Nationals Farm Authority

Baseball America’s transaction page lists 3B Shawn Norris and LHP Jonathan Price on the restricted list.  This brings to three (including OF Dee Haynes) on the “restricted list” while IF Wes Carroll is on the voluntary retired list.  For those interested, the restricted list is where a player retires without submitting a letter to the team for submission to the commissioner’s office; the voluntary retired have submitted the letter  It is a paperwork thing.  

New Orleans (AAA) [Split with Round Rock 2-3 (G1 -13 innings) and 9-6 (G2-7 innings)]

• Gamer1/Box1
• Brandon Watson CF 0/6 1K; picked off
• Ty Godwin LF 1/6 1RBI 2K
• Larry Broadway 1B 1/6 1K
• Santiago Ramirez RP 2IP 2H 0R 2BB 0K
• Travis Hughes RP 2IP 0H 0R 2BB 3K
• Bill Bray RP 0IP 1H(1HR) 1R(1ER) 0BB 0K; Loss
• Gamer2/Box2
• Ty Godwin LF 2/4 2R 1RBI double
• Mike Vento RF 3/4 2R 2RBI 1HR double
• Larry Broadway 1B 1/2 1R 3RBI 1BB 1HR 2SF
• Brandon Watson PH 0/1 1K
• Anastacio Martinez SP 4IP 7H(2HR) 6R(6ER) 4BB 2K
• Chris Thompson RP 2IP 1H 0R 1BB 3K; Win
• Bill Bray RP 1IP 2H 0R 0BB 0K; Save
• 4/20 Probable Starter:  Andrew Good (0-1 4.50) at Round Rock 8:05PM ET

Harrisburg (AA) [Lost to Erie 3-2]

• Gamer/Box
• Robert Fick CA 2/3 1R double [Rehab Assignment]
• Alex Escobar LF 0/3 1BB
• Kory Casto 3B 1/4
• Frank Diaz CF 3/4 1R
• Josh Whitesell 1B 1/4 2K 1E
• Tony Blanco DH 0/4 1K
• Ian Desmond 1/4 1K double
• David Maust SP 6IP 3H(1HR) 1R(1ER) 0BB 7K
• 4/20 Probable Starter: Justin Echols (0-0 0.82) versus Portland 6:05PM ET

Potomac (High A) [Split with Lynchburg 0-8 (G1) & 4-2 (G2)]

• Gamer1/Box1
• Marvin Lowrance RF 1/3
• Rog Bernadina LF 0/2
• Gamer2/Box2
• Marvin Lowrance LF 1/3 1R double
• Devin Ivany DH 0/3 1K
• Edgardo Baez RF 0/2 1E
• Ricardo Morales SP 5IP 3H 2R(0ER) 3BB 3K 1HBP; Win
• Brett Campbell RP 1IP 1H 0R 0BB 3K 1WP; Save
• No game scheduled for 4/20

Savannah (Low A) [No game scheduled]

• 4/20 Probable Starter:  David Trahan (1-0 0.00) at Greenville 7:05PM ET

The Harrisburg Senators announced today that outfielder Alex Escobar has been removed the team’s Disabled List. Escobar went the DL with a right groin strain on April 10^th.

Escobar played in just two games for the Senators before landing on the D.L. He was 3 for 9 at the plate in those two games with 1 home run and 2 RBI’s.

Escobar will take the roster spot of outfielder Christian Guerrero who was placed on the D.L. with a right thumb sprain. The Guerrero move is retroactive to April 18^th.

• Game suspended due to a hail storm in the 3rd inning tied 1-1. Game will be completed (innings 4-9) at 7:05PM ET.
• 4/19 Probable Starter: Anastacio Martinez (0-0 0.00) at Round Rock Upon completion of suspended game
• The Zephyrs placed catcher Brandon Harper and pitcher Steve Watkins on the DL. That brings the Z’s disabled list to four players. New Orleans added RHP Anastacio Martinez and RHP Chris Thompson (from extended spring training) to the pitching staff.

