With the promotion of Chien-Ming Wang to pitch on Friday night for the first time in almost two years, the Washington Nationals needed to send somebody down to AAA. In a surprise, it looks like that someone will be outfielder Roger Bernadina, who has been a starter most of the season. According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, Bernadina will be the one sent down.
The Bernadina decision was not officially confirmed by Davey Johnson before the game, but it was essentially confirmed. It's a surprise in particular because Bernadina was hearing his name pop up in the latest MLB trade rumors. Now, it looks like he is off the market.
The Nationals now have six starters, plus Ross Detwiler, which should be interesting. They must believe they need arms more than bats. As of now, it appears Bernadina will be replaced by a platoon of Rick Ankiel and Jerry Hairston in center field.