Wire Taps: Daniel Murphy may return today; Where did Justin Miller come from?; The Nationals’ next phenoms

Today is the last day the Caps will overshadow the Nats, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does time up well with Bryce Harper visiting the Bronx for potentially the final time in an opposing team’s uniform.

Here’s the news from New York:

Daniel Murphy could rejoin the Nationals’ lineup this week ‘if he feels like he’s ready’ (WaPo)
Murphy, despite having a timeline of returning for Opening Day at one point, still hasn't returned, and may not feel ready yet. But the team may still activate him. This is great!

Where the Heck Did Justin Miller Come From, Anyways? (The Nats Blog)
Justin Miller has been DFAd and optioned, stuck in Triple-A, and everything in between. Then, something changed in Syracuse: he pitched to a 0.00 ERA. So far, it's translated to the majors, but there's no clear reason as to why.

Juan Soto has arrived. Who’s got next among Nationals’ prospects? (WaPo)
The Nats' two international phenoms that we've been hearing about for years, Victor Robles and Soto, have made it, for the most part. But who will follow them? Try Luis Garcia and Yasel Antuna on for size.

Appreciating Mad Max (The Nats Blog)
Normally, huge contracts have a way of going poorly — take Pujols, Cabrera, B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford, Pablo Sandoval, and (*very quietly*) ʲᵃʸˢᵒⁿ ʷᵉʳᵗʰ. However, Max Scherzer (KNOCK ON WOOD) has been the best pitcher in baseball since he signed — but moreover, he's fully invested himself in the D.C. sports scene, between the Caps, Redskins, and Wizards.

Braves lead the way in ASG voting, Trea Turner lags behind (MLB)
Turner is a solid 300k votes behind Brandon Crawford — but could make a push for the top two and final vote.

Harper, Kemp, Markakis lead NL Outfield on ASG Ballot (MLB)
Bryce Harper leads all NL outfielders on the ballot that would have made a ton of sense in 2012, if Nick Markakis had been in the NL at the time.

Around the NL East: Where everyone is struggling (NBC Sports Washington)
Over the last ten games, the Nats have gone 5-5. Believe it or not, that's tied for the best mark in the NL East, which has been extremely competitive to this point.

The Nats are decisively a road team (NatsBaseball Blog)
The Nats were 10-1 against the worst of the worst, and then were swept by the Dodgers, lost three of four to Atlanta, and a series to the Giants at home. That was... less good.