Top Nats hitting prospect Anthony Rendon had to be helped off the field last night in Class A Potomac after he hurt himself rounding third in just his second minor league game. Apparently, it was not a pleasant scene.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com is reporting this morning that the injury was to Rendon’s left ankle. The slugging infielder had previously hurt his right ankle severely both during a stint with Team USA in 2010, and during the NCAA super regionals in his sophomore year at Rice.

There has been no official word from the Nationals about the severity of the injury, or how much time Rendon will be forced to miss, if any.

I am certainly no doctor, but being an athlete my entire life I have dealt with, and observed, my fair share of ankle injuries in my day. Here are my thoughts:

-       When we were in Spring Training last year, we watched Bryce Harper hurt his ankle during practice. He fell to the ground, rolled around in pain, and had to be carted off the field. From just looking at him, my first impression was that he would be out for at least a month, if not half a season. He was back in practice by the end of the week.

-        It’s hard to tell the severity of an ankle injury by the way the athlete reacts. I’ve seen guys roll around in agony only to come back and finish a game 20 minutes later, and I’ve seen some guys finish a game and then be sidelined for six weeks.

-       Once you severely injure an ankle once, it becomes way easier to tweak it over and over again. You can rehab it, strengthen it, run on it fine for six months with no incident, but every time you tweak or bend it the wrong way you are just a degree or two from another bad strain.

-       I was extremely impressed by Rendon’s swing this spring. I honestly believe his talent is a lot closer to Bryce Harper’s than many think. He could very realistically be the best hitter on the Nationals in five years.

-       This injury will undoubtedly bring up questions about Rendon’s durability. He slipped from being the consensus No. 1 overall pick to the Nats at No. 6 because of a shoulder injury that bothered him throughout his junior season. Now with three ankle injuries, some will begin to wonder whether or not he’ll stay healthy enough to reach his potential.

Gio Gonzalez had to be as excited about his first start today as a Washington National as we all were. The 26-year-old had embraced his trade from the destitute Oakland Athletics to the up-start Nats, and has been vocal both in the traditional media as well as through social streams about his desire to become a major part of the fresh baseball culture in the area.

But D.C. by nature is a town of skeptics. Give us a new monument and we'll complain about the symbolism. Give us a Heisman trophy winning quarterback and we'll wonder about the fit. Give us an All-Star left-handed hurler, and we'll question the price. It's really not our fault, after all, it's just who we are by nature. We are lawyers, lobbyists, journalists, republicans, democrats, and bloggers, and that means that by trade we can't help but question both the good and bad in everything.

And so, as Mike Rizzo shipped off four MLB caliber prospects to Oakland, you couldn't help but hear the chirping that Washington had overpaid for a shiny toy that may not have had as much value as appeared on the surface. Some argued that Gio's walk rate forecasted that his current level of success was unsustainable, others pointed to his career numbers and claimed he couldn't pitch outside of Oakland. For the most part, we tried to ignore these naysayers, but we couldn't fully, and neither could the pitcher himself.

Gio Gonzalez had to be more disappointed about his first start today as a Washington National than we all were. The 26-year-old knew the quiet skepticism by some coming into today's game, and he wanted to not only prove the doubters wrong, but also to give his new fans a reason to believe in 2012. Instead he knows now that he will have to take it upon himself to find redemption next week, in a city where a reputation can evaporate in an instant.

All of the criticisms presented themselves in their own way today. He gave up four runs in 3.1 innings, but he also struggled with command, and let up too many hits to a sub par Cubs team. As the Nats bullpen allowed just one hit to the same lineup for the rest of the game, Gio didn't seem like an ace pitcher in his first outing, heck, he didn't even look like John Lannan.

It's important, however, that we remember that this is a team designed to win over the course of a 162 game, six month season. And while our skeptical minds and hearts may want to leap to conclusions based on the only data that we have yet been presented with, this is a plea from a blogger to a fan base to simply sit back, let go, and believe.

You take off your lawyer hat, and I'll put down my blogger wand, and let's give this left-hander some time. Gio Gonzalez may pan out, and he may not, but a self-destructive nattitude that kills a season before it grows won't help. Just ask Jayson Werth.

After Ian Desmond led off the game with a hit on the very first pitch of the baseball season for the Nationals, we all got a glimpse of the type of baseball the Nats will have to play all season: not a lot of offense combined with incredible pitching. It's a stressful and tense way to watch baseball, but it can also be a whole lot of fun.

