However, despite the uncertain nature of the organization’s intent – little information is released about Instrux – it’s still worth noting which players are thought highly enough of to send down to Florida, where they’ll participate in additional games spanning from Friday, September 21st through Wednesday, October 10th.

2012 Draft pick Robert Benincasa pitched in the ACC Regionals with FSU before joining the Nationals organization in June. (Image Credit: Mark Dolejs-US PRESSWIRE)

On the pitching front, a pair of 2012 Draftees – Robert Benincasa and Brett Mooneyham – highlight the group. Benincasa, the team’s 7th Round selection out of Florida State, made his professional debut with Auburn after signing. He appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen for the Doubledays, striking out 32 (12.3 K/9) while walking just 3 (1.2 BB/9) over 23.1 innings of work. The right-hander possesses a strong fastball and slider combination, but is could very well be working on his other pitches while in Instrux (likely his changeup and/or splitter). Mooneyham, meanwhile, made 9 starts (10 appearances total) for Auburn, pitching 42.1 innings of work in his first professional season. He went 2-2 with a 2.55 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 16 walks. The left-hander out of Stanford has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter but has long struggled with consistency in his mechanics.

Left-hander Robbie Ray will be joining them in Florida after a highly disappointing season. Ray, who surprised many in 2011 and earned himself a shred of top prospect list consideration this past winter, was just 4-12 with a 6.56 ERA over 105.2 innings (22 games, 21 starts) for High-A Potomac. What was most concerning for Ray was the total abandonment of his control on the season. His walk rate jumped to 4.2 BB/9 and his WHIP rose to 1.618 – both career worst marks since being taken in the 2010 Draft. Fortunately for Ray he’s still just 20 years of age, so time is on his side.

One other notable name to appear on the Instrux roster is Robert Gilliam, the “other guy” in the trade that brought Gio Gonzalez to Washington in January. Gilliam, 24, is the oldest of the Washington pitchers to be in Instrux, had a disappointing first season in the Nationals organization. He began the year with Double-A Harrisburg before getting demoted to High-A Potomac in July. In 27 combined appearances (19 starts) on the year he posted a 4-9 record and 5.74 ERA over 120.2 innings of work. His WHIP has risen steadily three straight years and has struggled against higher competition. 2013 may be a big year in determining whether he has a future within the organization.

As for the position players, Cutter Dykstra is just one of the names worth noting on the Instrux roster. Dykstra, acquired from Milwaukee after the 2010 season in return for Nyjer Morgan, struggled mightily in his first season within the Nationals organization. However, with a demotion to Class-A Hagerstown in 2012 he bounced back, hitting .291/.366/.408 with 7 HR and 64 RBI over 492 plate appearances on the year. The son of former Major Leaguer Lenny Dykstra saw time across the diamond in 2012, appearing at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field.

Outfielders Destin Hood and Michael Taylor both will appear in games over the coming weeks. Hood’s 2012 season was a lost cause after a promising 2011, thanks largely to injuries that limited him to just 94 games on the year. He hit .245/.301/.344 over 389 plate appearances with Double-A Harrisburg, a level he’ll likely repeat in 2013. Taylor, coming off just his second year as an outfielder, showed promise both offensively and defensively, but is still a project in the works. He hit .242/.318/.362 over 431 plate appearances with Potomac. Both Hood and Taylor were among the organization’s top outfield prospects entering the 2012 season. While Hood’s stock may have slipped, Taylor’s likely has grown.

2012 Draft selections Spencer Kieboom and Tony Renda will get some extra work in before concluding their first professional seasons. Kieboom, a 5th Round pick out of Clemson, was touted as a glove-first catcher with offensive upside but he impressed more at the plate than in the field in 41 games with Auburn. He hit .258/.362/.305 over 155 plate appearances and hit well with runners in scoring position. He permitted 9 passed balls behind the plate but did throw out 43% of opposing base stealers. As for Renda, the second baseman continues to earn comparisons to Dustin Pedroia despite showing little signs that he’ll reach the same prowess from a power standpoint. Renda, the team’s 2nd Round pick from UC Berkeley, hit .264/.341/.298 over 334 plate appearances.