Harrisburg (AA) [Lost to Erie 5-2]

• Gamer/Box
• Kory Casto 3B 2/3 1BB double
• Frank Diaz CF 0/4 1K
• Robert Fick 1B 0/4 2K [Rehab Assignment]
• Salomon Manriquez CA 1/3 1R 1BB
• Josh Whitesell DH 2/4 1R 2RBI 1HR
• Ian Desmond 0/3 1BB 1K
• 4/19 Probable Starter: David Maust (0-2 2.89) at Erie 6:35PM ET

Potomac (High A) [Lost to Lynchburg 10-1]

• Devin Ivany CA 1/4 2PB
• Luke Montz DH 0/4 1K 1GIDP
• Edgardo Baez RF 1/3 1R 1RBI 1K 1HR
• Rog Bernadina LF 0/3 2K
• Collin Balester 4IP 7H 4R(3ER) 3BB 1K 1HBP 1WP; Loss
• Juan Ovalles RP 3IP 0H 0R 1BB 6K
• 4/19 Probable Starters: Ricardo Morales (0-0 6.10) and Clint Everts (0-1 12.86) vs Lynchburg DH 6:05PM ET
• I attended this game and here are a few quick observations:
• Collin Balester had a really tough night on the mound. His control was erratic at best. He definitely has a live arm, but he had difficulty consistently locating his pitches. You have to keep in mind that he’s 19 years old (he’ll turn 20 on June 6) and that struggles are part of his development.
• Juan Ovalles was strong on the mound in relief of Balester. He struck out six of the nine hitters he faced. His pitches had really good movement and he worked around the strikezone well
• Cole Strayhorn was extremely hittable last night. His pitches did not seem to have any movement. Batters were able to foul off pitches until they got one they could drive.
• Devin Ivany had a challenging night behind the plate. He had two passed balls and seemed to have a tough time keeping the ball in front of him. This isn’t indicative of his reputation as a solid defensive catcher.
• Seth Bynum and Trey Webb played solid defense up the middle for Potomac. They turned two double plays as if they had been working together for a while.
• Edgardo Baez’s home run was a 400 foot shot to dead center.

Savannah (Low A) [Defeated Asheville 6-5]

• Gamer/Box
• Mike Daniel DH 1/4 1RBI 1BB 1K
• Francisco Plasencia CF 1/5 2K
• Dee Brown LF 1/4 1R 1RBI 1SF 1SB
• John-Michael Howell 1B 1/4 1R 1RBI 1BB 1K
• Erick San Pedro CA 2/3 1R 2RBI 1BB 1K 1PB
• John Lannan SP 3.2IP 2H 1R(0ER) 2BB 5K
• no game scheduled for 4/19; next game is Thursday 4/20 at Greenville 7:05PM ET

The Harrisburg Senators announced today that CA/1B Robert Fick has been added to the team on a Rehab Assignment.  Fick has not played this season as he was on the Nationals’ disabled list following elbow surgery this spring.

Additionally, Anastacio Martinez has been shifted from Harrisburg to AAA New Orleans and reliever Dan Kolb joins Harrisburg from High-A Potomac. 

UPDATE: RP Bryan Lambert was activated Tuesday, April 18 for the Savannah Sand Gnats. To make room for Lambert, RHP Jim Henderson will move up to Potomac.

The Zephyrs have added 2B Greg Thissen from Potomac replacing Kenny Kelly who was placed on the DL this weekend with a strained hamstring. Zephyrs 2B Bernie Castro is also battling a hamstring injury so Thissen will provide New Orleans with MI depth off of the bench along with Henry Mateo.

The Nationals have decided who will replace Ryan Drese in their rotation as the #5 starting pitcher.  It will be Billy Traber who was signed as a free agent in the offseason.  The Nationals will likely send RP Saul Rivera back to New Orleans to make room for Traber.

The 26-year old Traber has been long on hype (he was a key piece for the Inidians in the 2001 trade of Roberto Alomar from Cleveland to the New York Mets) but has battled injuries for most of his career, most noticably Tommy John surgery in September 2003.

Traber’s statistics post-surgery show that he is slowly recovering from the surgery and regaining some of the abilities that made him a pitching prospect though his likely ceiling is as a “crafty” #4 lefthanded starting pitcher.

From 2001 (his professional debut) through 2003 (finding out he needed TJ surgery), Traber kept an online journal at AtTheYard.com.