Washington

If you May 20 in the pool for when the Nationals would need a sixth starting pitcher, collect now. Zach Duke will take the mound tonight against Ryan Vogelsong in a meeting of starters with ERAs of 8.40 and 8.06. … Continue reading →

So Bryce returns to the Nationals lineup tonight, batting third: there he is above taking BP as seen on MASN tonight. And here's Harper talking about how sliding could be a problem tonight on MASN's Nats Xtra pregame show: "It was more of just running on it. Sliding. things like that. I think the slide's probably gonna hurt the worst. If I bang it up or something it's right back to square one. So hopefully I don't do that." Please don't slide. Meanwhile, Jayson Werth could miss another two weeks. That hammy is strained. (Screencap via MASN/TV) Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter. Related articles Bryce Harper runs into Dodger Stadium wall, leaves game shaken up and bleeding... Video: Davey Johnson on Bryce Harper's crash into Dodger Stadium wall Bryce Harper and Johnny Manziel hug it out at Petco Park Meet Bryce Harper's ingrown toenail Werth on Harper's home plate collision: "The way he reacted, I thought he got shot. I wanted to make sure the little guy was all right"

Bryce Harper returned to the Nationals’ lineup tonight after missing the previous two contests with swelling in his left knee. Harper tested the knee in the outfield this afternoon and determined he could play on it, although swelling and bruising … Continue reading →

Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth could spend roughly two more weeks on the disabled list after an MRI exam today revealed a more significant strain in his hamstring than originally thought, Manager Davey Johnson said. Johnson did not have an … Continue reading →

RICHMOND ? General Manager Bruce Allen said Monday it's "too early to tell right now" if quarterback Robert Griffin III will be ready to practice when the Washington Redskins open training camp in late July. Read full article >> More...

John Erskine“Success, remember is the reward of toil.”-- SophoclesWhen the 2013 season started, the Washington Capitals had a depth chart for defensemen that might have looked like this…Mike GreenKarl AlznerJohn CarlsonRoman HamrlikDmitry OrlovJack HillenOne of the odd men out in that scenario was John Erskine, who between assorted injuries (shoulder, lower body) and healthy scratches was coming off a 2011-2012 season in which he played in only 28 games.Erskine’s 2013 season was not much different from his 2011-2012 season with respect to the injury bug – he missed 12 games in March due to an upper-body injury – and he missed another three games in February for elbowing Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers. But he did dress for 30 games, and by the end of the season, with Hamrlik waived and off to the New York Rangers, Orlov injured and trying to rehabilitate his game with the Hershey Bears in the AHL, and Hillen injured in the first game of the season and trying to work his way back into the lineup after missing 25 games, Erskine found himself by year’s end on the second defensive pairing with John Carlson.For Erskine it was a productive year, in the technical sense of the term. While his 0.10 goals-per-game was modest, it was the best such mark he posted over an 11-year career. His 0.20 points-per-game was his best since posting a 0.24 points-per-game mark in in first year with the Capitals in 2006-2007. He was plus-10 over 30 games, a plus-27 pace over 82 games, also a career best. His 32 shots on goal in 30 games was the only season in his career in which he averaged more than a shot per game. The problem for Erskine was, as it has been in so many of his seasons with the Capital, injuries. In seven years with the Caps, Erskine has missed 121 games to injury or illness (tsn.ca), including the 12 he missed in the 2013 season due to an upper body injury. Although the games played did not change much for Erskine this season – 30 this year, 28 last season – the ice time did. Befitting his partnership with John Carlson on the second defensive pairing (78 percent of his 5-on-5 ice time was spent with Carlson), Erskine’s total ice time jumped from 12:05 per game to 18:27, and his even strength ice time jumped from 11:33 per game to 16:13. It amounted to more than one extra shift per period per game (17.5 shifts per game in 2011-2012 to 21.9 shifts per game in 2013). The thing is with that pairing is that Erskine’s influence – or at least his presence – had a salutary effect on Carlson. When on ice together, Carlson’s 5-on-5 goals for were better (0.939 GF/20 vs. 0.824 GF/20 when apart), the goals against were better (0.692 GA/20 vs. 0.733 when apart, numbers from stats.hockeyanalysis.com). There was not a lot of ice time with these players spent apart, but in terms of even strength outcomes, Erskine did not appear to be a liability. Of course, that also might be tempered by the fact that the top four forwards with whom Erskine shared 5-on-5 ice time ice time were, in order: Mike Ribeiro, Alex Ovechkin, Troy Brouwer, and Nicklas Backstrom.Odd Erskine Stat… John Erskine scored three goals for the Caps this season, all of which came at Verizon Center, and all of which came in noteworthy games. His first of the season put the Caps ahead to stay in what would become Adam Oates’ first win as head coach, a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on January 27th. His second goal came on February 26thin a 3-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, which spoiled Alexander Semin’s first game in Washington since leaving the club in free agency after the 2011-2012 season. His third goal came on March 7th in a 7-1 win against the Florida Panthers. His goal, the first of the contest, set in motion a four-goal barrage in 6:12, the second-fastest four-goal start in team history.Game to Remember… April 23rd vs. Winnipeg. John Erskine was the emergency goaltender of sorts on the evening on which the Capitals clinched the Southeast Division

For all the optimism about the condition of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, the reality is that it?s too soon to know how his reconstructed knee will be when the season starts. And during a tour of the Redskins? still-being-built training camp facility in Richmond, Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen admitted as much. ?It?s great… More...

Here's a report that could concern some people. Bradley Beal, who was shut down for the season due to a stress injury in his right fibula about seven weeks ago, has yet to be cleared to resume basketball-related activities, according to CSN Washington's J Michael. He is supposed to abstain from activities for six weeks (42 days). Monday marks the 48th. The Wizards' athletic trainers must clear him first but they have not, a team official told CSN Washington. You'll recall that Beal was dealing with injuries on both ankles prior to being shut down, both of which reportedly contributed to the fibula injury. It's not the end of the world that Beal is past his timetable, of course. He has a whole offseason left, every player's body heals differently and it behooves the Wizards to make absolute sure his fibula is sound before letting him put pressure on it again. But it's still always a concern that an athlete is still injured past his initial timetable. The longer this lingers, the more it could potentially cut into Beal's offseason program. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon.

RICHMOND?The lush, green turf is down on the practice fields. The goal posts are up. There are lockers in the locker room. Work remains to be done on the Washington Redskins? training camp site that is under construction in Richmond. … Continue reading → More...

RICHMOND — Move-in day isn't for almost two months, but Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen said Richmond and its many partners have succeeded in building his team its "field of dreams." The team and the city have reached an agreement for the Redskins to hold their ... More...