 games in a season since the 2009 campaign, which is one reason he moved to first base from his old position of third base.

When healthy, Zimmerman is still a dangerous offensive player. Thus far, he is batting just .221 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI in 2016.

He posted solid power numbers last season with 16 home runs and 73 RBI, but he hit only .249 with a .308 on-base percentage. Still, he was a force in his prime and was a 2009 All-Star with a .292 batting average, 33 home runs, 106 RBI and a WAR of 7.1, per ESPN.com. He followed that up the next year with a .307 batting average, 25 home runs, 85 RBI and a WAR of 6.0.

He earned Silver Slugger awards in both of those seasons and was a Gold Glove third baseman in 2009.

The hope in the nation’s capital was Zimmerman would bounce back to his old form, but the Nationals can at least turn to Clint Robinson in his absence. Robinson played 126 games last season and hit .272 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI. The fact he picked up critical experience in 2015 will help him fill in for Zimmerman until the starting first baseman returns.

While Robinson can serve as the first baseman for the immediate future, Washington is trying to rebound from a disappointing 2015 and could use Zimmerman’s veteran presence and pop back in the lineup.

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The Washington Nationals‘ Stephen Strasburg carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning Sunday before getting the hook with two outs and 109 pitches under his belt.

So the right-hander didn’t make history in his team’s 12-1 shellacking of the Cincinnati Reds. But he did ease a lot of nerves in the nation’s capital.

First, let’s get this out of the way: The decision to pull Strasburg was a no-brainer, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post elucidated:

Manager Dusty Baker has drawn criticism in the past for overworking young pitchers. In this case, he took no chances with Strasburg, who was making his first start since landing on the disabled list with an upper back strain.

That’s what this game was about: getting Strasburg back in action and watching him pitch like the ace he’s been all season.

Mission accomplished.

“You’ve got to weigh the future with the present,” Baker said afterward, per Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com. “You just think we’re going to need him.” 

With his 6.2 hitless, scoreless frames, Strasburg lowered his ERA to 2.71. He ranks among the top 10 in the game in strikeouts (123) and opponents’ batting average (.208). And his 11-0 record puts him in rarefied historical air, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Speaking of Max Scherzer, Strasburg’s rotation mate is having a stellar campaign of his own, with a 9-5 record, 3.30 ERA and MLB-leading 148 strikeouts.

When Strasburg went down, however, there was cause for stomach-churning consternation in D.C. unrelated to presidential politics. 

Yes, at 50-33, the Nationals sit in first place, as they have for much of the year. But with the defending National League champion New York Mets (44-37) and scrappy Miami Marlins (42-39) lurking, losing Strasburg for any significant stretch would have been a debilitating blow. 

Counting Sunday’s gem, the Nats are 14-1 in Strasburg’s starts. Without that dominance, the standings would undoubtedly look different out East.

“It was awesome to see him come off the DL and see him throw like that,” said shortstop Danny Espinosa, who drove in six runs Sunday, per Janes. “He’s a huge part of this team and a huge part of a reason why we win.”

Yes, rookie Lucas Giolito softened the blow of Strasburg’s injury, twirling four scoreless innings in a promising, rain-shortened debut on June 28. 

But the Nationals placed right-hander Joe Ross on the disabled list Sunday with right shoulder inflammation, per MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. 

So even if Giolito stays up, which seems likely, there would have been a hole in Washington’s rotation.

Instead, it got one of the top pitchers in baseball back on the bump. 

Strasburg’s career has been partly defined by injuries, from his 2010 Tommy John surgery to upper back issues that sidelined him last season. One excellent outing won’t erase all concern. Nats fans will still hold their collective breath every time the 27-year-old stud winces.  

But if Strasburg looks similarly strong in his next outing—which will likely come in the middle of Washington’s pivotal July 7-10 series against the Mets—he’ll roll into the All-Star break with the doubters choking on his dust.

Last year, Strasburg was transcendent in the second half, posting a 1.90 ERA with an eye-popping 92 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. 

If he can approximate that output, it’ll help push Washington over the postseason finish line and erase the memory of the club’s acrimonious 2015 flameout.

Strasburg has made just one career playoff start, a loss to the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 division series. With his team sitting five games up on New York entering play Monday, he’s got a real chance to bolster that October resume and maybe even carry the Nats to the first championship in franchise history.

A no-hitter Sunday would have been cool; no argument there. But a few more months of healthy, superlative Strasburg could lead to something much cooler.

All statistics current as of July 3 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Washington Nationals pulled starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg after 6.2 innings of no-hit ball Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. 