First, the incredible pitching.  Stephen Strasburg came out and did everything that anyone could expect of him.  He threw just 14 pitches the first two innings and finished the day on 82 pitches in 7 innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits.  He walked just one and struck out five.  Tyler Clippard did exactly what we’ve come to expect from him: throw strikes and get outs.  He allowed nothing on 14 pitches in the 8th inning.

The Nationals offense decided to wake up in the 8th inning, and the player of the game proved to be Ian Desmond.  If you take Desmond out of the equation, Nats starters didn’t record a single hit.  The only other player in the lineup to get a hit was Chad Tracy’s blast off the right field wall in the 9th inning.  Without Ian Desmond, the Nationals wouldn’t have had a chance.  Jayson Werth walked in the 8th with the bases loaded to score a run, and Desmond singled to right in the 9th to score Brett Carroll, which turned out to be the game winner.

Brad Lidge showed what he’s capable of in the 9th inning, and why he’ll probably earn most of the save opportunities until Drew Storen returns from the DL.  With his devastating slider and fastball, he was able to record the first save of the 2012 season, but not without some drama.  Lidge did allow a triple to Ian Steward with just one out in the 9th with the Nationals up 2-1.  On a well timed ground ball to third, though, Ryan Zimmerman threw out pinch runner Joe Mather at home to keep a blown save off of Lidge’s stat sheet.

After this 2-1 win, expect more of the same for the Nationals for a while as they work on their offense throughout the season.  Their starting pitching will keep them in games, but the team’s lack of offense is going to create lots of moments like you saw throughout the opening game of the 2012 season.  Watching winning baseball can sometimes be stressful, and the Nats will rarely give their fans the opportunity to see a blowout.  Being able to hang on every pitch as if it were life and death for the team will be a different experience for Nats fans, because at the end of all the heartache throughout the season, their could be a light at the end of the tunnel.  And that could make all the heartache worthwile.

Yesterday, we talked about the Washington Nationals impressive pitching staff.  Today, we must tackle a subject that is far less sure and secure: the team’s offense.  An already below average offense last year, the Nats will be missing several key players on Opening Day due to injury: Michael Morse and Rick Ankiel.  Without them, let’s explore the position players actually on the 25-man roster today.

Catchers

Wilson Ramos – Seeing Ramos’ name here is particularly sweet following the traumatic kidnapping this offseason in Venezuela that left his status unknown for more than two days.  Now, Ramos is back for his sophomore season, and he will be a key to the Nationals success, but not for his bat.  His ability to call games for the team’s impressive pitching staff will be a make or break for the Nats this year.

Jesus Flores – The one time catcher of the future for the Nationals is now relegated to backup duty behind Ramos, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t valuable.  Flores has dealt with what must be a frustrating situation with grace since he returned from his shoulder injury, but without him, the Nationals would be in real trouble.  Since trading Derek Norris to Oakland in the Gio Gonzalez deal, there isn’t a real backup option for the Nats now besides Flores; you probably don’t want to see Carlos Maldonado up in DC in the ideal world.

Infield

Adam LaRoche – LaRoche has found his way into the cleanup slot in Michael Morse’s absence, and his ankle and shoulder look to be recovered enough to play.  How long does it stay that way?  Only time will tell, but if LaRoche can somehow stay healthy, his defensive talent and power could prove key to the Nationals long-term success this year.

Danny Espinosa – Entering his second full season, Espinosa looks to start 2012 the same way he started 2011.  The only difference is he wants to keep it going past the All-Star Break this time around.  He thinks he’s figured out why he’s struggled from the left side of the plate, and if he does, there’s no telling how much damage he can do offensively.

Ian Desmond – This could be a crucial season to determine Desmond’s ultimate role with the Nationals.  Can he take enough pitches to raise his OBP?  Can he continue to cut down on his fielding errors?  If the answer is “no” to either or both of these questions near the end of this season, look for Anthony Rendon to appear at second to allow Espinosa’s move to shortstop.

Ryan Zimmerman – As Ryan Zimmerman goes, so go the Nats.  If he could have even an average Zimmerman season and play in 140 games, the Nationals will be in excellent shape.  If not, they could be looking at an extremely long season.

Chad Tracy – This corner infielder and journeyman squeezed his way onto the team as a bench player just one year after playing in Japan.  It’s a feel good story, but only if the Nats don’t have to see Tracy in the lineup with any regularity whatsoever.  Look for Tracy to get quite a few pinch hitting opportunities when they need some pop in the lineup.

