District Daily: Jerry Blevins on MLB team for Japan All-Star Series

Oct 3, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher

(13) pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning during game one of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning DoD readers! Start off your day with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web in our District Daily:

Cano, Puig, Altuve head Japan All-Star Series roster

(Austin Laymance, MLB.com)

The postseason may be over, but there is still some exciting baseball to be played. A collection of the game’s top talent will represent Major League Baseball next week when the Japan All-Star Series begins on Tuesday, and the roster for the MLB team was revealed on Friday.

Robinson Cano, Yasiel Puig, Evan Longoria and Jose Altuve headline a group of 29 players on the MLB All-Star team, which will be managed by Boston’s John Farrell. The Major League squad will play a five-game series against Japan’s national team, Samurai Japan. Read full article here.

Nationals’ 2B search update: Does Jed Lowrie make sense for the Nats?

(Patrick Reddington, Federal Baseball)

In discussing the possibility of hitting the free agent market this winter, before the Oakland A’s did, in fact, decline to give him a 1-year/$15.3M qualifying offer, 30-year-old infielder Jed Lowrie told MLB.com’s Jane Lee that he, “wouldn’t rule out an opportunity at second base on the premise it was on a full-time basis.”

“‘I’m not going to go into the offseason saying I’m only going to play shortstop,” Lowrie told the reporter, “‘but what I do want is the chance to play the same position, whether that’s shortstop or whether that’s second base. Flip-flopping back and forth, that just doesn’t interest me at all. I’d like to be able to play one position.'” Read full article here.