Washington
Nationals

News: Strasburg's knee injury is officially a patellar subluxation of the left knee, the Washington Post reports.
Impact: For those of you without medical degrees, that's a dislocated kneecap. "It was the best result that we could have hoped for," General Manager Mike Rizzo said Friday evening from his office at Nationals Park. "It's something where he just has to rest and follow a physical therapy regimen to strengthen all the ligaments around his knee. We think we dodged a bullet. From what you hear, and from what [witnesses] saw on the field, you always think of the worst and hope for the best." His AFL stint is done, but he'll have plenty of time to get healed up and ready for spring training. 

News: Strasburg has a dislocation in his left knee joint and should be fine for spring training.
Impact: The No. 1 draft pick was examined Friday by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles. The Nationals say Strasburg will not require surgery, and that treatment will include rest and physical therapy. The San Diego State right-hander twisted his knee during a workout Thursday and has been scratched from his start in the Arizona Fall League championship game. 

News: Updating a previous report, number-one overall pick Stephen Strasburg will not need surgery on his injured left knee, according to MLBlogs.com. Strasburg injured his knee shagging fly balls on Thursday.
Impact: This injury wasn't believed to be serious, but you never know when it has to do with the knee. Strasburg will need to rest the knee and get therapy, but there is no reason to think he won't be ready for spring training. 

News: The Nationals say No. 1 overall draft pick Strasburg has a twisted left knee and is being scratched from his start in the Arizona Fall League championship game.
Impact: Strasburg was hurt during a workout Thursday, and an MRI exam showed inflammation. He is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles on Friday to be examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum. The Nationals issued a news release saying Strasburg's injury "is not considered serious." 

News: Strasburg won't need surgery on his injured left knee, the Nationals' official site reports.
Impact: Strasburg is dealing with some inflammation, but Dr. Lewis Yocum recommended rest, ice and therapy instead of surgery. No timetable was set for his return, but this doesn't seem like the type of injury that could affect Strasburg's spring training availability. 

News: Washington Nationals' pitcher Stephen Strasburg reportedly twisted his left knee while shagging fly balls on Thursday, according to the Twitter page of beat writer Bill Ladson. The injury is not expected to be serious.
Impact: Strasburg said he heard his knee "pop" when he twisted it, and the entire Nats' organization feared the worst. It looks like he should be fine, so Nats' fans can breathe easy. 

News: Strasburg injured his left knee during a workout Thursday and will be scratched from his start in the Arizona Fall League championship game Saturday, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: The Nationals said the injury is not considered serious, but an MRI revealed inflammation, and Strasburg will travel to Washington on Friday to be examined by team doctors. 

News: Olsen (shoulder) has begun throwing off a mound, the Washington Post reports. He had surgery in July to repair a small labrum tear in his left shoulder.
Impact: He's a non-tender candidate due to his surgery. 

News: Morgan (broken wrist) is fully healed and swinging a bat, the Washington Post reports.
Impact: He's expected to be ready for the start of spring training. 

News: Desmond may be given a shot to win the starting shortstop job for the Nationals with Christian Guzman being moved to second base, the Washington Post reports.
Impact: These plans could change if the Nationals make some moves to acquire a shortstop or infielder this offseason, but Desmond is a name to watch this winter. 

News: Guzman (shoulder) has been told to prepare for spring training as a second baseman, the Washington Post reports.
Impact: It looks like the Nationals may give Ian Desmond a chance to win the starting shortstop job. Or the Nationals are worried about Guzman's throwing arm. Either way, this likely isn't a good development for Guzman's job security. 

News: Flores, who is already recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, had surgery on his elbow to remove a bone chip, the Washington Post reports. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says Flores is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.
Impact: The elbow surgery isn't expected to slow his overall recovery. It was previously thought he may not be ready to return until after spring training started, so it sounds like his recovery from the shoulder surgery is going better than expected. We'll need to watch his healthy closely early in spring training. 

