Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs; expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs; expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs, expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Washington Nationals' competition for the fifth starter spot could run beyond opening day.The Nationals signed eight-year veteran Jeremy Hellickson to a minor league contract over the weekend, adding him to the mix that already included A.J. Cole and Erick Fedde. He would get a $2 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man roster and the chance to earn $4 million in performance bonuses."We like the rotation we have," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. "This just adds another layer of depth for us."The 30-year-old Hellickson is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League appearance in one of Friday's split squad games. Cole will start the other game.Depending on how that outing goes, the NL East champions might leave Hellickson behind at the spring training facility when they break camp on Sunday, allowing the right-hander to continue to build arm strength in the minor league camp.Rizzo cited past experiences rushing Joe Blanton and Matt Wieters... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Washington Nationals' competition for the fifth starter spot could run beyond opening day.The Nationals signed eight-year veteran Jeremy Hellickson to a minor league contract over the weekend, adding him to the mix that already included A.J. Cole and Erick Fedde."We like the rotation we have," Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. "This just adds another layer of depth for us."The 30-year-old Hellickson is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League appearance in one of Friday's split squad games. Cole will start the other game.Depending on how that outing goes, the NL East champions might leave Hellickson behind at the spring training facility when they break camp on Sunday, allowing the right-hander to continue to build arm strength in the minor league camp.Rizzo cited past experiences rushing Joe Blanton and Matt Wieters through camp as reasoning for not pushing Hellickson, who says he's ready, to join the rotation sooner. With that in mind, the... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals catcher Matt Wieters entered camp hoping a weight reduced to 225 pounds will help rectify last year's .225 batting average.Healthy for the entire offseason, Wieters dropped 15 pounds between the end of the 2017 season and the start of spring training.He's swinging more freely this spring, and it's showing. After hitting a career low at the plate, the 32-year-old switch-hitter is off to a .357 (5 for 14) start to Grapefruit League play that includes a home run and five RBIs."I'm able to feel a lot of the things we've been working on and take them into the game," Wieters said. "It's a good feeling to be able to carry over what you put some time and effort into into some live at-bats."After spending the first eight years of his career with Baltimore, Wieters signed a two-year contract worth $21 million with Washington. A severe cut to his wrist suffered that offseason hampered his work prior to last spring and contributed to Wieters' slow start.He... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — There will be one very important question hovering over Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals throughout spring training and the entire 2018 season: Will this be his last year with the club?Sure, there are plenty of other story lines to keep an eye on, from Dave Martinez's debut as a manager in the majors, to the pursuit of a third consecutive NL East title, to Max Scherzer's bid for a fourth Cy Young Award.Nothing will generate as much interest, or will have as profound an effect on the team, as what happens with Harper, who can become a free agent after the coming season.The 25-year-old Harper's representative, Scott Boras, already has been talking about his guy as an iconic player with iconic value , and it's hard to argue. Which is why, after making a little more than $13.5 million last year and a little more than $21.5 million this year, the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, 2015 NL MVP and five-time All-Star is sparking conversation about deals worth a half-billion... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Free-agent catcher Miguel Montero has agreed to a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals with an invitation to major league spring training.He is expected to compete with Pedro Severino for a backup job behind starting catcher Matt Wieters.The 34-year-old Montero finished last season with the Toronto Blue Jays. In June, he was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs a day after he blamed teammate Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases in a loss against Washington.Montero said the Nationals ran on the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner because they knew he was slow to the plate with his delivery.He said at the time: "So it's just like, 'Yeah, OK, Miggy can't throw nobody out,' but my pitcher doesn't hold anybody on."The highlight of Montero's Cubs tenure was a big hit late in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series that helped end the team's championship drought. But he threw out only one of 31 potential base-stealers while with Chicago last season.Montero has a career .257 average with 126 homers and 550 RBIs since making his debut in the majors in 2006.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