Matt Skole will also head to Instrux, though his appearance on the roster is merely to keep him fresh before he heads West for a stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Washington has a fair collection of players making up their Instrux roster but it’s important to remember that these games are mainly for instructional motives, not to be confused with serious competition. Even still, it’s worth noting that the Nationals have assembled a strong group of talented players throughout their minor league system, including a number of quality additions from this past June’s Amateur Draft.

(Image Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

Storen, the team’s second 1st Round pick in 2009 (the first being one Stephen Strasburg), was anointed the team’s future closer from the moment his name was announced that June. While he wasted little time in working his way to Washington, he did not fully take on the closer’s role until the 2011 campaign. He flourished in it. Storen appeared in 73 games during the 2011 season, posting a 6-3 record and 2.75 ERA along with saving 43 games. Washington had found it’s closer and heading into this season it was widely expected that he’d continue that trend.

Of course, things don’t always go as planned. Storen began experiencing some discomfort in his pitching elbow during Spring Training, initiating some scares that he could need to undergo a major surgery and potentially miss the entire season. However, it turns out the injury wasn’t quite as bad as some feared though it still wasn’t anything to laugh at. Storen was suffering from bone spurs in the elbow, underwent surgery in late March, and missed the season’s first three and a half months.

Johnson tried a number of candidates in the closer’s role early on – including Brad Lidge, Henry Rodriguez, and Sean Burnett. But since May 22nd the job has been Clippard’s and Clippard’s alone. He entered a 5-2 game in the bottom of the ninth at Philadelphia and promptly struck out Pete Orr before inducing ground balls by Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco. The Nationals won the game and have been in 1st place ever since.

Clippard, meanwhile, has been solid since. He’s saved 32 games and pitched to a 3.22 ERA. He had been so reliable that once Storen returned from injury the Nationals elected to keep Clippard in the 9th inning role. The former setup man had become closer, with the former closer setting up.

But Clippard has struggled of late, allowing 6 runs on 11 hits (including a pair of home runs) since September 1st. His season ERA has risen nearly half a run over that span. Meanwhile Storen has been pitching lights out. He’s allowed just a single earned run since mid-August, a span of 17 appearances. It was Storen on the mound, striking out three consecutive Dodgers on Thursday night, clinching the Nationals first trip to the postseason.

With one arm struggling and the other flourishing, the decision to utilize both interchangeably in the 9th inning role appears one its surface to be an inspired one by Johnson and the Nationals. But what remains to be seen is how the decision will be made regarding which arm to call upon. Johnson will likely “go by the situation” and will do what he can to avoid overworking either player. It’ll all depend on the matchups.

As the Nationals head into the postseason for the first time in franchise history, the man who’s already halfway to the franchise saves record (Storen has 51, Chad Cordero holds the team record with 113) in less than three years of MLB service is going to be back in a familiar role. This time he’ll share duties with one of the NL’s most consistent relievers over the past three seasons. Washington appears to be in a good spot heading into October, at least at the back end of the bullpen.

(Image Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

Zimmerman received a pair of shots early on this season, shortly after the injury was first diagnosed in April. Neither seemed to help much, as he sputtered to a .218/.285/.305 line with just 3 HR and 22 RBI over the season’s first 55 games. But on June 24th Zimmerman would receive another shot and this time the results were much different. He’s batted .322/.396/.598 since with 19 HR and 62 RBI. The Nationals are 21 games over .500 during that span.

While his production at the plate hasn’t suffered, Zimmerman has continued to deal with a growing discomfort in his shoulder over the past few weeks which is ultimately what prompted the additional shot, according to Zuckerman. He should be able to play pain-free for the remainder of the season and playoffs, but surgery in the offseason seems like a likely certainty at this point in time. It would be a relatively minor procedure, allowing Zimmerman enough time to fully recover before the start of Spring Training in February.

The third baseman has long had injury concerns, but the organization still believed in him enough to award him a significant contract extension prior to the start of the season. Despite the nagging shoulder injury, he’s appeared in 132 of the team’s 148 games on the season to date.