District Daily: Nationals News 4/14
By Pablo Roa
Apr 13, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman
Freddie Freeman(5) slides into second with a double on a missed catch by Washington Nationals first baseman
Kevin Frandsen(19 in the eighth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Start off your week with some great reads from our fellow Washington Nationals writers:
Jackie Robinson Day ‘very special’ for Nationals
ATLANTA — On Tuesday, the Nationals will take part in a league-wide celebration of Jackie Robinson Day by honoring the first African American player in Major League Baseball.
…”He means a ton to the game of baseball, because the barrier he broke was — at the time — a very tough one to break,” Nationals outfielder Nate McLouth said. “There have been so many more good African American players that have followed in his footsteps and have added so much to the game. It’s a great celebration that will obviously last forever.” Read full article here.
Rizzo not concerned about early injuries
ATLANTA — It’s the third week of the regular season and the Nationals have lost three players — Denard Span, Wilson Ramos and Ryan Zimmerman — from the starting lineup due to injuries.
However, general manager Mike Rizzo doesn’t seem to be worried. He believes the team has enough depth to make up for the loss of those three players. Read full article here.
Washington Nationals Face Major Test After Latest Injuries
One major theme for the Washington Nationals in recent years is injuries to key players early in the season. In 2012, it was Wilson Ramos, who tore his ACL and meniscus, as well as Jayson Werth, who broke his wrist. Ryan Zimmerman also had shoulder issues that year, and thanks to cortisone, he was still able to turn in a solid season where he hit 25 home runs and batted in 95 runs. Washington still won 98 games that year thanks to key bench players stepping up. While 2013 was relatively similar, there were more nagging injuries than major ones. Ramos and Werth were hurt again, as they both faced nagging hamstring injuries that led to multiple trips to the DL. Throw in Danny Espinosa suffering a broken wrist and being demoted, and the disaster that was Dan Haren in the rotation, and 2013 was a markedly worse season, as the Nationals won 86 games and finished 10 games back of the Atlanta Braves, whom they have won one game against this season. This season, early on, has been very similar to the past two as far as injuries go. Read full article here.