clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Wire Taps: Washington Nationals Planning More Changes - Where Does Jayson Werth Hit Pt.2

Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson said, "Winter is coming." Or maybe he said lineup changes? I don't know. I get so confused. The Nats' skipper said he talked about shaking things up after Wednesday's loss to St. Louis. Where does Jayson Werth land when the shaking is done?

By Patrick Reddington
USA TODAY Sports

"It's real frustrating," Davey Johnson said after Wednesday's loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, "The lineup, I'm going to have to juggle it up and do a few things tomorrow, change the mindset." Johnson said one change will involve moving Jayson Werth. "He said some things to me after the ballgame," the Nats' skipper said, "So, just shake some things up a little bit." So where's Werth going to hit? Nats' GM Mike Rizzo discussed the issue this winter in an MLB Network Radio interview.

"I think [Werth's] skill set profiles as a middle-of-the-lineup type of hitter," Rizzo said at the time, adding that he thought, "You're a much better team when you have a good leadoff man and Jayson driving in runs in the five-hole or six-hole or wherever it might be for the team."

When Werth spoke to reporters, including the Washington Post's James Wagner at NatsFest this winter, he said that provided his wrist was 100%, "'I’d want to hit in the middle of the order. It’s the best place for me. But with the guys we had [in 2012], I think just for our team that is what was best for us.'" So what's best for the Nats now? Davey Johnson plans to shake things up, where does Jayson Werth land? And Steve Lombardozzi at the top of the order? That's another thing Johnson said. 1st or 2nd for Lombo? And what about Denard Span? And if Lombo won't be playing second, (Davey said that too) does that mean Anthony Rendon sits? I thought he was up to play every day? AHHHHH!!! Release the lineup now!!! Links and lots of them, starting... RIGHT NOW!!!:

• THE BIG STORY!!!:

• "[Stephen] Strasburg’s first-pitch issues are especially important because they typify the Nats’ starting staff across the board." - "Stephen Strasburg must get back to putting first-pitch strikes first" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post

• NATS BEAT:

• "Inside their quiet clubhouse, where frustration mixed with the occasional moment of levity, the Washington Nationals once again found themselves trying to find the answers to familiar questions" - "With 9 losses in 12 games, Nationals in need of shakeup" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

• "The way his afternoon started, you never would have guessed [Stephen] Strasburg would wind up throwing seven innings and earning a quality start." - "Instant analysis: Cardinals 4, Nats 2" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

• "At one point, [Stephen] Strasburg set down 10 Cardinals hitters in a row. He struck out two in his final inning of work, a 1-2-3 sixth." - "Nationals Pastime: Strasburg rebounds, still on the hook (Nats swept by Cardinals, fall below .500)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "'We need to jumble it up, and we need to switch the 'mojo' a little bit,' [Jayson] Werth said..." - "Strasburg, Nats lose to Cardinals 4-2, get swept" - Howard Fendrich, AP/WTOP.com

• "Instead, the Nationals lost their ninth of 12 games and left Manager Davey Johnson looking to make more changes to the lineup." - "Washington Nationals swept by St. Louis Cardinals, fall below .500 for first time since 2011" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• "This wasn't the first time Strasburg labored through the first inning this season. Check out this comparison of his numbers from the first frame against every other inning he's pitched in 2013..." - "Figuring out Strasburg's 1st inning woes" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

• "After going with the same lineup for much of the season, Nationals manager Davey Johnson made a few changes for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals." - "Davey: More lineup adjustments coming" - Bill Ladson and Tom Schad, nationals.com: News

• "Media members and most players and coaches had left. But Jayson Werth and a few of his teammates stuck around, letting their frustrations out and bouncing ideas off each other." - "Nationals Pastime: Players on board with a switched-up lineup" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "The perplexing silence of the bats of the Washington Nationals produced an eerie quiet from the crowd of 33,694..." - "Suddenly, it's a losing proposition for Nationals" - Kevin Dunleavy, WashingtonExaminer.com