Strasburg threw 109 pitches in the outing, striking out five batters and walking four. But the 27-year-old just came off the 15-day disabled list with an upper-back strain, and the Nationals clearly weren’t keen on pushing him too hard in his first start since June 15.  

That made the decision to remove him the right one, as AJ Mass of ESPN.com noted:

Strasburg isn’t the only pitcher to be removed during a no-hitter this year, per ESPN Stats & Info:

With pitcher Joe Ross on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, the Nationals had room to activate Strasburg on the roster. That likely means promising prospect Lucas Giolito will remain in the rotation, at least for the time being.

But little is more important in Washington than keeping Strasburg healthy. The star pitcher, who signed a seven-year, $175 million contract this year, came into Sunday 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 93.0 innings pitched. 

Alongside Max Scherzer, Strasburg gives the Nationals one of the best one-two punches in baseball, while Ross, Tanner Roark and Gio Gonzalez round out a nice rotation. And the Nationals have excellent depth at the position as well, as they can simply call on baseball’s top prospect, Giolito, to fill in for Strasburg and Ross as needed. 

But an ace like Strasburg is the difference between the Nationals competing for a World Series this season and potentially missing the postseason altogether. Keeping him healthy will be prioritized above all else, even if a no-hitter is on the line.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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The Washington Nationals signed pitcher Mat Latos to a minor league contract on Wednesday, manager Dusty Baker confirmed to Dan Kolko of MASN.  

Baker noted that the move was primarily for depth, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN:

Latos, 28, struggled with the Chicago White Sox this year, going 6-2 with a 4.62 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched over 11 starts. He was excellent for the team early in the season, allowing just two total runs in his first four starts, but he then gave up four or more earned runs in five of his next seven starts.

The White Sox released him earlier in June. Baker thinks the White Sox might have cut ties with the right-hander a bit soon, however.

“They didn’t give him a whole bunch of time to fall apart,” the Nats manager told Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. “Maybe they didn’t believe what they were seeing in the victories that preceded us getting there. I don’t know. I can’t speak for another man, but I thought it was a bit premature to release him at that time.”

Per Janes, “Latos will be a Class AAA starter for the Nationals, who do not view him as a potential bullpen option, according to a person familiar with the situation.”

The move comes after Washington placed Stephen Strasburg on the disabled list with an upper-back strain. The Nationals do have solid pitching depth, however, with top prospect Lucas Giolito making his MLB debut against the New York Mets on Tuesday.

Giolito pitched 4.0 innings, giving up just one hit, two walks and no runs while striking out one batter before a rain delay ended his night. He earned himself a look while Strasburg is sidelined—and perhaps even beyond that.

Latos, meanwhile, will join MLB prospects Reynaldo Lopez and Austin Voth in Syracuse, rounding out a nice stable of arms for the Nationals at the Triple-A level.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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On Tuesday, only one opponent bested the Washington Nationals‘ Lucas Giolito in his hotly anticipated MLB debut: Mother Nature.

First, rain delayed the 21-year-old right-hander’s start against Matt Harvey and the New York Mets at Nationals Park by nearly an hour.

When he finally took the hill, Giolito surrendered a leadoff single to Curtis Granderson and then proceeded to retire 11 of the next 13 hitters he faced.

By the time the clouds opened again, interrupted the action for another hour-plus and prematurely washed out Giolito’s evening, he’d recorded four scoreless, one-hit innings with a strikeout and two walks.

Most impressively, Giolito needed just 45 pitches—29 of them strikes—to get through those four frames. Maybe he was about to wear down. Maybe he’d have coughed up a crooked number if the game had continued and changed the result of a 5-0 Nats victory that moved them five games ahead of New York in the National League East.

He sure didn’t look like it, though.

Working quickly and betraying little emotion, Giolito sat in the mid-90s with his fastball and complemented the heater with a plus curveball and surprisingly effective changeup.

If you’d like some visual evidence, here’s his first big league punchout, courtesy of MLB:

His command rarely faltered. If you’d stumbled upon the game without knowing the backstory, you might have assumed—understandably—this kid had been in The Show all season.

The backstory, however, was nearly impossible to avoid.

Washington’s No. 1 prospect, according to Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, and the No. 1 prospect in the game, according to MLB.com, Giolito got the call after Stephen Strasburg went on the disabled list with an upper-back strain.

So not only was the 2012 first-round pick toeing an MLB rubber for the first time, he was temporarily filling the cleats of a former phenom and one of the Nationals’ most important players.

No pressure.

Again, if Giolito felt the weight of expectations, he didn’t show it. The Mets hit some balls hard, but his defense backed him up. Second baseman Daniel Murphy made a particularly slick play in the first on Neil Walker’s ground ball with Granderson in scoring position that likely saved a run.

