Washington Nationals

The New York Mets plan to approach the Washington Nationals about a trade for Max Scherzer prior to Friday's deadline, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

Martino reported there's a level of skepticism around MLB that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo would pull the trigger on a deal to aid a team within the National League East.

The Nationals are eight games behind the first-place Mets and 11 games out of the second wild-card spot in the NL. Since Scherzer is due to become a free agent in the offseason, it wouldn't be that surprising if he's moved prior to August.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Washington was looking into being a buyer or seller and that the three-time Cy Young winner was among the players discussed.

Scherzer is enjoying another strong season. He's 7-4 with a 2.83 ERA and a 3.47 FIP through 18 starts, per Baseball Reference. He's also averaging 12.2 strikeouts and 2.1 walks per nine innings.

The Mets already added Rich Hill, but Scherzer would be a big upgrade to New York's already formidable rotation. Jacob deGrom's trip to the injured list with right forearm tightness may give the front office more motivation to add an elite arm.

Under different circumstances, Rizzo's stance would make sense. You don't want to make yourself worse while simultaneously strengthening a division rival if you can avoid it.

But FanGraphs gives the Nationals a 1.3 chance of making the playoffs.

The door to the postseason is closing fast for Washington, and trading Scherzer to New York doesn't preclude the team from re-signing him or guarantee he sign with the Mets.

Given his contract status, the Nats don't have a ton of leverage in negotiations. If the Mets can put together an attractive trade package, then Rizzo would be foolish not to listen.

Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer was scratched from his scheduled start against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night with right triceps discomfort. 

This isn't the first setback for the 36-year-old this season. Washington placed him on the injured list in June with a groin problem after he exited a game following just 12 pitches.

The right-hander finished in the top five of Cy Young voting in seven consecutive seasons from 2013 through 2019 and has compiled a 2.83 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 142 strikeouts in 105 innings this season.

Jon Lester, who is 3-4 with a 4.99 ERA across 15 starts, will start in Scherzer's place at Camden Yards.

Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer may be on the move before Friday's trade deadline.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Saturday that the right-hander has been discussed with Washington "investigating both buy/sell scenarios."

Heyman noted a "Scherzer trade suddenly seems quite possible."

While Scherzer will turn 37 years old Tuesday, he is still one of the best pitchers in the game and would be a massive boost to any contender.

He is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star who helped lead the Nationals to the 2019 World Series crown. He finished in the top five of Cy Young voting in seven straight seasons from 2013 through 2019.

The right-hander pitched with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers for the first seven years of his career but has been with the Nationals since 2015. He hasn't shown signs of slowing down this year either and has a 2.83 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 142 strikeouts in 105 innings.

Not only would he be the ace of most any team that traded for him, he is also playoff-tested and could take the ball multiple times in a postseason series.

Scherzer has appeared in 22 playoff games throughout his career, including six in 2019. He finished 3-0 with a hold and 2.40 ERA that year.

Washington is in fourth place in the National League East at just 45-51, though it is within striking distance at seven games behind the first-place New York Mets.

Washington Nationals third baseman Starlin Castro has had his administrative leave extended by Major League Baseball.  

Castro's new leave will run through July 29, according to ESPN.com. The 31-year-old was originally placed on administrative leave July 16 stemming from a domestic violence allegation against him. 

Castro was away from the Nationals for four days from June 15-18, placed on the restricted list to attend to an unspecified family matter. 

When MLB announced Castro's first administrative leave last week, Washington manager Dave Martinez didn't say whether or not the four-time All-Star would return to the team at any point this season. 

“When that process is done, that’ll be another conversation,” Martinez said. “But for right now, like I said, until he goes through that process, I really have nothing to say to him or anybody about it.”

General manager Mike Rizzo told reporters prior to Tuesday's game against the Miami Marlins he doesn't anticipate Castro playing for the Nationals again in 2021.

"The process is the process,'' he said. "You asked the question, 'Do I plan on having Starlin Castro back' and I said I do not plan on having him back.''

Castro is in his second season with Washington after signing a two-year deal in January 2020. He previously played for the Marlins, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees in his 12-year MLB career.    

Police in Washington, D.C., are continuing to investigate the shooting outside Nationals Park during Saturday's game between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres.

According to the Washington Post, authorities are under the impression the shooting involved individuals in two vehicles. They've already taken possession of one automobile in connection with the shooting and asked for the public's help in tracking down a second car:

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also asked for anybody with knowledge pertaining to the shooting to reach out to police:

Bowser said it doesn't appear the gunfire was tied directly to Saturday's game in any way.

Three people were injured in the shooting. According to a police report released Sunday, one was a woman who attended the game and was waiting for an Uber when she was shot. The woman reentered Nationals Park to seek medical attention.

The gunshots were audible to those in the stadium. That created confusion as to where and what was happening. Members of the Padres opened a gate along the third-base line so some fans could get onto the field and seek safety in the away dugout.

Nationals manager Davey Martinez said the same thing was happening on the other side of the diamond.

"There was a bunch of fans, they were in our dugout and I wanted to get them safe as well," he told reporters. "We got them in through the tunnel and got them in safely and tried to keep them safe. For me it was just about protecting our people and doing the best I can to stay calm."

Saturday's game was suspended in the sixth inning and resumed Sunday. San Diego won 10-4 before losing 8-7 to close out its three-game series with Washington.

Saturday's game between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres was suspended in the sixth inning as emergency services respond to a shooting just outside Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

The Nationals tweeted that a shooting had been reported outside the Third Base Gate. Fans were being asked to exit the stadium through center-field and right-field gates.

Following the top of the sixth inning, the sound of gunshots sent players and fans scrambling. Multiple Padres players were seen running into the stands to usher family members into the clubhouse and away from the field.