Steve Lombardozzi – Lombardozzi is the forgotten infielder in a lot of ways.  He has Espinosa, Desmond, and Zimmerman solidly ahead of him in the depth chart, but he has the potential to be a significant role player for the Nationals if he’s given the opportunity.  He gets on-base at an extremely high clip and hits for a good average.  He also has good defensive ability.  It’s hard to see Lombardozzi playing the utility man role for long.  He’ll either work his way into the lineup with regularity, or he’s likely to end up traded.

Outfield

Mark DeRosa – DeRosa is another feel good story for himself and for the Nationals.  In his late-30s, he’s managed to make a roster after battling injuries for the better part of two seasons, and he made a huge splash in spring training.  His numbers were outstanding from 2006-2008, and the Nats hope they can catch lightning in a bottle and get another one of those years from the veteran utility player.

Roger Bernadina – Bernadina will get the Opening Day nod in center field, but mostly because Rick Ankiel is on the DL to start the year.  Many expected the outfielder from Curacao to have little to no value for the Nats this year, but he was impressive in spring training and earned the spot.  Now we watch to see how long he can stay in DC.

Jayson Werth – The cornerstone of the outfield, Werth looks to have a bounce back year after what was one of the worst years of his career.  Look for him to rebound significantly compared to last year’s performance and sit firmly in the 5 and 6 hole in the order all season.

Xavier Nady – Less than two weeks before spring training ended, Xavier Nady walked in on a minor-league deal.  About 10 days later, he earned 25-man roster spot.  I’m still not sure if this is because of an incredibly weak offensive roster or because he truly earned it, but Nady could be one of the first to go once Morse and Ankiel are ready to return to the team.

Brett Carroll – After squeezing in at the back of the depth chart, just over Jason Michaels, Carroll will have the opportunity to platoon with Bernadina and take some time from DeRosa until the everyday starters return to the outfield.  Carroll is essentially a career pitch hitter, having never earned more than 150 at-bats in a season.

Former Washington Nationals Opening Day starter John Lannan had made headlines in the DC sports world lately, and today is no exception.  John Lannan has requested a trade from GM Mike Rizzo, according to several baseball sources.  This comes just hours after Lannan was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse to start the season in favor of former first-round pick Ross Detwiler.

This request is just the latest development in the shocking situation regarding Lannan and the Nationals organization.  Lannan was widely regarded as the Nationals No. 5 starter up until yesterday, when Detwiler was unexpectedly named to that spot.  Lannan's numbers certainly earn him the honor of being a big league starter, but he finds himself as the odd man out as the Nats rotation improves around him and rapidly.  It is telling that the Nationals rotation had him No. 1 just two seasons ago, but now he fails to even make the 25-man roster.  The move shows the team's commitment to success, despite the financial implications of sending down a pitcher due to earn $5 million this season.

Unfortunately for the Nationals, this situation devolved fairly quickly.  Earlier in spring training, rumors surrounded John Lannan and a possible trade, but it never came to fruition.  Lannan never drew the interest the Nationals had hoped, and he went untraded.  When Chien-Ming Wang was hurt in a freak accident covering first base, Lannan was the easy choice to slot into the No. 5 spot, but obviously the front office and Manager Davey Johnson had other thoughts. Enter Ross Detwiler.

This situation could have far reaching implications for the Nationals.  While the team expected to receive something of value back from a Lannan trade, like a bench player or a prospect, he's gone from a player that a team could value as a middle-to-back of the rotation starter to a player the rest of the league knows the Nationals want to unload.  Obviously this decreases his trade value early in the season, but the Nationals are under no obligation to move Lannan yet.  Despite Lannan's request, he has an option left, and the Nats can just leave him in Syracuse until someone in the rotation gets hurt or Stephen Strasburg reaches his innings limit.  It may not be the most glamorous way to deal with your two-time Opening Day starter, but it's part of the process at this time.

The Nationals Front Office will start listening to offers for Lannan almost immediately, but until players like Matt Purke are ready for primetime, the Nats don't have a ton of starting pitching depth after the Gio Gonzalez trade that sent Brad Peacock, Tommy Malone, and AJ Cole to Oakland.  The Nationals would be wise to sit on Lannan for a while if they can get by with him in Syracuse.  

The Nats are at an organizational crossroads, and without pitching depth, the thing that has brought the team to this point may be in jeopardy of sinking the team.  The way the Nationals deal with this Lannan situation over the next few weeks could have far reaching affects on the organization's future.  They've already shown they're willing to put a $5 million pitcher in the minors in favor of baseball success; this could be a defining moment in the next few years in Nationals history.

