Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! Get caught up on all the latest Nats news with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Andrew Simon discusses Ryan Zimmerman‘s season-long slump at the plate. As Simon notes, Zimmerman is confident that he’ll overcome his recent offensive struggles and return to the production we’re accustomed to seeing from the Face of the Franchise.
There’s no question that Zimmerman hasn’t been himself in the batter’s box this season. He’s slashing .213/.270/.353 and has really struggled of late, going 1 for his last 21. That being said, we’ve seen Zimmerman turn his season around in a matter of days time and time again throughout his career, and I’m confident his numbers at the end of the season will be exactly where he wants them to be.
As for when Zimmerman will turn things around, that remains to be seen. But with the rest of the offense struggling and the Nationals losing eight of their last 10 games, now would be a good time for Zimmerman to get his mojo back.
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Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s James Wagner discusses the benefits of having Felipe Rivero in the bullpen. As Wagner notes, Rivero has pitched well in his short time with the Nationals this season and has provided a big boost for a ‘pen that has been heavily taxed in recent weeks.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Zimmerman confident he’ll shake slump
WASHINGTON — Ryan Zimmerman has lived through many ups and downs over his 11 Major League seasons, so even in the midst of a nagging slump, the Nationals first baseman isn’t expressing concern.
“I think I’ve been in this situation before, and it’s a long season,” said Zimmerman, who didn’t start Sunday against the Cubs. “Just got to keep working and keep things going, and things will change.”
Manager Matt Williams tried to get Zimmerman going by moving him up to the No. 2 spot in the order Friday, but Zimmerman went 1-for-9 over the next two games. Through Saturday, a 1-for-21 slide had dropped his season line to .213/.270/.353. That put his OPS more than 200 points below his mark from his first 10 seasons, despite his 34 RBIs. Read full article here.
Felipe Rivero gives the Nationals bullpen a boost
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
Because of injuries and performance, the Nationals‘ bullpen has endured much turnover already this season. Fifteen pitchers have come out of the bullpen so far. And in the search for options, the Nationals have turned to left-handed reliever Felipe Rivero. He was the first choice to replace Xavier Cedeno early in the season but fell ill with a stomach ulcer.
Healthy and rounding into form, Rivero offered an extended glimpse of what he is capable of providing. The bullpen needed rest on Saturday and Rivero fired three scoreless innings, a surprising development. Rivero hadn’t thrown more than 1 1/3 innings in an outing all season between the majors and Class AAA Syracuse.
“We needed that length from him and he gave it to us so he pitched well,” Manager Matt Williams said. Read full article here.