Mlb, Washington Nationals | featured news

Major League Baseball, which has been investigating the link of performance-enhancing drugs to players with South Florida ties for much of the last year, may be faced with its most significant doping case since the BALCO scandal rocked the sport one decade ago. All-Stars Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, pitcher Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals, Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers and Melky Cabrera of the Toronto Blue Jays, along with other MLB players and athletes in other sports, were strongly connected to performance-enhancing drug use in an investigative report by the Miami New Times.

In the end, it made sense that Yadier Molina and David Freese would work those key walks, and that Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma would come through with those tying and go-ahead, two-run hits....

Venezuelan police rescued Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos on Friday, two days after he was kidnapped, officials announced....

The government sent top investigators Thursday to hunt for Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, whose abduction has shaken Venezuela's elite athletes and focused attention on the nation's sharp rise in kidnappings for ransom....

When Stephen Strasburg hopped down the Washington Nationals dugout steps after the third inning Sunday afternoon, he had finally tapped the full extent of his powers. He had put his ragged, 31-pitch first inning behind him by making a crucial adjustment. He had plowed through six consecutive Houston Astros.

On the first day of the last month of the season, Manager Davey Johnson was asked what he wants from the Washington Nationals over the rest of the year. He did not talk about developing players, staying healthy or playing for pride. He chose instead to offer a spare directive. “Swing the bat better,” Johnson said.

On May 8, 2009, Jesus Flores reached the high point of a career rocketing upward. He crushed a home run in Arizona, which for him had become stunningly routine for a 24-year-old catcher. That night, he owned a .314 batting average and a .923 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He might have been the best thing the Washington Nationals had going for them. There were so many more home runs to come.

Washington has dealt center fielder Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Cutter Dykstra and cash considerations.

Stephen Strasburg has a torn elbow ligament, likely bringing his promising rookie season to an abrupt end. Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Friday an MRI on the right elbow revealed a ''significant tear.'' Strasburg will travel to the West Coast for a second opinion, but Rizzo anticipates the 22-year-old right-hander will need the operation that requires 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation.

Stephen Strasburg’s major league career started with a 97 mph fastball — and it didn’t take long for baseball’s newest wunderkind to start piling up strikeouts.