News: According to the Washington Post, Nationals catcher Jesus Flores underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow.
Impact: This surgery was piled on top of the previous procedure to repair a torn labrum, but Flores isn't expected to miss any of spring training. He's the top backstop in Washington, but the Nats are currently searching for a backup, so they may have concerns about his health. He'll be worth keeping an eye on in spring training. 

News: Stephen Strasburg only allowed one hit over 3.2 scoreless innings in today's 1-0 win over Peoria in the Arizona Fall League. He had six strikeouts and two walks.
Impact: The prized prospect earned his AFL-leading fourth win, and was fine following his bout with neck pain. Strasburg has a very bright future in the bigs. 

News: Josh Willingham is reportedly garnering strong trade interest, according to FOX Sports.
Impact: It is uncertain if the Nationals would actually consider dealing him though. The club has him under contract for another two seasons, and his bat would be hard to replace. He hit 24 homers in 2009, with a .260 batting average and .496 slugging percentage.  

News: Strasburg (neck) struck out six and walked a pair while holding the Saguaros (AFL) to two hits over 3.2 scoreless innings on Saturday.
Impact: If there were any concerns about the neck stiffness that kept him out of last week's AFL Rising Stars Game, those should be erased after another strong showing on Saturday. Outside of a shelling in his second AFL start, Strasburg has been lights out with a 19:6 K:BB ratio and 1.10 ERA in 16.1 innings over his other four starts in Arizona. 

News: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports that the Nationals plan to name interim 2009 manager Jim Riggleman to the full-time position.
Impact: The team sure went to a lot of trouble interviewing other candidates when it apparently planned on keeping Riggleman all along. His track record isn't great, and neither are the Nats, so expect him to face a lot of scrutiny in 2010. 

News: The Nationals placed Flores on the 60-day disabled list on Thursday. Flores had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder on Wednesday.
Impact: Flores was hurt on May 9, when he was hit by a foul ball. He hit .301 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in 93 at-bats this season. 

News: Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told MASN's Web site that Bernadina will miss the rest of the season because of a fracture right ankle.
Impact: Bernadina, who has been on the DL since April 19, went 1 for 4 in three games this season for Washington after hitting .211 in 26 contests in 2008. 

News: Olsen underwent surgery Thursday to repair the labrum in his left shoulder and will miss the rest of the season. The procedure showed no further damage, and the left-hander should be ready for spring training, Nationals acting general manager Mike Rizzo said.
Impact: The Nationals put Olsen on the DL retroactive to July 11 on Sunday, and the decision to do the surgery was made after he was examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday. The left-hander is 2-4 with a 6.03 ERA in 11 starts. Olsen had also been on the DL from May 10 to June 28 with tendinitis in his left shoulder. 

News: Zimmermann will have reconstructive elbow surgery and is expected to miss at least a year.
Impact: Washington acting general manager Mike Rizzo said Zimmermann will have surgery Wednesday after Dr. Lewis Yocum, an expert in Tommy John surgery, had a look at his MRI exam. 

News: Nationals' top pick Stephen Strasburg was held out of the Rising Stars game in the Arizona Fall league on Saturday due to neck soreness. The injury is not expected to be serious.
Impact: There was no reason to risk it with Strasburg, as the team has major expectations for their top pick. He is expected to be fine, but it might be worth monitoring his status heading into spring training. 

News: According to the Washington Post, Young's season is likely over. He suffered a left quad injury in a rehab game at Double-A Harrisburg on July 18. The injury likely ends his career with the Nationals, and possibly his major league career.
Impact: Young was working his way back from hip and back injuries and hasn't played since July 11, 2008. Now his future in baseball is in serious doubt. 

News: The Nationals declined a $10 million 2010 option on Kearns and will pay him $1 million to buy out the contract, the Associated Press reports. He's coming back from August thumb surgery.
Impact: Kearns has battled thumb, elbow, and foot injuries over the past two seasons and posted very unimpressive numbers during his stint in Washington. 

