With incumbent closer Drew Storen suffering joint inflammation in his elbow, Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson is considering fill-in alternatives to finish games when the regular season begins. Storen has not pitched in a game since March 7, but is expected to resume throwing Tuesday or Wednesday.
As for those closer alternatives? Mark Zuckerman of CSNwashington.com has more insight:
Storen hopes to begin throwing middle of the week. Davey proceeding as though he may not be ready for Opening Day.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 24, 2012
If Storen isn't ready, Davey says his closer will be Lidge or Rodriguez. Clippard too valuable as setup man/guy who puts out fires.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 24, 2012
Lidge, a new addition to the Nationals bullpen this season, has the most experience closing, saving 223 games in his nine-year career. The youngster Rodriguez, known to hit 100 mph on the radar gun, did save two games for Washington last year and is also a viable candidate if Storen can't go to start the season..
We'll have much more on Spring Training here at SB Nation DC in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out SB Nation's Nationals blog, Federal Baseball, for more news and notes. And don't forget to visit Baseball Nation, the MLB hub of SB Nation for information from around the league.