• via @HoldenRadio on Twitter:

• "Three weeks in, it's already become obvious things won't come as easily to the Nationals this season as they did last season." - "After another loss, shake-up coming for Nats" - Mark Zuckerman, Comcast SportsNet Washington

• "Just like that, 23 pitches in, the Cardinals built a three-run lead against [Stephen] Strasburg's Washington Nationals." - "Cardinals beat Strasburg, Nationals 4-2 for sweep" - Howard Fendrich, AP/WTOP.com

• "'They always say it's better to be lucky than good, and we're neither right now,' [Jayson] Werth said." - "St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals - April 24, 2013" - Tom Schad, MLB.com WSH Recap

• "At the moment, the Nationals are in a distinctly down period, having lost nine of their last 12, the last three straight at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals." - "Amid trying times, are Nationals trying too hard?" - Mike Bauman, nationals.com: News

• "The runs aren't coming naturally, and the Nats will openly admit that they're trying to push the issue probably a bit too much." - "Nationals Pastime: Werth says recent slide has left Nats pressing" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "Bad timing had something to do with Washington’s loss on Wednesday." - "Nats put rough stretch in perspective" - Kevin Dunleavy, WashingtonExaminer.com

• "[Davey] Johnson said first-pitch strikes were a point of emphasis again for pitching coach Steve McCatty when he game plans with [Stephen] Strasburg." - "Strasburg fought himself in first, but then settled in to go seven innings" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "Three weeks in, it's already become obvious things won't come as easily to the Nationals this season as they did last season." - "After another loss, shake-up coming for Nats" - Mark Zuckerman, Comcast SportsNet Washington

• "No matter the time of the season, a sub-.500 record of 10-11 is hard to look at when the team was picked repeatedly over the winter to be a World Series favorite." - "Is there hope for the Nationals offense?" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "The Nats fell 4-2 this afternoon, wrapping up a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals and pushing the Nationals below .500 for the first time since the last day of the 2011 season." - "Nationals Pastime: Johnson says more lineup changes are coming after 4-2 loss" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "It'll be up to Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez to try to right the ship on Thursday at Nationals Park in Washington." - "Cincinnati Reds at Washington Nationals - April 25, 2013" - Joey Nowak, MLB.com Preview

• "Right-hander Henry Rodriguez is starting to put together a few good outings and is gaining the confidence of manager Davey Johnson to put him in for longer stints." - "Rodriguez learning to trust all of his pitches and Johnson noticing" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "Wilson Ramos, who has been on the disabled list since straining his hamstring running out a groundball on April 13, hopes to begin his rehab assignment on Friday..." - "Wilson Ramos could begin rehab assignment Friday" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama on Twitter (@DalaiLama):

• NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

• "No big job crisis here. Johnson and GM Mike Rizzo agreed back in November 2012 this would be Johnson's last season as manager." - "Status of nine lame-duck MLB managers" - Jayson Stark, ESPN

• "There was yelling and joking, maybe even a little dancing. Matheny admitted the liveliness surprised him and he described them as 'a bunch of kids loving the game.'" - "WASHINGTON: Cardinals leave Washington with a sweep" - Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Baseball Wires - MiamiHerald.com

• "'It was good to get on [Stephen] Strasburg early,' Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma said. 'That's what we were trying to do from the get-go.'" - "St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals - Recap - April 24, 2013" - ESPN

• "[Bryce] Harper indeed has put himself on that kind of Hall of Fame trajectory, not that that's particularly shocking considering the glowing statements made about him as far back as his high school days in Las Vegas." - "Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper exceeding already very high expectations" - Tristan H. Cockcroft, Fantasy Baseball - ESPN

• "Two years ago, my parents and I headed down to Nationals Park in Washington, DC, to see our Cardinals play the Nationals." - "It takes time for new teams to grow a fanbase" - Will Leitch, Sports On Earth

• NATS MINORS:

• Class-A Potomac: "Making his Carolina League debut, Schwartz allowed three hits and struck out five over six innings as the Potomac Nationals blanked the Carolina Mudcats, 2-0, at Five County Stadium." - "Schwartz aces Carolina League debut" - Robert Emrich, MiLB.com News

• Class-A Potomac: "The Potomac Nationals (9-10, 5-4) received a stellar Carolina League starting pitching debut from RHP Blake Schwartz..." - "Schwartz Gem, Keyes Two-Run Blast Key P-Nats to Shutout Victory" - Potomac Nationals News

• Double-A Harrisburg: "Marcos Frias, Michael Broadway, and Aaron Barrett combined to strike out eight and didn't walk a man in five innings out of the bullpen, giving up just one earned run in the process." - "Senators Swept by Fightin Phils" - Marshall Kelner, Harrisburg Senators News

• Triple-A Syracuse: "The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, and the Rochester Red Wings were suspended in the top of the 11th inning on Wednesday night." - "Chiefs, Red Wings suspended on Wednesday" - Syracuse Chiefs News

• "Thursday’s News & Notes" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• NATSTOWN:

• "'A lot of us are on monkey tilt,' [Davey Johnson] laughed. 'I’m real close to monkey tilt right now.'" - "Davey Johnson: ‘I’m real close to monkey tilt right now’" - Sarah Kogod, Washington Post

• "[Stephen] Strasburg settled in after that, mowing through the Cardinals lineup for the next six innings. The Nats ace did not give up another run and in fact, never pitched into trouble again." - "Washington Nationals Game 21 Review: Nats fall below .500 after sweep by Cards" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page

• "With their loss yesterday to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Washington Nationals now find themselves with something they haven't experienced since late 2011: a losing record." - "Panic Time in NatsTown?" - Benjamin Freed, DCist

• "Jayson Werth says Phil Jackson the answer to Nats early season woes?" - Nats Enquirer

• "Baseball is known for its superstitions, and nothing brings out the eccentric behavior like a good losing streak." - "Nats get superstitious with presidents race direction" - Presidents Race Fan, Let Teddy Win!

• "With their disappointing loss yesterday, the Washington Nationals are now 10-11, under .500 for the first time since 2011." - "Nationals Fall Below .500, As Frustration Sets In For Washington" - William Yoder, The Nats Blog

• "Three weeks into the 2013 season and the Nationals are struggling to get their 2012 groove back. Fact is, though, it's only April and there are months of baseball still to be played." - "Nationals Buzz: Can Goon Squad effect turnaround for Nats?" - Rachel Levitin, MASNSports.com

• "Stephen Strasburg hasn't pitched like an ace. I'm not saying that. But he's pitched very well." - "I'm sorry he's not a god" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

• "Cliff Notes: Angsty April Edition" -Nationals 101

• "LaRoche Gotta LaRoche" - The Nationals Review

• NL EAST UPDATES:

• Mets: "Matt Harvey wasn’t going to be unhittable forever. But the Mets don’t seem to have any intention of losing when he’s on the mound just yet, either." - "For Matt Harvey's starts at least, Mets magic is back" - John Harper, NY Daily News

• Braves: "With the ninth-inning mistake, [Tim] Hudson’s potential win was gone — he remained 0-2 in six starts at Coors Field — and Craig Kimbrel had his first blown save in nine chances." - "Upton mistake, Kimbrel blown save cost Hudson" - David O'Brien, www.ajc.com

• Phillies: "Ask Charlie Manuel about hitting and he will say, 'Hitting is hard.'" - "Phillies Notes: Phillies' Laynce Nix producing as a pinch-hitter" - Matt Gelb, Philadelphia Inquirer

• Marlins: "Opposing pitchers have grounded Giancarlo Stanton." - "Miami Marlins: Opposing pitchers grounding Giancarlo Stanton" - Juan C. Rodriguez, South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

More From Federal Baseball