Good Tuesday Morning, Thank You for starting your day with us.
Game Time Weather: Rain and storms possible this evening, temps will be in the upper 80s for a high and will begin to drop into the mid 60s by the end of the game. A delay or postponement is possible depending on how storms set up around the area.
Upcoming Games:
- Tuesday, May 4, 2021, Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals; 7:05 pm EDT
- Wednesday, May 5, 2021, Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals; 7:05 pm EDT
- Thursday, May 6, 2021, Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals; 4:05 pm EDT
- Friday, May 7, 2021, Washington Nationals v. New York Yankees; 7:05 pm EDT
Today's Morning Briefing is brought to you by Richard.
Today's Top Story: The Atlanta Braves Come to Town for a Three-Game Series
As the NL East becomes very tight, the next three games against the Atlanta Braves become ever more important. Frank has our series preview: "Currently, the Nationals' bullpen has the best ERA in the NL East and has looked like a strength. The team is still missing Wander Suero, Will Harris, and Stephen Strasburg. Once these three return, the pitching could get even better. The Braves, on the other hand, have one of the worst bullpens in baseball, with a 4.72 ERA. Their starters aren't looking too great, either, having a combined ERA of 5.30. As always, this series is going to be interesting. Expectations are sure to rise if the Nats can win this one." (More later this afternoon in our GameNotes)
Click here to read the full article.
Washington Nationals Minor League Teams Set Opening Day Rosters
After a year off due to COVID-19, finally, there will be minor league baseball this year, and the Washington Nationals Minor League Teams have set their opening-day rosters. As we reported last week, top Washington Nationals Pitching Prospects Jack Rutledge and Cade Cavalli will be heading to Wilmington DE, while Carter Kieboom, Luis García, and Gerardo Parra will be heading up to Rochester, New York.
Where in the World is F.P. Santangelo?
Well, if you are a frequent watcher of MASN's coverage of the Nationals, you have noticed that color man F.P. Santangelo has been missing from the broadcast over the past few games. This paragraph stood out to me while reading a Washington Post article about the sudden absence from the broadcast: "In a short phone conversation Monday, Santangelo declined to answer questions about his absence, saying the Nationals would explain the situation. A Nationals spokeswoman then declined to comment, referring questions to MASN. A MASN spokesman also declined to comment."
While I have no knowledge of the situation and what is going on, the article from the Post leaves you wondering what is going on. We know that Bob Carpenter is on a planned vacation and will return to the booth on Friday when the Nationals take on the New York Yankees in New York.
MLB News: Miami Marlins lose RHP Paul Campbell for 80 games, after a Positive Test for Anabolic Steroids
Yesterday, Major League Baseball announced that Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Paul Campbel would be suspended due to him testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. A statement issued by the MLB Players Association on behalf of Paul Campbel stated that he "never knowingly, willingly, or intentionally ingested this substance in any form, nor have I ever heard of DHCMT prior to this situation."
The statement continued to say: "Due to the fact that I do not know the origin of how this substance has entered into my system, I currently have no viable defense," Campbell further said in the statement. "I have unfortunately become one of the many athletes, across multiple sports, who are presenting themselves to the world and asking for members of the anti-doping world to help us find answers as to why this metabolite is continuing to show up in athletes' bodies, and ultimately costing them significant detours in their careers."
Podcast Alert: In the Clubhouse with the Nats Report
If you are active on "Nationals Social Media," you will recognize our latest guest: @TheRallyMullet. During this episode, Richard and the Rally Mullet discuss the past, current, and future of the Washington Nationals from a super fan's perspective. Richard and the Rally Mullet talk about where to get a good deal for drinks while you are at Nats Park.
Apple: https://apple.co/3exjfxd
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dWEKsp
Pandora: https://bit.ly/3sX2QYc
We are now on Pandora Podcasts! So if you listen to Podcasts via Pandora you can subscribe here so that you don't miss an episode.
Must Reads: Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball Headlines
- Lessons learned in a long season; The parallels of 2019 to 2021 via Talk Nats
- Max and Eric Scherzer Welcome a Baby Boy via Eric Scherzer Twitter
- Minor league baseball is back, which means real games for a pair of top Nationals prospects via The Washington Post
- Washington Nationals’ Trea Turner is not underrated ... according to his manager via Federal Baseball
- Washington Nationals troll Marlins in spot on tweet via District on Deck
- These Nats can take a punch (or 10). It’s almost time to start swinging back. via The Washington Post
- Diminished role hasn’t dulled Zimmerman’s production via MASN Sports
- Fredericksburg Nationals are finally set for inaugural game via Culpeper Star - Exponent
- Where Nats top prospects are starting '21 via MLB.com
- Ties in baseball would be better than MLB's extra-inning silliness via Sporting News
- Major League Baseball sells pairs of tickets for 100 Dogecoin each via Coin Telegraph
- Minor League Baseball finally resumes after lost 2020 season via USA Today
- Injuries: Rendon, Harper, Ohtani, May, Robert via MLB.com