Nats-Mets Finale Washed Out

Face it, no one enjoys doubleheaders, especially the split variety major league baseball teams are so fond of scheduling these days. But with Thursday night’s Nationals-Mets game postponed by rain, Washington gets a chance to let the dust settle around a busy week of transactions and will likely be in better shape from a health standpoint by the time the game is rescheduled.

Nats Park sits covered by a tarp as rain washes out the final game of the Mets series Thursday. (Image: Evan Habeeb, USA Today)

No makeup date has been announced, but Washington manager Davey Johnson did tell the team’s beat writers that he will keep his rotation in line, but pushed back a day. Gio Gonzalez, scheduled to start Thursday, will now face Minnesota in Friday night’s series opener, while Nathan Karns will pitch on Saturday. This means the expected call-up for Ross Ohlendorf for Saturday’s contest will now not happen.

Ohlendorf would have been in line to take Stephen Strasburg‘s spot in the rotation. Strasburg, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique, will likely throw a simulated game in Colorado while the Nationals take on the Rockies. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Washington rotation on June 16 in Philadelphia.

In other injury news: Phenom Category, Bryce Harper will visit with Dr. James Andrews to try and get a better idea of why his troublesome left knee is not healing as quickly as everyone had hoped. Harper is still experiencing swelling after the slightest activity and will probably not be ready to come off the disabled list when he is eligible on June 11.