That’s how you enjoy success at the highest level: Trust your stuff and trust your teammates.

The road hasn’t always been easy for Giolito, who underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2012—barely two weeks after he made his pro debut in the Florida Gulf Coast League.

Like so many power pitchers before him—including Strasburg and Harvey—he came back strong. He posted a 1.96 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 36.2 innings between Rookie and Low-A ball in 2013 and rose through the system, reaching Double-A Harrisburg in 2015 and starting this season there.

Harrisburg Senators pitching coach Chris Michalak tweaked Giolito’s delivery in the spring, according to ESPN’s Keith Law, but it produced less than stellar results.

“Fortunately,” Law noted in May, “there doesn’t appear to be any lasting damage to Giolito’s stuff or arm—just a delay in his arrival in the big leagues.”

Now, the delay is over.

“For being 21 years old, he shows a lot of maturity being here,” veteran right-hander Max Scherzer said in March, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. “He’s got a sense of humor, so he’ll blend in well with the clubhouse. He seems interested in learning the game and trying to think on the next level.”

Speaking of which, it’s worth wondering if Giolito will stick in the rotation. Strasburg, who was put on the DL retroactive to June 16, threw a bullpen session Tuesday, per the Associated Press (via ESPN), and could be back sooner than later.

Tanner Roark is ensconced, along with Scherzer and Strasburg, and Joe Ross is 7-4 with 3.30 ERA in 90 innings. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez has struggled, losing his last six decisions and watching his ERA balloon to 4.73. But it’s tough to imagine Washington bumping the two-time All-Star.

More likely, Giolito will head back to the minors for more seasoning when Strasburg is ready. Will the California native be back? Undoubtedly.

Will he build on Tuesday’s rain-shortened tease and blossom into an ace-level talent?

“He’s a prospect,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said prior to Giolito’s maiden outing, per the Washington Post‘s Jorge Castillo. “You know how many prospects I’ve seen? Some work, some don’t, but we’re trying to ward off the Mets. My son’s really excited to see ‘his boy Giolito,’ as he said.”

Despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, Giolito delivered.

All statistics accurate as of June 28 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker told reporters Monday that exciting prospect and right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito would make his MLB debut Tuesday against the New York Mets.

On Tuesday, the Nationals made the call-up official, noting pitcher Rafael Martin was sent to Triple-A and that pitcher Taylor Jordan was released as part of the roster move.

According to MLB Pipeline, the 21-year-old Giolito is the top prospect in all of baseball. 

It will be a bittersweet moment for the Nationals, as the excitement of seeing their top prospect in action will be tempered somewhat by the fact they called him up because Stephen Strasburg went on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain. 

Any injury to Strasburg is a major concern, and for all of Giolito’s upside, he’s not equipped to replace one of the top pitchers in baseball. While the Nationals will hope that isn’t necessary and Strasburg will return to action shortly, the opportunity to see Giolito in action will nonetheless be intriguing.

Giolito has had some struggles in 2016, with Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post reporting that the young pitcher “has struggled with command this season.”

But while he got knocked around in his last start for five earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched, prior to that he was excellent. As Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com noted: “In a span of eight starts between May 9 and June 16, Giolito went 5-0 with a 0.94 ERA in 47.2 innings. He struck out 52 and walked 15.”

Indeed, it’s been an up-and-down year for Giolito. In 71 innings pitched and 14 starts this season, he has gone 5-3 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.423 WHIP and 72 strikeouts. While those aren’t elite numbers, Giolito has elite stuff, with an excellent fastball and curveball and a changeup that continues to improve.

Whether Giolito has consistent command of those pitches and the maturity needed to succeed at the MLB level remains in question. The talent is there. On Tuesday, many Nationals fans will get to see that talent on display for themselves. It’s an exciting moment for the organization, even if it’s one Washington probably would have preferred pushing farther into the future.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg would not make Monday’s start against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of an upper-back strain, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com. It is unclear when he’ll return to the mound. 

Continue for updates.

Baker Comments on Strasburg’s Injury

Monday, June 20

“We don’t think it’s serious,” said Nationals manager Dusty Baker, via Zuckerman, who added the “hope” is that Strasburg will make his next start in six days. 

Baker said Strasburg first started suffering from a back strain working out a couple of days ago, per Zuckerman. 

Nationals Have the Depth to Overcome Possible Strasburg Absence 

Yusmeiro Petit made the emergency start in place of Strasburg.

As for Strasburg, this is another injury for Washington to worry about. The right-hander tied for the National League lead with 34 starts in 2014, but he was limited to 23 last year. What’s more, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010.

