Washington Nationals: The rally must start now
By Ron Juckett
The Washington Nationals road trip ends after a day game in San Francisco. From Max Scherzer to you, it is time for a huge rally in today’s Daily Washingtonian.
Good morning, Washington Nationals fans!
Today is Wednesday, April 25, 2018, the last day of this road trip.
After another tough loss, the Nats sit at 10-14 and are now 6.5 games behind those high-flying New York Mets in the National League East.
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The first 24 games of the year have not gone to plan.
A combination of injuries and bouts of sluggish play have Washington back on the brink of a lost season. Somehow, they must fight through these bleak days and not any farther behind in the standings. It gets tougher every day.
The next two games offers a chance of positive momentum.
Max Scherzer will do his best to stop this latest losing streak when he takes the hill this afternoon. Stephen Strasburg opens the home stand Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The chances are there to gain ground.
But, the Nats need to score runs and support the rest of the rotation. As a team, they must work together and take the pressure off the overworked bullpen. You, the fan, have to help carry them at home by filling Nationals Park and make noise.
It is not too late, but it is no longer early.
To the links:
District on Deck analyzes Shawn Kelley’s injury
As a two-time Tommy John Surgery recipient, Shawn Kelley is at an increased risk of re-injuring his elbow. Unfortunately, he did just that on Monday night in San Francisco. After his velocity was down and he spiked a slider, he was removed from the game with an irritated ulnar nerve. Drew Douglas analyzes Kelley’s most recent elbow injury.
District on Deck discusses the Nats’ plethora of injuries
The Nats have always been an injury-prone bunch, but it seems to be worse than normal early in 2018. Daniel Murphy, Koda Glover, and Joaquin Benoit began the year on the disabled list, but Adam Eaton, Anthony Rendon, Brian Goodwin, Matt Grace, and Kelley have recently joined them. Could the plethora of injuries derail the Nats’ season?
The Nats have several high-profile players, such as Bryce Harper and Scherzer. This leads to wins, but it is also very costly. At the moment, the Nats and Boston Red Sox are the only teams on track to pay the luxury tax. Incredibly, the Nats will likely add to that with a few deadline deals.
MASN analyzes the Nats’ recent roster moves
Along with placing Kelley on the disabled list, the Nats optioned the struggling Matt Reynolds to Triple-A. To replace the two veterans, the Nats promoted Adrian Sanchez and Rafael Bautista. Both of the younger players impressed in brief opportunities last year and will now receive another opportunity to prove themselves. Mark Zuckerman goes through the recent roster moves.
Lets hope Scherzer can bring it home. Enjoy your Wednesday!