News: The Nationals have opted to decline Austin Kearns' $10MM option for 2010, according to the Associated Press.
Impact: The club will instead pay the outfielder a $1MM buyout. Kearns is good defensively, but leaves a bit to be desired with his bat, as he only hit .195 in 2009. 

News: Strasburg has been scratched from his scheduled start in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars game due to a sore neck, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: The Washington Post reports that Strasburg is expected to pitch again before the AFL schedule concludes on November 19. He has a 5.28 ERA and 17:5 K:BB ratio in 15.1 innings in four AFL starts this season. 

News: The Washington Nationals have declined their $10 million option on Kearns and are paying a $1 million buyout, presumably ending his disappointing tenure with the team.
Impact: The 29-year-old Kearns hit only .195 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 174 at-bats this season, when he was hampered by a thumb problem. Elbow and foot injuries limited Kearns to 86 games in 2008, when he batted .217 with seven homers and 32 RBIs. In 2007, his only full season in Washington, Kearns hit .266 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs. 

News: The Washington Nationals have declined their $10 million option on Kearns and are paying a $1 million buyout, presumably ending his disappointing tenure with the team.
Impact: The 29-year-old Kearns hit only .195 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 174 at-bats this season, when he was hampered by a thumb problem. Elbow and foot injuries limited Kearns to 86 games in 2008, when he batted .217 with seven homers and 32 RBIs. In 2007, his only full season in Washington, Kearns hit .266 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs. 

News: The Nationals say No. 1 overall draft pick Strasburg has a strained neck muscle and is being scratched from his scheduled start in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars game.
Impact: The team says the right-hander is being held out of Saturday's game for precautionary reasons. The Nationals are listing Strasburg's status as day to day and are not sure when his next Arizona Fall League start will be. 

News: According to the Baltimore Sun, the Nationals have claimed left-hander Doug Slaten off waivers from the Diamondbacks.
Impact: Slaten is a 30-year-old middle reliever that spent almost all of last season in Triple-A Reno. He appeared in just 11 games with the D-backs and had a 7.11 ERA in 2009. Even though those numbers are less than impressive, he could represent an upgrade in a horrible Nationals bullpen. 

News: The Washington Nationals claimed Slaten off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
Impact: Slaten, who will turn 30 before the start of next season, is a middle reliever who spent most of 2009 at Triple-A Reno, going 3-2 with nine saves and a 3.09 ERA in 39 appearances. He had a 7.11 ERA with no decisions in 11 appearances with the Diamondbacks this season, and is 3-5 with a 3.68 ERA in the majors since 2006, all with Arizona. 

News: The Nationals claimed Slaten off waivers from the Diamondbacks on Thursday, the East Valley Tribune reports.
Impact: Slaten only saw action in 11 games with the Diamondbacks in 2009. He will have a chance to earn a spot in the Nationals' bullpen during spring training. 

News: Stephen Strasburg put together another impressive start in the Arizona Fall League on Monday, according to the Washington Times. Strasburg allowed one run on four hits in five innings while striking out six.
Impact: Strasburg reportedly threw over 100 mph on four of his first six pitches, including two 101 mph pitches. Other than his one bad start earlier in the season, he has been every bit as good as advertised.  

News: Strasburg gave up one run on four hits while striking out six and walking one over five innings against Surprise in his start on Monday.
Impact: He improved his AFL record to 3-1 with the outing. Other than a hiccup in his second start, Strasburg has been as good as advertised against advanced prospects in Arizona thus far. It's still unclear as to where he'll begin the 2010 season in the Washington organization. 

News: Strasburg struck out five and walked two while giving up just one run and one hit in 4.1 innings on Tuesday.
Impact: He's fanned 11 while walking four through 10.1 AFL innings. Strasburg was shelled in his second start, giving up eight runs on seven hits -- including three homers -- over 2.2 innings, but he bounced back very nicely on Tuesday.