Fans were initially asked to remain inside the stadium before further details were made available.

District police confirmed multiple people were shot outside the stadium and said there appeared to be no further threat to the area.

Video posted to social media from around the stadium shows a number of fans creating barricades with tables, while others were seen attempting to direct people toward safer areas. A number of those inside the stadium were spotted running to the center-field exits, while some sought refuge in the dugouts.

Saturday's game will resume at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday with the day's scheduled contest set to begin after a 25-45 minute intermission.

Washington Nationals infielder Starlin Castro will reportedly be placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into an allegation of domestic violence. 

Per The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli, Major League Baseball is expected to put Castro on seven-day administrative leave prior to Friday's game between the Nationals and San Diego Padres. 

Ghiroli reported the alleged domestic violence occurred earlier this summer. 

The report doesn't specify when the Nationals were made aware of the situation, nor when the alleged domestic violence situation occurred. 

Washington did place Castro on the restricted list on June 16. Manager Dave Martinez told reporters at the time he had to attend to a family matter. 

“We talked last night, and I just want him to go and handle those matters,” Martinez said. “I can’t get into specifics. One thing’s for sure—Starlin’s good. He just needs to take care of some stuff.”

Castro returned to the Nationals on June 18 when he made a pinch-hit appearance in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the New York Mets. 

While Castro was still playing with the Chicago Cubs, Carlos Sadovi and Jeremy Gorner of the Chicago Tribune reported in April 2012 that a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her at his apartment in Sept. 2011, but prosecutors chose not to charge him because of insufficient evidence. 

Under the joint domestic violence policy adopted by MLB and the MLB Players Association, administrative leave can be extended in seven-day increments if both parties agree. 

Castro is in his second season with the Nationals. He appeared in 87 of the team's 89 games during the first half of this season.    

The Washington Nationals are reportedly showing interest in Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant ahead of the 2021 MLB trade deadline on July 30.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported the news Friday, but noted it's unclear whether a blockbuster deal is possible with the Nats unwilling to move pitching prospects Cade Cavalli and Jackson Rutledge.

The Cubs started their pre-deadline fire sale Thursday by trading outfielder Joc Pederson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for prospect Bryce Ball. 

Chicago was already heading toward a likely offseason roster overhaul because of a high number of impending free agents, and the process was accelerated by a recent 11-game losing streak that's left them eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central division race.

Bryant is perhaps the most intriguing piece available because of his track record, highlighted by the 2016 NL MVP Award, and ability to play all over the diamond.

The 29-year-old Las Vegas native is a third baseman, but he's also made starts at first base and all three outfield spots for the Cubs in 2021. He even made one appearance at shortstop for the club in 2016, though he's unlikely to play that position consistently.

Bryant, who's posted an .854 OPS with 16 home runs in 81 games this season, said the situation is out of control but he'd always remember his time in Chicago fondly if he's moved.

"Whenever my time is done playing for the Cubs, whether I retire here or not, I certainly hope to go out representing who I am and just a good person and keep my head high and realizing, whether it's one World Series or four or five more, whatever we did here was special," Bryant told reporters. "And when I'm done playing this game, I can look back on however long I spent in this uniform and be very proud of it."

The four-time All-Star, who can become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, would likely play center field if dealt to Washington. Starlin Castro has been playing well at third for the Nats. Josh Harrison could also shift to center with Bryant playing left.

What the Nationals would be willing to offer for a potential short-term rental isn't clear, though. Cavalli and Rutledge are the club's top two prospects in the MLB.com rankings. Next up on the list are pitcher Cole Henry and infielder Yasel Antuna.

Washington is six games back in the NL East, so trading anything of substantial value for Bryant without having a contract extension in place would come with risk.

Bryant probably makes more sense for a high-end World Series contender that believes he could be the missing piece for a championship run.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals are "acting like buyers" ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Six games separate the top four teams in the National League East right now, with Passan adding the division's top contenders believe they can chase down the first-place New York Mets.

The Atlanta Braves announced Thursday they acquired Joc Pederson from the Chicago Cubs. Passan cast doubt on them doing anything major, though, reporting they're unlikely "to be in the mix for any big names."

Atlanta's postseason hopes took a big hit when Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered a season-ending torn right ACL. Passan also noted how the team has 18 straight games against opponents that are .500 or better, so the playoff window could shut in short order to start the second half.

FanGraphs gives the Mets a 76.2 percent chance of winning the division, but it's not hard to see why the Phillies and Nationals would feel they still have a shot. The complexion of either team's season could shift based on a few hot series.

Surveying some of the top players who could be on the market, any one of Adam Frazier, Josh Donaldson, Joey Gallo or Starling Marte could help Washington's offense. Marte and Donaldson would likewise be upgrades for Philadelphia.

For both teams, pitching is a clear area of concern as well. The Nationals don't have a ton of depth behind Max Scherzer, and the Phillies bullpen is collectively 23rd in FIP (4.49), per FanGraphs.

The dilemma for their front offices is that they don't want to throw good money after bad. Swinging big ahead of the trade deadline carries plenty of downside risk if a team surrenders long-term assets and doesn't improve its position in the standings too much.

Baseball fans, it's time to feel old.

Darren Baker, the son of Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker, was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB draft.

Yes, that's the same Darren Baker who needed to be scooped up by San Francisco Giants first baseman J.T. Snow at home plate in the 2002 World Series.

Baker was originally a draftee of the Nationals in 2017 after coming off the board in the 27th round.

The 22-year-old spent his college career with the California Golden Bears. Over four seasons, he batted .303 with 58 stolen bases in 167 games. He was a member of the Pac-12's All-Defensive team in 2019 and 2021.