The Washington Nationals are headed to Chicago on Thursday to start what could be a promising 2012 season.  However, some key injuries may leave the team a bit more crippled than fans would hope, causing an already concerning offense to be a little bit worse.  The overall positive on this year’s Nats team is the pitching staff, so we’ll start there with Part 1.

Starting Rotation

Stephen Strasburg – The day Nationals fans had hoped for is finally here.  Their ace is starting on Opening Day, and it’s just a benefit that it’s at iconic Wrigley Field against a struggling Cubs franchise.  Despite his innings limit, Strasburg’s presence in the lineup every fifth day is going to be huge.

Gio Gonzalez – The lefty power guy will be the Nationals 1a pitcher, and he lines up to pitch Opening Day at Nationals Park on April 12^th.  His presence in the rotation will be huge for a team building young pitching, especially since the Nats gave up so much young pitching to get him.  If he has a year similar to 2011, the Nats will be thrilled.

Jordan Zimmermann – JZimm is in the three spot in the rotation, but don’t sleep on him.  I expect him to have a breakout season in his first full year back from Tommy John injury without an innings limit.  He showed instances of being elite last year, and I think his few weaknesses from last year will dissipate this year.  He will be one of the best No. 3s in the game.

Edwin Jackson – Jackson got paid a lot of money for a one-year deal with the Nats this year, and he has played on six different teams in his nine-year career.  But when he’s good, he’s really good, and he can really eat innings.  His career average 1.476 WHIP is certainly concerning, and hopefully Steve McCatty can work magic on Jackson like he has with many other Nats pitchers.

Ross Detwiler – In the first true surprise this offseason, John Lannan was optioned down to Syracuse in favor of Ross Detwiler, who has been extremely impressive this spring and at the end of last year.  This is the opportunity the Nationals first draft pick of 2007 has been waiting for, and here’s hoping he doesn’t disappoint.  By having Detwiler in this spot instead of Lannan, the Nationals have an entire rotation of power pitchers, which is starkly different than previous years.

Bullpen

Tom Gorzelanny – Despite being a terrible pitcher this spring and showing nothing remarkable last season, Gorzelanny and his $3 million made the bullpen this year.  He will likely be a long reliever most of the time, but it’s possible that he could get some LOOGY opportunities from time to time.

Craig Stammen – I’ve been beating this drum for a while now, and I’m excited that Stammen will finally get the opportunity to show what he’s made of for at least a few weeks while Drew Storen rests his elbow soreness.  It’s possible that when Storen returns, Stammen will be the first to go, but only time will tell there.

Ryan Mattheus – Mattheus had an average 2011 and has been good this spring, which is good enough to earn a middle relief spot with the Nats.  Mattheus throws for power, but still makes some mental gaffes on the mound.  Look for him to play the Todd Coffey role for the Nats this year, doing some mop up duty as well.

Sean Burnett – The lefty specialist that once couldn’t retire lefties is back, but he looks like the Burnett of old.  He will play a vital role for the Nats if they want to keep Gorzelanny out of situations like facing Ryan Howard when he comes back.

Henry Rodriguez – Rodriguez has had a transformational experience in the last seven months.  Ever since September last year, his control has been unbelievable.  Since his control is the one thing that was keeping him from being elite, his 100 MPH fastball could create a big splash in the NL East this time around.

Tyler Clippard – Clippard is one of the best setup men in the National League, and I don’t expect that to stop.  Will he have a 1.83 ERA with a ridiculous 0.838 WHIP again? Probably not.  Is he capable of putting together lots of scoreless innings with his jerky windup, deceptively fast fastball, and devastating changeup?  Absolutely.  He’ll help shut down lots of innings for the team’s elite rotation this year.

Brad Lidge – The Phillies gave up on Lidge, and the Nats quickly swooped in and paid him $1 million for a one-year deal.  That could pay dividends now that Drew Storen is on the DL to start the season  Lidge is supposed to split closer’s duties with Rodriguez, but I have a hunch Lidge, a proven closer, will get most of the chances here.  He could be a major piece to determine if the Nats make it through April successfully.

Evaluating the position players will come your way in Part 2.

In this week's episode, Joe and Craig have their first guest, Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation.  Brett provides great insight on the state of the Chicago Cubs, who the Washington Nationals are playing on Opening Day, and is an all around cool guy.  Besides that, a few other pretty interesting things happened for the Nationals in the past week: John Lannan was demoted, Ross Detwiler was added to the rotation, more injury stuff, the bullpen, and spring training surprises, followed by the official end to spring training.  

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