Daily Nats Blurbs

[General]

Alfonso Soriano hit his 200th career home run Sunday off the Mets' Steve Trachsel.
Soriano has six homers already this month and is up to 38 on the season, which is one shy of his career high from 2002. He just might finish the year with 50 homers and 40 steals.

[General]

Pedro Astacio completely shut down the potent Braves' offense Tuesday, limiting them to two hits in a 5-0 victory.
Astacio needed only 89 pitches to dispatch Atlanta and faced just two batters over the minimum in recording his 31st career complete game and first in over four years. He was perfect through 4 2/3 innings and needed a mere 56 pitches to get through six in tossing Washington's first complete game of the season. Astacio struck out five without walking a batter, while dropping his ERA to 4.64. He should be a popular pickup in NL-only leagues after this dominant performance, not that similar outcomes should be expected in the future.

[General]

Robert Fick, on the 15-day disabled list since Aug. 1 with a rib injury, said his goal is return Sept. 1.
He'll probably take swings off a tee Wednesday. Brandon Harper replaced Fick as the Nationals' No. 2 catcher.

[General]

Billy Traber, despite a rough start, managed to earn his second straight win Wednesday.
He was touched for six hits and five runs -- four earned -- with one walk and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. He also hit a pair of batters. Traber's ERA is up to 5.49, so he's not worth a sniff even in NL-only leagues at this point.

[General]

Brian Schneider was held out of Tuesday's game due to a bruised big toe.
Schneider is expected to miss Wednesday's game too. The Nationals hope he is healthy enough to return on Friday. Brandon Harper will start while he is out.

[DirtyKash]

Pussy.

The News
Closer Chad Cordero was not available to pitch in Friday's game against the Braves because of an ingrown toenail.

Our View
Rookie Saul Rivera filled in for Cordero and earned the save despite giving up two runs and three hits in the ninth inning. No word yet as to when Cordero is expected to return.

[McKain]

I can't even stand when I get ingrown toenails.

[General]

Felipe Lopez was given Sunday's game off so he could rest his sore legs.
Lopez will return to the starting lineup on Tuesday.

[General]

Tony Armas Jr. was tattooed again in suffering his 10th loss of the season Tuesday night.
He only lasted 3 1/3 innings, getting lit up for eight hits and five runs, striking out one and walking one while he gave up one home run. The Phillies have been doing this to a lot of starters lately, but Armas is just firestarter right now and is useless in mixed leagues and losing value fast in NL-only leagues.

[General]

Nationals acquired outfielder Nook Logan from the Tigers for a player to be named.
Figures. Logan, who failed to make the Tigers out of spring training and has since battled injuries, was hitting just .218/.315/.275 in 142 at-bats between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie. The 26-year-old switch-hitter should be a fifth outfielder at best, but it's easy to see the Nationals giving him more playing time than he deserves next year. No word yet on whether he'll join the club this month.

[General]

After working two hitless innings for a relief win in the afternoon, Chad Cordero pitched a scoreless ninth for a save in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.
It seems like a terrible risk for a last-place team to be using one of its building blocks like this. Still, Cordero's fantasy owners will appreciate the big day. He struck out five and allowed just one baserunner in the three innings.

[General]

Nationals activated RHP Felix Rodriguez from the 60-day disabled list.
Rodriguez had been out since May 20 with shoulder tendinitis. If the Nationals had thoughts of contending, he probably would have returned at some point during August. As is, they were especially cautious.

[General]

Tony Armas Jr. walked seven while allowing four runs -- two earned -- in 5 2/3 innings Friday against the Rockies.
The Nationals' pitching staff had no strikeouts and nine walks in the game and the defense committed six errors, but the club was still in line for a win until Jon Rauch gave up four runs -- three earned -- in the eighth. Really, it reflects just as poorly on Colorado's performance as that of the Nationals. But even when two of baseball's worst managers go up against each other, someone has to win.

[General]

Nook Logan hit his second career homer and tripled Sunday against the Rockies.
Both hits came off lefties. The switch-hitting Logan has been far more productive against southpaws in his career, which is another reason why he should be platooning with Ryan Church in center field instead of playing regularly. The hits gave him his first three RBI in his 10 games for the Nats.

[General]

Mike O'Connor could replace Billy Traber or Jason Bergmann the next time through the rotation.
O'Connor pitched five shutout inning in his last start and neither Traber or Bergmann has lasted more than four innings during their last two starts.