WASHINGTON NATIONALS NEWS

Yadiel Hernandez - Three hits in Tuesday's win Hernandez went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 10-2 win over the Rockies.

Impact The 34-year-old still sits against some lefties, but otherwise Hernandez has seized the starting left field job for the Nationals with a .362/.387/.534 slash line through 62 plate appearances, plus one homer, seven runs and 14 RBI. His numbers are inflated by an unsustainable .435 BABIP, but as long as the Nationals lack better options in left, Hernandez should keep the job even if his production declines.

MAY 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Juan Soto - Socks fifth homer Soto went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 10-2 win over the Rockies.

Impact The fifth-inning blast off German Marquez was Soto's fifth homer of the year, but incredibly, all five have been solo shots. The 23-year-old has only one other RBI through 25 games as teams continue to pitch around him with runners on base, and his resulting .258/.405/.472 is well below expectations, Josh Bell is swinging a hot bat behind Soto in the lineup, but it seems unlikely pitchers will change their approach toward him as long as it keeps the Nationals' biggest threat in check.

MAY 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Bell - Swats third homer Bell went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and two additional runs scored in Tuesday's 10-2 win over the Rockies.

Impact The first baseman hadn't homered in 17 games prior to crushing a German Marquez fastball the other way in the third inning Tuesday, but Bell has been extremely productive despite the lack of over-the-fence power. He's reeled off three multi-hit performances over the last four games, and in 24 contests on the season he's slashing .366/.464/.549 with three homers, 16 runs and 18 RBI.

MAY 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Erick Fedde - Not fazed by Coors Field Fedde (2-2) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks over seven innings in a 10-2 victory over the Rockies. He struck out three.

Impact The right-hander was able to keep Colorado's bats in check even at Coors Field, as Fedde gave up only one extra-base hit during his longest outing of the season so far -- a seventh-inning double by Sam Hilliard. The quality start was Fedde's first of 2022, and he'll carry a 4.68 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 22:10 K:BB through 25 innings into his next appearance.

MAY 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Nationals meet the Rockies with 1-0 series lead

The Washington Nationals meet the Colorado Rockies with a 1-0 series lead

MAY 4, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bell a spark plug for Nationals with hottest start of career DENVER -- Look across the National League leaderboards, and Josh Bell’s name is there. The first baseman is off to the hottest start of his...

MAY 4, 2022 • MLB.COM

'I've been working so hard': Márquez perplexed by performance DENVER -- Rockies right-hander Germán Márquez’s next step has been backward, his new twist a tailspin. In five innings of Tuesday night’s 10...

MAY 4, 2022 • MLB.COM

Bell, Soto HRs back Fedde's sharp outing, Nats rout Rockies

Erick Fedde pitched seven sharp innings, Josh Bell and Juan Soto homered and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 10-2

MAY 4, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nelson Cruz - Dealing with back stiffness Cruz was removed from Tuesday's win over the Rockies due to back stiffness, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Impact Cruz went 0-for-3 with a strikeout before being lifted for a pinch hitter during the seventh inning. The veteran slugger has a horrid 1.43/.233/.209 slash line through 24 games this season, so a couple days off could prove beneficial regardless of the back issue. Cruz will be re-evaluated ahead of Wednesday's matchup with Colorado.

MAY 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Mr. 2,000: Baker becomes 12th manager to reach 2,000 wins

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker has won his 2,000th game, becoming the 12th skipper in major league history to reach the milestone and the first Black man to do it

MAY 4, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nationals reinstate Dee Strange-Gordon from IL, option Fox

The Nationals have reinstated Dee Strange-Gordon after the infielder-outfielder completed a weeklong rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Rochester

MAY 4, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Aníbal Sánchez - Transferred to 60-day IL Sanchez (neck) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Impact Sanchez has been dealing with a neck issue since shortly before his first scheduled start of the year. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com, the veteran right-hander recently underwent an MRI which confirmed he's still dealing with the nerve impingement in his neck. Sanchez will need a full spring training once cleared to throw, so it's no surprise to see that he'll need over a month before he's ready to return to game action.

MAY 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Lucius Fox - Sent to Triple-A Fox was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Impact Fox made the Nationals' Opening Day roster but didn't see regular playing time. He struggled at the plate in his occasional opportunities, going 2-for-25 with nine strikeouts. Dee Strange-Gordon returned from an illness to take his place on the roster.

