Minus Soto, Strasburg, Nats start to win before facing Mets
Things have hardly gone to plan for the Washington Nationals in 2021APRIL 22, 2021•ASSOCIATED PRESS
BenFred: If we're going to talk about Matt Carpenter's numbers, let's really talk about themThe good, the bad and the ugly. Let's dig in deep on the slumping hitter's numbers this season and beyond.
APRIL 22, 2021•STLTODAY.COM
St. Louis Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt is off to a slow startWhat should we make of Paul Goldschmidt's slow start for the St. Louis Cardinals? We recently wrote about how Nolan Arenado is starting fast...
APRIL 22, 2021•REDBIRDRANTS.COM
How the Brewers have made themselves Cardinals’ toughest opponentThe Brewers are even more potent than the St. Louis Cardinals likely thought. Entering the season, the consensus among insiders was that the...
APRIL 22, 2021•REDBIRDRANTS.COM
Tanner Rainey - Picks up third holdRainey struck out the side and gave up one hit in a scoreless seventh inning during Wednesday's win over the Cardinals, recording his third hold of the season.
ImpactThe right-hander has had a shaky start to the season with an 8.53 ERA and 1.74 WHIP through 6.1 innings, but Rainey appeared to regain his 2020 form Wednesday, as he fanned Matt Carpenter, Justin Williams and Austin Dean, all on sliders. Rainey is still a key setup arm for the Nats for now, but if he can't find some consistency, he could be bumped down to lower-leverage spots once the rest of the bullpen gets healthier.
APRIL 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Andrew Stevenson - Hits leadoff WednesdayStevenson got the start in right field and hit leadoff during Wednesday's win over the Cardinals, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
ImpactVictor Robles has been dropped down to the bottom of the order, and with Juan Soto (shoulder) on the shelf, Nats manager Dave Martinez has moved Trea Turner to the No. 3 spot and is giving Stevenson a look at the top of the lineup. The shuffle didn't exactly spark the offense -- the team escaped with a 1-0 victory thanks to Max Scherzer and the bullpen -- but if Stevenson continues to get looks as the leadoff hitter, he could have some DFS appeal until Soto returns. He'll need to get his bat going first, as Stevenson has a .219/.278/.344 slash line through 36 plate appearances.
APRIL 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE
Juan Soto - Hoping to return quicklySoto (shoulder) is only feeling pain when he throws the ball and not when swinging a bat, and he's hoping to return to the lineup April 30 after a minimum-length IL stay, Jesse Dou...
ImpactThe Nats aren't sure when Soto sustained the injury, but an MRI revealed a shoulder strain after he complained of soreness in his triceps, and the team was taking no chances with its young superstar. As he's not able to travel with the team due to the COVID-19 protocols, it will be up to the medical staff at the alternate training site to monitor his progress, but there's currently no reason to expect a longer IL stint for Soto.
APRIL 22, 2021•ROTOWIRE
