The Washington Nationals placed staff ace Max Scherzer on the 10-day injured list with a groin problem.
Nationals place ace Max Scherzer on the 10-day injured list — MLB | NBC Sports
Max Scherzer and Juan Soto should make their delayed Grapefruit League debuts this week for the Washington Nationals.
Nats’ Scherzer, Soto should make delayed debuts this week — MLB | NBC Sports
Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg says the problem went away immediately after the 15-minute carpal tunnel surgery.
Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg: ‘Numbness in my whole hand’ led to surgery — MLB | NBC Sports
Nationals pitching coach Paul Menhart will not be brought back next season after working in the organization for 15 years.
Nationals let pitching coach Paul Menhart go one year after title — MLB | NBC Sports
Now that he has a new multiyear contract, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says his top priority is working out a long-term deal for manager Dave Martinez.
Nationals GM Rizzo says new deal for Martinez is ‘priority one’ — MLB | NBC Sports
Associated PressSep 6, 2020, 8:49 PM EDTLeave a comment
ATLANTA — Now that he has a new multiyear contract, Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says his top priority is working out a long-term deal for manager Dave Martinez.
The Nationals have a club option for Martinez for 2021. Rizzo said Sunday his preference is “just to disregard that” club option and instead work out a new contract for the manager.
“That’s priority one to get Davey taken care of,” Rizzo said. “My plan is and my preference is to not pick up the option and go well beyond that.”
Rizzo’s multiyear extension was announced by the team on Saturday.
Martinez said Saturday he wants to remain in Washington.
“Mike’s is done. Mine should be coming around the corner pretty soon,” Martinez said when asked about his contract status. “We’ll see what happens.”
Rizzo and Martinez led the Nationals to the 2019 World Series title. This year, Washington is in last place in the NL East.
“Going through what we’re going on the field, it’s kind of hard to celebrate a personal achievement,” Rizzo said, referring to his new contract.
Rizzo said negotiations on his deal began about one week ago.
Asked if he became frustrated the extension did not come sooner, Rizzo said the deal allows those who work around him to relax.
“People run into a little bit of anxiety as you get closer to the end of the season,” he said. “It feels good for everyone around us. Now we can do what we need to do and take care of what we need to for the rest of the season and the offseason.”
Rizzo said he didn’t let his uncertain status affect his work.
“I was never going to mention it to the ownership and never did,” he said. “… They knew I wanted to be here and also knew this negotiation wouldn’t take long once we got into it.”
Negotiations with shortstop Trea Turner may be another priority for Rizzo, who said there were discussions of an extension in spring training.
Turner has a one-year, $7.45 million deal this season. He can be eligible for free agency in 2023.Tags: Dave Martinez, Mike Rizzo, Nationals, Washington Nationals, Trea TurnerLeave a comment
Like all major leaguers, Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been waiting to see what would happen with baseball because of the coronavirus pandemic
[DC] Nationals Star Zimmerman Says He’s Still Deciding Whether to Play Amid Coronavirus — NBC National
One day after getting big blowback, the Nationals have reversed course on a puzzling decision.
Nationals back off of minor league stipend cut — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
Yesterday it was reported that the Washington Nationals would cut the weekly stipend paid to their minor leaguers from $400 a week to $300 per week through the end of June.
For frame of reference, MLB had agreed to pay all minor leaguers $400 per week through May 31. Several teams have agreed to extend that, with the Royals and Twins agreeing to do it all the way through the end of August. The Oakland A’s decided to stop the payments in their entirety as of today. The Nationals were unique in cutting $100 off of the checks.
The A’s and the Nationals have taken a great amount of flak for what they’ve done. The Nats move was immediately countered by Nationals major league players announcing that they would cover what the organization would not.
The A’s are, apparently, still sticking to their plan. The Nats, however, have reversed course:
Source: Nationals owners have decided to pay minor leaguers $400 a week after deciding to cut the stipend from $400 to $300.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) June 1, 2020
One can easily imagine a situation in which Nats ownership just decided, cold-heartedly, to lop that hundred bucks off of each minor league check and not worry about a moment longer. What’s harder to imagine is what seems to have actually happened: the Nats did it without realizing that anyone would take issue with it, were surprised by the blowback, and then reversed course. Like, what kind of a bubble where they living in that they did not think people would consider that a low-rent thing to do?
In any event, good move, Nats, even if I cannot even begin to comprehend your thought process.
Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle announced Sunday that he and his teammates will cover pay cuts for minor-league players.
Sean Doolittle says Washington Nationals players will cover pay cuts for organization’s minor leaguers —
Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle announced on Twitter on Sunday night that he and his teammates will cover a pay cut that minor-league players in the organization will have to endure.
“After hearing that Nationals minor league players are facing additional pay cuts, the current members of the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball club will be coming together and committing funds to make whole the lost wages from their weekly stipends,” Doolittle wrote. “All of us were minor leaguers at one point in our careers and we know how important the weekly stipends are for them and their families during these uncertain times.
“Minor leaguers are an essential part of our organization and they are bearing the heaviest burden of this situation as their season is likely to be cancelled. We recognize that and want to stand with them and show our support.”
MLBPA COUNTER-PROPOSAL:114-game season, expanded playoffs
DAVID PRICE:Pitcher pledges $1,000 to every minor league player in Dodgers’ farm system
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The Nationals were to decrease minor leaguers’ pay to $300 per week in June, as reported by The Athletic. This development comes after the organization released more than 30 minor leaguers, according to Britt Ghiri of The Athletic.
On Sunday, the Nationals virtually unveiled their 2019 World Series championship rings, commemorating their seven-game triumph over the Astros last October.
Nationals virtually unveil 2019 World Series rings — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle voiced some concerns as MLB ownership prepares to present a proposal to restart the 2020 season.
Sean Doolittle has some thoughts about MLB’s proposal to restart season — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
By Bill BaerMay 11, 2020, 4:35 PM EDT5 Comments
Nationals closer Sean Doolittle is one of baseball’s truly good guys. He and his wife Eireann Dolan have been involved with numerous philanthropic efforts and Doolittle even earned a nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2016 when he was with the Athletics. They have supported Operation Finally Home, which is a nonprofit that provides “custom-built, mortgage-free” homes to members of the military and their widows. They also supported San Francisco’s veterans charity Swords to Plowshares, which “provides needs assessment and case management, employment and training, housing, and legal assistance” to veterans.
In 2015, Doolittle and Dolan hosted Syrian refugee families for Thanksgiving amid a turbulent time concerning Syrian refugees and U.S. foreign policy. The pair continued to speak out in support of refugees, including in 2017. Doolittle and Dolan also supported LGBT people in 2015, buying enough tickets to fill the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum on LGBT night. That was in response to critics who vowed to sell their tickets in protest. Last year, Doolittle was recognized for his advocacy of union workers who serve food at MLB stadiums.
This is all to say that Doolittle is a thoughtful guy who puts his money where his mouth is. He doesn’t just shoot from the hip.
Today, we learned that MLB ownership has agreed on a proposal it intends to present to the MLB Players Association on Tuesday regarding the 2020 regular season. The proposal will include details about the schedule, location of games, as well as worker pay. Ahead of that proposal, Doolittle offered his thoughts on the matter in a thread on Twitter. He provides links to many resources, validating his concerns. It’s worth reading and considering.Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo ·
Bear with me, but it feels like we’ve zoomed past the most important aspect of any MLB restart plan: health protections for players, families, staff, stadium workers and the workforce it would require to resume a season. Here are some things I’ll be looking for in the proposal…Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
Because this is a novel virus, there is still so much we don’t know – including the long-term effects. On top of respiratory issues, there’s been evidence of kidney, intestinal, and liver damage, as well as neurological malfunctions, blood clots & strokes. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-destroys-lungs-but-doctors-are-finding-its-damage-in-kidneys-hearts-and-elsewhere/2020/04/14/7ff71ee0-7db1-11ea-a3ee-13e1ae0a3571_story.html …Coronavirus destroys lungs. But doctors are finding its damage in kidneys, hearts and elsewhere.A small but growing body of evidence suggests the virus invades other organs and tissues, causing heart arrhythmias, blood clots and renal failure.washingtonpost.com1,825Twitter Ads info and privacy280 people are talking about thisObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo · Replying to @whatwouldDOOdo
Covid-19 patients often develop lung scarring, or ‘ground-glass opacities’. These were found even in asymptomatic patients, and because the virus often affects both lungs, can cause permanent damage in some cases. Definitely a concern for an athlete. https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/21251899/coronavirus-long-term-effects-symptoms …The emerging long-term complications of Covid-19, explained”It is a true roller coaster of symptoms and severities, with each new day offering many unknowns.”vox.comObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
Research has shown Covid-19 may cause issues with male hormone ratios – even in younger men, which could lead to fertility complications. Not ideal. Extremely suboptimal. Zero stars. https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/21251899/coronavirus-long-term-effects-symptoms …The emerging long-term complications of Covid-19, explained”It is a true roller coaster of symptoms and severities, with each new day offering many unknowns.”vox.com1,498Twitter Ads info and privacy113 people are talking about thisObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo · Replying to @whatwouldDOOdo