MAY 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Dee Strange-Gordon - Activated from injured list Strange-Gordon (illness) was activated off the injured list Tuesday.

Impact Strange-Gordon missed nearly three weeks with a non-COVID illness. Prior to his absence, he'd gone 0-for-3 at the plate with a pair of strikeouts in limited action, and he doesn't appear to have a starting role available upon his return. He'll take the bench spot that had belonged to Lucius Fox, who was optioned in a corresponding move.

MAY 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Analysis ' In latest bullpen moves, Nationals prioritize multi-inning arms Josh Rogers and Erasmo Ramírez are part of a necessary shift in bullpen construction.

MAY 3, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

LEADING OFF: Astros' Baker goes for 2,000th win as manager

Astros manager Dusty Baker tries for his 2,000th win as a major league manager when Houston hosts Seattle

MAY 3, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rockies play the Nationals on home winning streak

The Colorado Rockies host the Washington Nationals trying to continue a three-game home winning streak

MAY 3, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Victor Robles - Reaches base three times in win Robles went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday's win over the Giants.

Impact The center fielder still isn't making a lot of hard contact, but Robles seems to be focused on using his speed to reach base instead, and it's been working. Over his last four games, he's gone 9-for-15 with two doubles, two walks, five runs and five RBI, pushing his slash line on the season to .259/.317/.345. If he starts using his legs after he gets on base as well -- Robles has yet to attempt a stolen base this season -- he'll become a much more appealing fantasy asset.

MAY 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Steve Cishek - Grabs third hold Cishek gave up a hit and struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings Sunday to record his third hold of the season in a win over the Giants.

Impact The sidearmer has held the opposition off the board in nine of his 11 appearances this season but been tagged for six runs in the other two, leading to a 6.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. Cishek's reliance on deception rather than dominant stuff makes him volatile, but Washington doesn't have many healthy, reliable high-leverage options in the bullpen right now, which will keep the veteran in a setup role -- he's currently tied with Kyle Finnegan for the team lead in holds.

MAY 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Nats pitchers are warming to PitchCom, baseball's new on-field device Hiccups aside, the Nationals have learned to stop worrying and love PitchCom.

MAY 2, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Lucius Fox - Two hits, stolen base Fox went 2-for-5 with a run, RBI and stolen base in an 11-5 win against the Giants on Sunday.

Impact Fox knocked an RBI single and stole second as part of a five-run first inning and tacked on a single and run in the sixth for the first two hits of his young career. The 24-year-old will look to build on the momentum after starting out 0-for-20 with just one walk.

MAY 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Fox's first hit caps off long journey to baseball SAN FRANCISCO -- If everything had gone as planned, Lucius Fox would have been a track star. If his original childhood dream had been realiz...

MAY 2, 2022 • MLB.COM

Yadiel Hernandez - Drives in five runs Hernandez went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, two runs and five RBI in Sunday's 11-5 victory against the Giants.

Impact Hernandez had perhaps the best game of his short career Sunday, reaching base four times and knocking a bases-loaded double in the eighth after San Francisco got the lead down to three. The 34-year-old has been thriving on the strong side of a platoon in left field as he's slashing .340/.368/.509 with six doubles and 12 RBI in 15 games.

MAY 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Juan Soto - Collects three hits Soto went 3-for-5 with three runs and a stolen base in an 11-5 win over the Giants on Sunday.

Impact Soto singled and scored in the first, sixth and eighth innings, swiping second base for his second theft of the season on the last occasion. The outing was the 23-year-old's first three-hit game of the year and the swipe puts him on pace to surpass a career-high 12 steals set back in 2019.

MAY 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josiah Gray - Six shutout frames Gray (3-2) picked up the win during Sunday's 11-5 victory over San Francisco, allowing one hit and four walks with three strikeouts in six scoreless innings.

Impact Gray took the hill with a 5-0 lead in hand and breezed through the first four innings, only encountering trouble when he loaded the bases in the fifth. However, he was able to strike out Darin Ruf to end the threat. The 24-year-old has excelled in two road starts thus far, tossing 11 scoreless innings combined, compared to surrendering nine runs in 15 innings during three home games. The totals come out to a solid 3.12 ERA, 31 strikeouts and a slightly high 1.31 WHIP in 26 innings.

MAY 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE