:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63755930/usa_today_12660891.0.jpg)
It’s unclear how the Nats can turn this around: it seems they’re able to hit, field, or pitch on a given night, but sacrifice the other two at the expense of doing one. When they master doing all three in a given game... then watch out!
Here’s the news from Nationals Park:
So many injuries make the Nationals’ situation impossible to diagnose (WaPo)
It has gotten very late very early. Every injury that seems possible has occurred; the Marlins are the only team worse than the Nationals. It's tough to evaluate the team right now: while Davey Martinez hasn't yet lost the clubhouse, the team is almost unbearable to watch and unable to overcome adversity. But don't worry: the injured players are going to come back, and they're gonna make people pay!
Nats notes: Trea Turner takes a step forward, Carter Kieboom impressions, Erick Fedde buys in (The Athletic)
Trea Turner took some hacks at about 85 percent, and may make it back before the end of May — but he still seems like he's a ways away.
Washington Nationals face make-or-break May as NL East race slips away (SI)
The Nats haven't been seven games under since September 2011. They're closer to Miami than they are to Philly in the standings. The injured list is long; the bullpen is atrocious; the rotation is struggling. Nobody really seems to know what to do, and it seems like the team, with their refusal to invest in their bullpen, put themselves in this situation.
Anthony Rendon gets ejected, Stephen Strasburg gets hit, and Nationals unravel against Brewers (WaPo)
Anthony Rendon was so angry that he printed out the photos of his last at-bat, taped them to his locker, and showed them to the press. It didn't really matter: Stephen Strasburg gave up six runs in the seventh inning, and Davey Martinez has another new pet peeve.
Nationals make flurry of moves ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Brewers (WaPo)
Rendon up. Fedde up. Tony Sipp to the IL. Carter Kieboom down. Andrew Stevenson and Yan Gomes... TBD.
Dave Martinez on Carter Kieboom’s fielding woes: Same thing ‘happened to me’ (WaPo)
Carter Kieboom couldn't get anything going for him in his first stint in the majors — every ball hit to him somehow skipped around him or over him or messed with him somehow. He's unhappy, but Davey Martinez thinks he'll get it together next time around.
Stephen Strasburg, Nationals fall to Brewers - (MLB.com)
Things were bad. But if they keep going like this on the pitching front with Stephen Strasburg, then the Nats will... *checks notes*... "win a lot of games?"
Anthony Rendon off IL; Carter Kieboom optioned (MLB.com)
“I just told him he was wrong, maybe a couple other words,” Rendon said. “I know better in that situation, not to get tossed, but he definitely got the best of me.”
Game falls apart in seventh as Nats fall on road again (MASN)
It’s been a long time since this franchise was in such a dire predicament. And it’s going to take quite a turnaround to get out of it. “It’s definitely been frustrating,” Rendon said. “Nobody enjoys losing, but that’s why it’s a long season. I know we always say that, but we’ve just got to stay positive and continue to do the little things. And hopefully, they come out to be the big things.”
On today's flurry of roster moves, plus injury updates (MASN)
The Nationals felt like they rushed Erick Fedde into a bullpen role last time around, so this time, they gave him a whole inning before they brought him back up to the majors.