WASHINGTON --The Washington Nationals have won four National League East division titles since 2012 under three different managers.But the Nationals are still looking for a postseason series win and some stability in the dugout, as the club announced Friday that manager Dusty Baker will not return in 2018 after his two-year contract expired.Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said he called Baker on Friday morning and the former All-Star outfielder handled the news with professionalism. The previous manager, Matt Williams, also lasted just two seasons."It was one of the most difficult decisions the ownership group and I have had to make," Rizzo said on a conference call with reporters. "Dusty has been a great representative of the Washington Nationals for his tenure here -- a Hall of Fame-type manager."The Nationals won the National League East in both seasons under Baker in 2016 and 2017 and lost at home in Game 5 each year in the NLDS. Washington won 95 games in the first year under... [More]

C Matt Wieters ended an 0-for-17 skid with a double in his first at-bat on Tuesday. He is 1-for-7 on the current road trip. The Braves stole two bases off him; he's thrown out 18 of 74 opponents trying to steal.

C Matt Wieters was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game after taking a foul ball off the knee Thursday. Jose Lobaton started in his place in each of the final three games of the four-game series in Milwaukee.

C Matt Wieters was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game after taking a foul ball off the knee Thursday. Wieters did enter the game on defense in the eighth inning after Jose Lobaton was pinch-hit for.

C Matt Wieters snapped his longest hitless streak of the season with his game-winning, two-run home run off Astros RHP Charlie Morton in the fourth inning Tuesday night. Wieters had been 0-for-17 over his previous five games. He worked a walk off Morton in his first plate appearance in the third inning, later scoring the first Washington run.

NEW YORK -- Hyun-Jin Ryu combined with two relievers on a one-hitter Sunday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers continued their historic rampage by completing a three-game sweep of the New York Mets with an 8-0 win.Justin Turner went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double, two stolen bases and three runs for the Dodgers, who have won 44 of their past 51 games dating to June 7.The Dodgers outscored the Mets 57-15 in winning all seven games between the teams this season -- the first time either team has swept the other since New York began play in 1962. Los Angeles earned its fourth win in a row.Cody Bellinger hit his 32nd homer, and Tony Cingrani and Kenley Jansen completed the gem with one hitless inning apiece. A third-inning single by Travis d'Arnaud was the Mets' only hit.Red Sox 6, White Sox 3BOSTON -- Chris Young hit two homers and tied a career high with five RBIs to help Boston complete a four-game sweep of Chicago.Eduardo Nunez also homered for the Red Sox, who won their sixth straight... [More]

C Matt Wieters, a switch hitter, batted righty against Chicago LHP Jon Lester Sunday. Then Wieters stepped into the left-side batter's box against RHP Carl Edwards, Jr. with the score tied at 4 in the eighth inning and launched his third career grand slam and eighth homer this season. "I feel like have made the switch where the left side feels better," said Wieters, who has three homers from the right side and five from the left.

C Matt Wieters had his six-game hitting streak end. Wieters went 0-for-3 with a strikeout, but despite his ineffectiveness at the plate, he drew high praise from RHP Max Scherzer for the game he called against the Dodgers.

C Matt Wieters has been a huge contributor to the Nationals this season, manager Dusty Baker said. Wieters had a two-run single, which turned out to be the difference, in Washington's win over the Dodgers. Wieters has hit safely in six consecutive games with a .280 batting average, one homer and five RBIs.

C Matt Wieters hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the ninth inning of an 11-10 victory against Oakland on Sunday. Wieters went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice. He has hit safely in 22 of his past 28 games.

C Matt Wieters had three hits against his former team, including a winning two-run single with one out in the ninth. "We needed a win. We played poorly the first two games all-around," said Wieters, the former Orioles catcher who signed with Washington in February. "I looked for something I could try to elevate a little bit. You have to keep grinding. A big win." It was the biggest comeback of the year for Washington, who trailed 5-1 and 6-2.

C Matt Wieters returned to Camden Yards for the first time since signing with the Nationals in February. Wieters was the fifth overall pick by the Orioles in the 2007 draft, and he spent eight seasons in Baltimore. "It's a different vantage point for sure, but it's a good feeling coming in today and being able to walk into the Yard like I did for so many years," Wieters told reporters in the visitors' dugout before the game. "It definitely brought a smile to my face and I'm excited to be able to play here again." He received a standing ovation in his first at-bat and went 1-for-4, including a double off Brad Brach in the ninth inning.