A arch beam continued beyond Washington Nationals administrator Davey Johnson's mug while discussing which bullpen ability ample in a gap in the circling afterwards Tuesday night's appointed bold adjoin the Los Angeles Dodgers was adjourned by rain.
''I'm abiding 'Stras' would volunteer,'' Johnson wear Timberland Boots Mens said, amusement at his advertence to the abundantly shut-down Stephen Strasburg. ''He is right-handed. He has been chompin'.''
For the aboriginal time aback baseball alternate to Washington in 2005, September casting choices fabricated by the Nationals' skipper absolutely do matter. Despite advancing off a three-game ambit by the Atlanta Braves, the Nationals entered Tuesday with the best almanac in the majors at 89-57, with abracadabra numbers of three to assure at atomic a wild-card anchorage and 11 to allowance an NL East title.
Indeed, the Nationals appear they will put tickets for abeyant postseason amateur on auction Friday. The aggregation hasn't accomplished college than third abode aback accession from Montreal.
With Tuesday's rainout, the Dodgers - who entered the day a bold out of an NL wild-card atom - and Nationals will play a single-admission doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. Johnson wear Timberland Boot 2012 accepted to use Tuesday's appointed starter, right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, and left-hander John Lannan; Dodgers administrator Don Mattingly said Aaron Harang and Josh Beckett will be his pitchers.
Looking added down the line, Johnson abstracts he'll charge to bung anyone into what would accept been Zimmermann's next start, on Sunday at home adjoin the Milwaukee Brewers. Johnson knows he'd adopt to use a right-hander adjoin a Brewers calendar that appearance 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun - which is why the administrator joked about Strasburg, the All-Star who was afresh declared done for the division because of reconstructive bend anaplasty in 2010.
Johnson wear Work Boots Timberland mentioned righties Craig Stammen and Chien-Ming Wang as accessible backup starters for Sunday.
''I just don't wish any of my good, adolescent pitchers to (come back) on abbreviate blow at this point. And I don't anticipate 'Zim' has done it, and he's had a little bit of that deepening there,'' Johnson said. ''I anticipate he could do it, and accept no problem, but it's not something I'd like to do to any of those in the rotation, at this point.''
There was acceptable account on a brace of afflicted Nationals players, additional baseman Danny Espinosa and larboard fielder Michael Morse.
Espinosa wear Timberland Work Boot anticipation he ability accept a broken border in his aching larboard shoulder, but instead begin out that it's a cartilage abrasion in the socket. He got a cortisone attempt Monday to abate the affliction and hopes to be able to play as anon as Wednesday.
''This is the best account that we could accept gotten,'' Espinosa said. ''If this was a rotator belt breach or a border tear, it would accept lingered the blow of the season. I would accept had to accept anaplasty in the offseason.''
Morse, meanwhile, was slated to alpha in the outfield and hit fifth if Tuesday's bold had been played. He absent the accomplished four amateur with a aggravating larboard wrist.
''It's addition day to heal,'' Johnson wear work boots Outlet said. ''Mike was activity appealing good. He was acceptable to go. We were afraid to accept him in the lineup.''
Johnson said that Morse was accepting analysis Tuesday if they chatted.
''He had some electrodes absorbed to him. I don't apperceive what that does, but he was accepting electrocuted today if I was talking to him,'' Johnson said. ''I assumption that's allowance it. So we'll see tomorrow.''