February 8, 2012

Young talent provides Nats with great hope

By taking advantage of high slots in the Draft, signing free agents and making savvy trades that add depth to their roster, Nationals executive VP of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and his staff have fashioned a high profile while improving the team.

Nats hope to get Mattheus back by Sept. 20

Reliever Ryan Mattheus, who's on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder, has started playing catch and will have a bullpen session on Sunday at Nationals Park.

Many Nationals hope Johnson manages in '12

Davey Johnson has been the manager of the Nationals since late June and he already has left a good impression on his players. In fact, some of them would like to see Johnson return as the skipper for the 2012 season.

Nationals hope to catch fire to counter Mets

The Mets have staged a dramatic turnaround in the past week, winning six games in a row, while the Nationals hope to get their bats going to derail their division rivals' streak.

Bucs hope Alvarez keeps heating up vs. Nats

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is hoping Pedro Alvarez's output Thursday could be a sign of things to come, beginning with Saturday's game against the Nationals, when Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens will oppose Washington's Livan Hernandez.