We know that sharing indoor spaces greatly increases the infection risk, and it’s rare that only 1 person gets sick. Will there be modifications made to clubhouses or other facilities to prevent a spread?https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.04.20053058v1.full.pdf …https://thefern.org/2020/04/mapping-covid-19-in-meat-and-food-processing-plants/ …https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/8/20-1274_article …Mapping Covid-19 in meat and food processing plants | Food and Environment Reporting NetworkThis story was updated on May 8] According to data collected by FERN, as of May 8 at 12pm ET, at least 190 meatpacking and processed food plants and four farms have confirmed cases of Covid-19…thefern.orgObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
And we’ve learned that you release the most virus into your environment prior to symptoms even showing. So how frequently will we be testing to stay ahead of a potential spread and to mitigate as much risk as possible? https://virologie-ccm.charite.de/fileadmin/user_upload/microsites/m_cc05/virologie-ccm/dateien_upload/Weitere_Dateien/analysis-of-SARS-CoV-2-viral-load-by-patient-age-v2.pdf …1,097Twitter Ads info and privacy92 people are talking about thisObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo · Replying to @whatwouldDOOdo
Fauci spoke about conducting an NFL season & indicated a need for daily testing. Baseball players might not be in close contact during a game the way football players are, but there is a lot of shared space in a clubhouse among players, coaches and staff. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/05/11/dr-anthony-fauci-football-the-perfect-set-up-for-spreading/ …
Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
So how many tests do we need to safely play during a pandemic? And not just tests for players. Baseball requires a massive workforce besides the players; coaches, clubhouse staff, security, grounds crews, umpires, gameday stadium staff, TV & media…we need to protect everyone.1,363Twitter Ads info and privacy117 people are talking about thisObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo · Replying to @whatwouldDOOdo
And that’s before we get to hotel workers and transportation workers (pilots, flight attendants, bus drivers). They are essential workers. We wouldn’t be able to play a season without them, and they deserve the same protections.Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
We need to consider what level of risk we’re willing to assume. 80% of cases are considered mild, but what if a player, a staff member, an auxiliary worker, or a family member gets a case that’s in the 20% and they develop severe symptoms or chronic issues? 1 feels like too many?1,321Twitter Ads info and privacy103 people are talking about thisObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo · Replying to @whatwouldDOOdo
There are a number of players & staff who have pre-existing conditions that they are aware of (and likely more who aren’t yet). We need a plan that seriously considers the increased health concerns of any players, staff or workers who are at higher risk. https://theathletic.com/1806075/2020/05/11/rosenthal-what-players-with-underlying-health-concerns-say-about-a-possible-return/ …Rosenthal: What players with underlying health concerns say…The players only will push forward with the 2020 season if they are assured the league will take every measure to keep them safe.theathletic.comObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
And if even mild cases can cause long-term health effects, will there be added healthcare benefits for players, staff and workers that will extend beyond their employment and into retirement to mitigate the unknown risks of putting on a baseball season during a pandemic?1,150Twitter Ads info and privacy95 people are talking about thisObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo · Replying to @whatwouldDOOdo
We don’t have a vaccine yet, and we don’t really have any effective anti-viral treatments. What happens if there is a second wave? Hopefully we can come up with BOTH a proactive health plan focused on prevention AND a reactive plan aimed at containment.Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
Hopefully these concerns will be addressed in MLB’s proposal, first and foremost: 1) what’s the plan to ethically acquire enough tests? 2) what’s the protocol if a player, staff member, or worker contracts the virus? We want to play. And we want everyone to stay safe.1,407Twitter Ads info and privacy132 people are talking about thisObi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo · Replying to @whatwouldDOOdo
Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. I’m going to turn my phone off now. Best of luck to my mentions. Stay safe. Keep washing your hands and wearing your masks. I hope we get to play baseball for you again soon. 
Obi-Sean Kenobi Doolittle✔@whatwouldDOOdo
Oh,
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We haven’t heard from many players about the risks they face if they were to resume playing. Doolittle has taken it upon himself to speak up. Hopefully, union reps take his concerns into account before hearing MLB’s proposal tomorrow.
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Nationals ace Max Scherzer is one of the players leading talks about possible new rules to combat improper use of technology during games.
MLBPA, league discussing methods to fight electronic sign-stealing — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
The view from left field 