The 2012 All-Star posted a 3.46 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 2015. In 2014, he struck out 242 batters. He is one of the most effective strikeout pitchers in the majors when healthy. Until last year, he’d also never finished with an ERA above 3.16.

This season, he has been one of the Nationals’ best players with a 2.90 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 93 innings. The result is a 10-0 record through 14 starts.

Washington ace Max Scherzer will have to carry the load atop the rotation until Strasburg returns. Scherzer won the 2013 American League Cy Young Award and posted a 2.79 ERA and 0.92 WHIP last season in his first year with the Nationals.

Washington can also turn to Gio Gonzalez, a veteran southpaw who has been in the league since 2008, and youngsters Joe Ross and Tanner Roark, who have ERAs of 3.13 and 3.14, respectively.

While they give the first-place Nationals depth, the club could use the dominant Strasburg as it hopes to live up to expectations following its midsummer collapse in 2015.

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The Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals open a three-game set in Milwaukee on June 24. Ryan Braun will probably still be in a Brewers uniform at that point, though the trade chatter surrounding him will only intensify as the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline approaches.

Washington fans should watch that series closely—and feel free to picture Braun and Bryce Harper patrolling the same outfield.

Braun has heard the rumblings. He knows he’s a veteran slugger on a rebuilding team.

“It seems regardless of which team we’re playing, that’s the team I’m getting traded to,” he said Monday, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

It’s that time of year, when whispers and hypothetical swaps start flying around like hot dog wrappers on a blustery day.

Braun to the Nats, though, makes a fair bit of sense. And it could be a game-changer for the National League East leaders as they take their 2016 redemption tour into the heat of summer.

First, the particulars on Braun: The 32-year-old left fielder and 2011 NL MVP is enjoying a renaissance season, hitting .307 with 11 homers and an .889 OPS.

There are red flags. He battled thumb issues and underwent back surgery in 2015. He’s the lowest-ranked regular left fielder in the game defensively, per FanGraphs.

Then there’s the 2013 performance-enhancing drug suspension that will forever stain his legacy.

His healthy, resurgent 2016, however, “has altered the perception of him as a player you wouldn’t touch because of his age and PED history into someone worth considering,” sources told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney in May.

Which brings us back to the Nationals, who could use an offensive boost in the outfield.

Harper, the reigning NL MVP, is ensconced in right field. The rest of the picture, however, is a muddled mess.

Veteran left fielder Jayson Werth is hitting .244 with an anemic .755 OPS. Center fielder Ben Revere owns a .212/.262/.285 slash line, which stands next to Michael Taylor’s equally punchless .219/.252/.348 line. And fifth outfielder Chris Heisey isn’t going to save the day.

Braun would represent a dramatic upgrade. Slot him between Harper and second baseman Daniel Murphy in the Nats lineup, and suddenly you’ve got a genuinely fearsome heart of the order:

Braun is making $20 million this season and will make the same amount in 2017 and 2018. He’s then owed $19 million in 2019 and $17 million in 2020, with a $15 million mutual option for 2021 or a $4 million buyout.

That’s a lot of dough for a player rolling toward his mid-30s, but it’s not stratospheric by today’s standards.

And the Brewers have been willing to take on a share of the financial burden to make trades work, as they did with Yovani Gallardo, Aramis Ramirez and Jonathan Broxton last year.

Or Washington could shoulder most of the monetary load and keep the prized chips in a farm system Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter ranked No. 15 in the game in February.

As Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported in May, Braun has a no-trade clause that allows him to block a trade to any team except the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres or San Francisco Giants.

Given his Southern California roots, it’s not surprising that list is mostly composed of West Coast clubs.

At the same time, Braun has never advanced past the National League Championship Series and hasn’t tasted the postseason since 2011. It’s possible the appeal of going to a winner would trump geographic preference.

Speaking of the postseason, the Nats are on a quest to stave off the defending NL champion New York Mets in the East and extinguish the memory of last season’s second-place flameout. And they’re in a win-now window, with Harper set to hit the open market after the 2018 season and likely bolt for a ludicrous payday somewhere else (think pinstripes).

Braun comes with baggage, no question. He might only have a couple more productive years left, meaning the back end of his deal could be a payroll drag. And asking the 37-year-old Werth, who is owed $21 million this season and next, to cede playing time may cause clubhouse friction.

But if anyone knows how to handle PED-tainted sluggers and juggle clubhouse egos, it’s Nationals skipper Dusty Baker, a players’ manager who won a bunch of games with Barry Bonds in San Francisco and, later, Sammy Sosa in Chicago.

As with any potential trade, there’s risk. But there’s also ample reward.

Circle that June 24 series, Nats fans. And allow yourselves to picture Braun swapping sides.

All statistics and contract information current as of June 14 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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