After the Washington Nationals extended their abysmal losing streak to a staggering 11 games on Wednesday evening, manager Dave Martinez's press availability did not air on television following the conclusion of the broadcast, leading fans to speculate wildly (as they often do).
Eventually, Martinez did actually appear before the press about 20 minutes after the game ended, according to Mark Zuckerman. But that won't stop aggrieved fans from having questions about his immediate future. After all, every little blip - however erroneous - feels like a nervous example of something stewing right now.
It's no secret that the Nationals are an absolute disaster right now. Following an impressive trip out to the west coast that saw the team take consecutive series victories over the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, things have been just about all downhill for the Nationals. The team has just 2 wins in the month of June, and the offense has been abysmal outside of James Wood, CJ Abrams, and a little bit of life from Luis Garcia Jr. and the new kid, Brady House.
This recent homestand has been an absolute travesty, with the team being swept by the Miami Marlins, and now on the verge of a 4-game sweep at the hands of the worst team in baseball, the Colorado Rockies. Rumors have been swirling about the job security of Martinez ever since he blasted his players over the weekend, and the performance of his team since then has done nothing but make those calls for his job even louder.
With the Nationals playing a day game against the Rockies on Thursday, scheduled for first pitch at 1:05 PM EST, could the Nationals actually make a significant coaching change before the game? It seems unlikely from a managerial standpoint, as it would be pretty tough to break in an interim manager before a road trip against some of the best teams in the league in the Dodgers and Padres looming on the horizon.
However, with the Nationals likely needing someone to be the scapegoat, could Darnell Coles or someone else be fired? The reality of the situation is that, when you've lost 11 straight games, something needs to change. Whether it's Martinez or Coles or Jim Hickey, not a lot has gone right for the Nationals as of recent, and a change is likely to be made soon despite what Mike Rizzo wants to tell the media.
By the time you're reading this article we might very well have an answer, but for now at least, nobody can deny that this whole situation demands a resolution.
Editor's Note:
An earlier version of this story indicated that Martinez's press availability had been canceled. That was inaccurate; he met with the media for around 20 minutes after Wednesday night's loss.
Do you think the Nationals will make a coaching change? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.