The Nationals have released their roster for the club’s first-ever National League Championship Series. It contains a few wrinkles …
In particular, the team made some notable changes in the bullpen. Key late-inning righty Daniel Hudson will begin the series on paternity leave, replaced temporarily by Wander Suero. Once Hudson is ready to return to duty — he can take between one and three days — Suero will depart.
The Nats have made one series-long bullpen swap. Southpaw Roenis Elias, another important deadline pickup, is healthy enough to take part. He’ll be joined by Javy Guerra in a new middle-relief mix, with Hunter Strickland bumped out of the picture.
Here’s the full 25-man unit:
Right-Handed Pitchers
- Javy Guerra
- Tanner Rainey
- Fernando Rodney
- Anibal Sanchez (probable game 1 starter)
- Max Scherzer (probable game 2 starter)
- Stephen Strasburg
- Wander Suero
- Austin Voth
Left-Handed Pitchers
- Patrick Corbin
- Sean Doolittle
- Roenis Elias
Infielders
Outfielders
Catchers
With just eleven pitchers, the Nats are again going to be banking on heavy contributions from their starters. Voth will help provide length if there’s a need for a volume of relief innings. Strickland’s two poor innings in the NLDS sealed his fate. It’s still a bit surprising to see the Nats unwilling to rely upon Suero for more than a placeholding spot; he has been effective against hitters of both hands and carried strong peripherals, while Guerra was not terribly effective this year. Elias’s ability to contribute may be a key aspect of the Nationals’ ability to hang with the Cardinals late in tight games.
The approach does leave the club an exceptionally deep bench to work with, increasing the match-up possibilities for late innings. There’ll be bench bats, pinch-running possibilities, and defensive replacements to call upon as needed.
Notably, the Nats feel good enough about the health of Suzuki to carry him and withhold a third catcher. Raudy Read would likely have been the alternative. Suzuki left Washington’s decisive game 5 after a pitch struck his hand and ricocheted into his face. He isn’t in the lineup tonight, though. Neither is Robles, who is still dealing with a hamstring injury suffered during the series with the Dodgers.
Elias is a huge return for us. Stay in the fight!
Does Hudson have to replace Suero when he comes back, or could it be anybody on the roster?
And is Suero banned from the series once he is removed?
I sincerely doubt it since this is a paternity leave situation.
I would think, that, since he is not being removed from the roster because of injury, the Nats may use him to replace someone on the NLCS roster who is injured or put him on the roster for the World Series should they make it. It sounds as though the Nats formally have to put Hudson on the NLCS roster and then place him on the paternity list. Which, makes me wonder if there is a separate concussion protocol for post-season rosters or whether a team would have to remove the injured player from the roster and live with the standard consequences of not being allowed to put them on the roster for the next series should they advance.
Suero can come back via Injury or other circumstances or take someone else out
Cant believe im rooting for the team that knocked us out but lets go nats? i think
Nats over Yanks in WS
Should be LA in this series, but I guess Friedman outsmarted himself, again. Taking nothing away from Nationals.
Yeah that comment took “nothing away” from the Nationals, not at all.
Quit acting like all of the blame goes to the front office and the manager. its unreal to say that a team that is assembled that wins 100+ games is somehow the ownership failing. The ownership has put WS caliber teams out on the field every season and they came up empty. How about you show some accountability toward the players especially Kershaw who gives up runs in the postseason like a mad man. And you are taking it away from the nats by even making that comment “should have been the Dodgers”. Show the nats some respect.
They came back and beat my brewers and that was on Hader and Grisham. They came back and beat the dodgers in game 5 and that is on your bullpen and more importantly Kershaw. Im tired of all excuses being front office related. You see it from Philly fans, Dodger fans, Cubs fans, hell even fans of my team. At the end of the day, the players are the ones throwing and hitting and its all on them.
Friedman’s Gyorko and Tyler White acquisitions really bolstered their bullpen at the deadline.
Unless Friedman is calling in game strategy he certainly did not. For how much you cry about the Dodgers bullpen they had the best ERA in the NL and the best relief pitcher in any of the LDS. Not his fault Dave didn’t want to go to Maeda until the damage was already done
All you did was mock the Nationals and insinuate they got lucky … but sure … you took nothing away from them … go ahead and pretend if that makes you feel better.
How did Friedman outsmart himself?
I was thinking Dodgers and Astros again in the World Series.
I remember in 2006 I was rooting so so hard for the Cards against the Mets. Who would have known this same team will continuously destroy the Braves. I absolutely hate the Cardinals and especially Molina to the bone. I hope they get destroyed by the Nationals.
Im surprised a player would use paternity leave during the playoffs. If their are complications or if it was his first child, I would be more understanding.
I don’t knock the move. It’s just telling that in 2019, a player would pick family over what might be his only chance to ever play in a CS.
Interesting…
I don’t find that surprising at all. But then I value family over even baseball.
He is guaranteed to be back for game 3 at home.
Kind of hysterical that the Nats advance in YEAR FRIGGIN’ ONE of Bryce Harper going on his way.
You’d almost think that he was a clubhouse cancer whose performance rarely lived up to the hype or something.
Guerra is straight gasoline on a fire.
They give the advantage to the nationals but they still have the worst bullpen in baseball…
I can’t believe Rendon made it lol
Go Nats!
The luckiest team on Earth, STL, continues to fall azz backwards into more luck.
I said a while back watch out for the Nats, go nats
Nice job by the TBS announcers to jinx Sanchez in the 8th inning.
They just kept talking about the no-no until he finally gave up a hit.