NATIONALS NOTEBOOK
Reliever King Is Expected to Be Activated
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 29, 2007; Page E13
Left handed relief pitcher Ray King is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list before today's matinee with the New York Mets, according to team officials.
There was speculation the move would be made before last night's 6-2 loss to New York. But Manager Manny Acta said before the game that he wanted to give King another full day of recovery from tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.
ON THE FIELD Jesus Flores' two-run, ninth-inning double gives the Nationals a 4-3 win over the Marlins. Notebook: The Nationals trade left-handed reliever Ray King, the most veteran member of their pitching staff, to the Brewers for a player to be named. Boswell: The statistics show a return to normalcy in baseball and the end of the Steroid Era. Minor Leagues: Justin Maxwell has come out of the slump he was in after straining an oblique muscle by sneezing and is now hitting .423 with 24 homers. NATIONALS REPORTBy the Numbers89: Errors for the Nationals through Monday. Through 138 games a year ago, they had 113 errors. Personnel Dept.OF Ryan Langerhans hit his first homer of a 14-game stint with Class AAA Columbus on Monday, just before he was called up. "I felt a lot more comfortable," he said. "My approach was a lot better." Langerhans will be used primarily as a defensive replacement. ... The club activated LHP Micah Bowie, who hadn't pitched in the majors since June because of a hip injury. ... The club announced that Centerplate would replace Aramark as the concessionaire at the new ballpark in 2008. Quotable"He certainly was a good influence on our young pitchers, had a lot to do with some of their developments. Our clubhouse was a better place with Ray King a part of it." -- GM Jim Bowden NATIONALS JOURNALBarry Svrluga provides the latest news on the Nationals. MULTIMEDIA Podcasts: Postgame audio from Barry Svrluga and video from Washington Post Live. Slideshow: A crowd of 40,389 pack into RFK Stadium to open up the 2007 baseball season. Photos: Manny Acta returns home. Webcam: Check back daily and follow the progress of construction on the stadium. |
There also was the issue of deciding which player would be sent to the minor leagues to make room for King. Although the corresponding demotion hasn't been announced, Acta said it will be a pitcher.
"The guys who have options probably," Acta said.
Peacock to DL
The Potomac Nationals, Washington's Class A affiliate, announced yesterday that catcher Brian Peacock was placed on the disabled list because of an injury he suffered during a benches-clearing brawl at the conclusion of Thursday's game against Winston-Salem.
Peacock suffered a hairline fracture of the vertebrae in his lower back, and right-handed pitcher Clint Everts, the fifth overall draft pick in 2002, suffered a concussion. Both were taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital and were kept overnight for treatment and observation.
It's estimated that Peacock will miss at least a month. Everts, meantime, missed his scheduled outing Friday but will likely start Wednesday against the Warthogs at Pfitzner Stadium.
Simontacchi Update
Acta said he expects right-handed pitcher Jason Simontacchi to make one more start for Class AAA Columbus before rejoining Washington. Simontacchi, who is recovering strained groin muscle, pitched five innings Friday against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
"He threw the ball real good," Acta said. "He topped out at 92 [mph] and had to cover first base a couple of times. He's more polished than anyone in our rotation."
